What barcode scanner do I need?
Almost any USB one. SerialTrack takes plain keyboard input, so you do not need special hardware, a driver or any extra software. Most of our customers have used ordinary $15 to $30 scanners for years.
What you are actually scanning.
Two barcodes, in this order. Neither of them needs anything special from the scanner.
The order number
Usually printed on the pack slip or pick ticket. ShipStation and Shopify can both put a scannable barcode on theirs, and we have instructions for ShipStation and Shopify.
You can also scan the carrier tracking number, or type the order number in. A barcode is faster and does not mistype, but it is not required.
The serial or lot number
Off the unit or its box. If it is a normal 1D barcode, any scanner reads it. If it is a 2D square, you need a different scanner and that is a separate page.
Buying one.
Get a keyboard wedge model
This is the default for nearly every USB scanner. It types the characters as if someone typed them on a keyboard, then presses Enter. That is all SerialTrack needs.
Avoid anything set to USB COM port or serial port mode. It will look connected and nothing will show up in the box.
Corded costs less and never needs charging
Corded USB scanners run about $15 to $30. Cordless ones are $60 to $80 and have a battery you have to remember to charge. The scanner plugs into the computer at the packing station, so corded is usually the better buy.
Check it sends an Enter
The scan has to end with an Enter so the field submits. Most scanners do this out of the box. If yours does not, the manual will have a configuration barcode for it.
Buying now and UDI later?
Buy a 2D imager instead. It reads 1D barcodes just as well, so you will not have to replace it when a supplier starts printing DataMatrix codes. Which 2D scanners work.
You do not always need a barcode.
Plenty of sales channels never produce a document with a scannable order number on it. EDI portals, emailed purchase orders, retailer drop-ship platforms and marketplace transfers all tend to come as paper you cannot scan.
You can type the order number into SerialTrack and scan only the units. It is slower than scanning both, and easier to get wrong, but it beats keeping those channels in a spreadsheet. If you want to fix it properly, add the barcode to the pack slip or set the channel up in ShipStation so it prints one.
Start recording on the next shipment.
Connect your store, scan one order, and look at the record. About five minutes to set up, and nothing to pay for thirty days.