Hardware
Barcode scanners, receipt printers and devices that work with managemate
managemate runs in the browser, so most shop hardware works once the device can use it: a scanner that types like a keyboard, a printer with its driver installed, and any phone, tablet or computer with a modern browser.
managemate works with USB and Bluetooth barcode scanners that act as a keyboard, 58 mm and 80 mm thermal receipt printers, ordinary A4 printers, label printers, and the camera on a phone, tablet or laptop. Nothing connects to managemate directly: a scanner types the code into the browser, and every receipt, invoice and label is made as a PDF that prints through the browser's print dialog.
That keeps setup simple and lets you use hardware you may already have, but it also sets the limits: managemate cannot open a cash drawer, read a weighing scale or print without the print dialog. This page lists what works, how to set each device up and what is not supported, so you can choose the right equipment for your counter. You do not need any of it to start: a phone or laptop on its own can bill, scan with the camera and send receipts on WhatsApp.
USB and Bluetooth barcode scanners
Any handheld or desk scanner that works as a keyboard (often called HID or keyboard mode) and sends Enter after each code works with managemate, whether it is wired by USB or paired by Bluetooth.
What works
- Scanning on the counter screen without clicking into a box first, as long as the cursor is not in another field such as a quantity
- Scanning into the counter's search box, which F2 jumps to
- Receiving purchase orders, recording deliveries and returns, and adding lines to orders, after clicking into the scan box
- Stock counts with Count by scanning, where the scan box is ready as soon as it opens
- Setting a product's barcode by scanning the pack, and scanning on the Products page to open a product or start a new one with that code
- The search bar (⌘K or /), to open a product, receipt, order or lot from its code
- A short beep when a scan is found and a low tone when it is not, at the counter, in orders and in counts
Setup and buying tips
- Set the scanner to send Enter after each code, using the setup barcodes in its manual. A scanner that ends with Tab, or with nothing, will not complete a scan.
- If codes come out with wrong characters, set the scanner's keyboard layout to match the computer, usually US English.
- Codes need at least 3 characters to be picked up as a scan.
- Pair a Bluetooth scanner in its keyboard (HID) mode, not a mode that needs the maker's own app.
- A wired USB scanner is the simplest choice for a fixed counter. A cordless or Bluetooth one suits stock counts and receiving away from the desk.
1D or 2D scanner: which one you need
A 1D (linear) scanner reads ordinary barcodes such as EAN-13 and Code 128, which covers the barcodes on packs and the barcode labels managemate prints. To read QR codes you need a 2D scanner or the camera.
What works
- 1D scanners: barcodes on manufacturers' packs, and managemate barcode labels, which print EAN-13 for valid 13-digit codes and Code 128 for other codes
- 1D scanners: the barcode of the bill number at the foot of every receipt, which opens the sale at the counter for a return or a reprint
- 2D scanners: everything a 1D scanner reads, plus QR and Data Matrix codes
- 2D scanners: lot QR labels, which sell from that exact batch at the counter
- 2D scanners: product labels printed with a QR code instead of a barcode
Setup and buying tips
- If you print lot QR labels for your batches, choose a 2D scanner. A 1D scanner cannot read them.
- 2D scanners can usually read codes shown on a phone screen; most 1D laser scanners cannot.
- Lot QR labels are for the counter. When receiving goods or counting stock, scan the product barcode.
Phone, tablet and laptop cameras
Every screen with a scan box has a Scan with camera button, so a phone or tablet can bill, receive and count without a scanner. It uses the rear camera and keeps scanning until you close it.
What works
- EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, ITF, QR and Data Matrix codes
- Continuous scanning: hold each item in the frame in turn; the same code is ignored for about two seconds so one item is not counted twice by accident
- A torch button on phones whose camera supports it
- A short vibration on each scan, on phones that support it
- A box to type or paste a code when a label will not scan
- Laptop webcams as well as phone and tablet cameras
Setup and buying tips
- Allow camera access when the browser asks. If you blocked it, allow the camera for the site in the browser's settings, then press Retry.
- Close other apps that use the camera, such as a video call, before scanning.
- Most laptop webcams focus poorly up close, so small barcodes scan more reliably with a phone or a handheld scanner.
- For a long queue or a large delivery, a handheld scanner is faster than the camera.
