Issue: On Shopify POS (Android and iPad), UPC barcodes scan from a digital display but fail when printed at default size with the error: “Barcode not recognized. Try scanning item again.” The same printed and digital UPCs scan successfully in the Shopify Admin app, suggesting a POS-specific problem.
Context and hypotheses:
Devices/gear: Mentions Socket Mobile Bluetooth scanners; question raised about using standalone Bluetooth scanners with POS.
Action/official guidance: A Shopify team member advised contacting Retail Specialists via a provided support link for deeper investigation.
Status: Unresolved/ongoing. Key open questions include whether barcode length/format or print quality is the root cause, and why POS behavior differs from the Admin app. No confirmed fix or settings change shared in-thread.
We’re seeing an issue with the Shopify POS app on both android and iPad where we can scan a UPC code on a digital monitor, but when we print that barcode (in it’s default size) on paper, we get an error when scanning:
Barcode not recognized. Try scanning item again.
We can scan the same printed or digital version of the UPC using the Shopify Admin app, and it works just fine.
Any thoughts on what’s causing this? Anyone using a standalone Bluetooth barcode scanner with Shopify POS?
Not sure if this is relevant, but I’ve learned Shopify POS doesn’t like long, complicated barcodes. Sometimes our Socket Mobile scanners won’t even scan barcodes that contain long barcodes. Also, the longer the barcode is, the lesser quality the printer will print them clearly which can make POS not recognize them.
Hi. Did you find a solution for this?
our barcodes were working perfectly last week, now when we scan the same printed barcode we get an error message - barcode not recognised. Try scanning item again. If only it were that simple!
thanks
Hey, @Eller1 !
We reccomend reaching out to our retail specialists at this link, so that they can investigate this further! Thank you!