58 mm and 80 mm thermal receipt printers
Any 58 mm or 80 mm thermal receipt printer installed on the computer with its driver can print managemate receipts. Each receipt is a PDF the width of the paper, and its length follows the bill.
What works
- 80 mm receipts, the default and the usual size for shop counters
- 58 mm receipts for compact and portable printers
- Receipts titled Tax invoice when your GSTIN is saved, with a GST table by rate, a UPI QR while a balance is due and a barcode of the bill number
- Print receipt automatically, a switch at the counter that opens the print dialog with the receipt as each sale completes
- Day-end sheets on receipt paper as well as on A4
- Any invoice reprinted as a receipt from its print dialog
Setup and buying tips
- Choose the default width in Settings, under Receipts, as Receipt printer width. You can still pick the other width in the print dialog.
- In the print dialog, choose the receipt printer, set margins to None and scale to 100%.
- In the printer driver, choose the paper size that matches your roll width.
- The automatic print switch is saved on each device, so turn it on at every counter.
- Receipts print in black only, which suits thermal paper.
A4 office printers
Invoices, orders and other business documents print on A4 on any inkjet or laser printer the computer can already print to.
What works
- Tax invoices, with original, duplicate and triplicate copies for order invoices
- Quotations, sales orders, purchase orders and purchase bills
- Delivery challans and goods received notes, with spaces for transport details and signatures
- Customer and supplier statements with ageing
- Day-end sheets, write-off notes and production sheets
- A4 sheets of 24 product labels
Setup and buying tips
- Print A4 documents at 100% scale. Download keeps a PDF copy to email or attach.
- Each copy is its own print: choose original, duplicate or triplicate in the print dialog, print, then choose the next.
- Your logo, accent colour, terms and bank details come from Settings, where a live preview shows the real invoice.
Label printers and label sizes
managemate prints product labels and lot QR labels as PDFs in fixed sizes, so any label printer with its driver installed can print them, including the TSC TE244. A4 label sheets print on an ordinary printer.
What works
- A4 sheets of 24 labels, 3 across and 8 down, each 63.5 × 33.9 mm, on any printer
- 50 × 25 mm and 38 × 25 mm label rolls, one label per page, for product and shelf labels
- Product labels with the name, price and a barcode or QR code; the price prints as MRP inclusive of all taxes, or as a plain shelf price
- Lot QR labels on 2 × 1 inch (50.8 × 25.4 mm) rolls, with the name, price, SKU, lot number and location, sized to scan well from 203 dpi (8 dots per mm) printers
- Up to 200 copies of each product label, and up to 1,000 lot labels in one print job
Setup and buying tips
- Set the paper size in the printer driver to match the roll, such as 2 × 1 inch for lot labels or 50 × 25 mm for product labels.
- Print at actual size (100%) with margins set to None, so labels line up and codes scan.
- Run the printer's own gap calibration after loading a new roll.
- Lot QR labels do not print the expiry date, so keep it on your pack label.
- Each lot label carries its location, so reprint labels after transferring stock to another location.
Computers, tablets and phones
managemate runs in the browser on a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone, with nothing to install. Use Chrome, Safari or another modern browser, and keep the device connected to the internet.
What works
- Counter PCs and laptops, with F2 for search, F9 to charge and Enter to complete the sale
- Screens 1,024 pixels wide or more, such as most laptops and larger tablets held sideways, with the cart beside the products
- Phones and narrower tablets, with the bill total and a Charge button fixed at the bottom of the screen
- Each device remembering the location it sells from
- The cart kept on the device, so a refresh or a dropped connection does not lose the bill
- Sharing a PDF from a phone to WhatsApp, email or Drive, where the browser supports it
Setup and buying tips
- On phones and in Safari, the PDF opens in a new tab, and you print it with the device's own print options.
- Some small Bluetooth receipt printers only print from their own app and do not appear in a phone's print options. Check that a printer works with your phone's printing before you buy it for phone billing.
- Keep a mobile hotspot handy: managemate has no offline mode, so a sale is recorded only when the connection is back.
- Retrying a checkout after a dropped connection never records the sale twice.
Set up a counter, step by step
- 1
Choose the counter's location
Sign in on the counter device, open Point of sale and pick the location it sells from. The device remembers it until you switch from the location menu in the top bar.
- 2
Connect and test the scanner
Plug in the USB scanner, or pair the Bluetooth scanner in keyboard mode. Open a text editor and scan a pack: the code should appear and the cursor should move to a new line. If it does not, set the scanner to send Enter using the setup barcodes in its manual.
- 3
Install the printer driver
Install the receipt or label printer with the maker's driver so it appears in the computer's list of printers, and set its paper size to your roll. Print the driver's own test page to check the connection.
- 4
Set the receipt width
In Settings, under Receipts, choose 80 mm or 58 mm as the Receipt printer width, and add a receipt footer if you like, such as your exchange policy.
- 5
Print a test receipt
Print the receipt of your first sale, or reprint an existing one. In the print dialog, choose the receipt printer, set margins to None and scale to 100%. The browser usually remembers these choices for the next print.
- 6
Turn on automatic printing
At the counter, turn on Print receipt automatically, so the print dialog opens with the receipt as each sale completes. The switch is saved on that device only.
- 7
Set up the label printer
Load the roll, run the printer's gap calibration, and set the driver's paper size to the label size. Print a few labels at actual size with no margins and scan them before printing a full batch.
What managemate does not support
Worth knowing before you purchase equipment.
- Cash drawers: managemate cannot open a drawer. Some receipt printer drivers can open a drawer connected to the printer whenever they print; that is a driver setting, not a managemate feature.
- Weighing scales: weights are typed into the bill, not read from a scale.
- Printing without the print dialog, or direct ESC/POS, USB or serial connections to printers.
- Customer-facing pole displays or second screens.
- Card machines and UPI sound boxes: card and UPI payments are recorded by the cashier, and managemate does not confirm them with the terminal or the bank.
- Scanners that end each code with Tab, or that only work through their own app.
- Label sizes or label designs other than the four built-in layouts.
- Expiry dates printed on lot QR labels.
- Offline billing, and app-store apps for phones or tablets.
- Scanning serial or IMEI numbers to track individual units.
Hardware questions
Which barcode scanner works with managemate billing software?
Any USB or Bluetooth scanner that works in keyboard mode and sends Enter after each code. Choose a 1D scanner if you only scan product barcodes, or a 2D scanner if you will also scan QR codes, such as managemate's lot labels or codes on a phone screen. A wired USB scanner is the simplest for a fixed counter.
Do I need a barcode scanner at all?
No. Every scan box has a camera button, so a phone or tablet can scan with its camera, and products can always be found by name or SKU. A handheld scanner is faster at a busy counter and when unloading a large delivery, so it is worth adding when the queue or the deliveries grow.
Which thermal printer is better for billing, 58 mm or 80 mm?
80 mm suits most shop counters: item names, the GST table and the UPI QR have more room, and the receipt is easier to read. 58 mm printers are smaller, use narrower rolls and suit portable printers and low-volume counters. managemate prints both; set the default in Settings, under Receipts.
Can receipts print without the print dialog?
No. A website cannot print silently in a normal browser, so managemate opens the print dialog with the receipt ready. Turn on Print receipt automatically at the counter and the dialog opens as each sale completes; you only confirm the print.
Can I print receipts from a phone or tablet?
Yes, if the device can print to your printer. On phones the receipt opens as a PDF, which you print with the phone's own print options or share to another app. Where printing is awkward, send the bill to a named customer on WhatsApp instead.
Which label printer and label rolls should I use?
Any label printer with a driver for your computer works, including the TSC TE244. Use 50 × 25 mm or 38 × 25 mm rolls for product labels and 2 × 1 inch (50.8 × 25.4 mm) rolls for lot QR labels. Without a label printer, print product labels on A4 sheets of 24 (63.5 × 33.9 mm each) on an office printer.
Does managemate work with a cash drawer or weighing scale?
No. managemate does not send a signal to open a cash drawer and does not read weights from a scale, so type the weight or quantity into the bill. Some receipt printer drivers can open a connected drawer each time they print; check your printer's manual, as this is set in the driver.
Does the hardware work on Windows, Mac and Android?
managemate itself runs in the browser on any of them. A scanner in keyboard mode works on all of them too, because it types like a keyboard. Printers are different: each needs a driver or print support for the device's operating system, so check that before you buy one.
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