Quick answer: Hike runs in a browser on desktop, and a browser has no scanner API — so the scanner has to be a keyboard. Any scanner in HID / keyboard-wedge mode works: it types the digits into whatever field has focus and presses Enter. There is no driver and no Hike-side scanner setting.
Windows or Mac till: a plain USB scanner such as the NBBS-S30. iPad register: Bluetooth HID, and check Hike's recommended-hardware list first — the NBBS-W35 is our wireless option. The one thing to get right on desktop is that the cursor must be in the search field when the scan arrives.
Why a browser POS needs a keyboard-mode scanner
Hike's desktop register is a web application. Web pages receive keystrokes; they do not open USB devices and read scanner protocols. So the integration point is the keyboard, and a scanner in HID mode is indistinguishable from someone typing very fast and then hitting Enter.
This is why there is no compatibility list to check and no driver to install. If the scanner types into a text editor, it will type into Hike.
It also sets the boundary of what is possible. A scanner in USB-COM or serial mode — where it presents as a COM port for an application to read — is invisible to a browser. If a scanner does nothing at all in Hike, the first thing to check is that it is in HID mode, not COM mode. Most ship in HID by default; a scanner previously used with a Windows desktop POS may have been switched.
The focus problem — the browser-specific one
This is the failure that belongs specifically to browser-based POS, and it is worth training staff on.
Because the scan arrives as keystrokes, it lands wherever the cursor currently is. In a desktop application the POS can grab scanner input globally. In a browser it cannot — the page only receives what the focused element receives.
So if someone has clicked into a quantity box, a customer-name field, or a browser address bar, the scanned barcode goes there. Symptoms look alarming and are all the same cause:
- A barcode appears inside a customer's surname.
- The quantity for a line item jumps to 5012345678900.
- Nothing happens at all, because focus was on a page element that ignores typing.
- Chrome opens a search results page, because focus was in the address bar.
The fix is procedural: click into the product search field before scanning, and make that the resting state of the till between customers. Anyone who has used a browser-based POS knows this reflex; anyone new to one needs to be told.
The Enter suffix
The scanner should send Enter after the digits, so the code is submitted rather than left sitting in the search box. Most scanners ship this way. If a scan fills the field but nothing happens until a member of staff presses Enter, the suffix is missing — scan the “add Enter suffix” configuration barcode from the scanner's manual.
Ours ship with the Enter suffix enabled, and for volume orders we can pre-configure suffix, symbologies and pairing so units work out of the box at every site.
iPad: stay on the recommended list
Hike states that hardware for its tablet apps must be compatible at the operating-system level, and publishes a list of recommended devices guaranteed to work with the apps. On iPadOS a Bluetooth HID scanner pairs as an external keyboard, which is the same principle as desktop — but the environment is more closed and the margin for improvisation is smaller.
Our position, plainly: for iPad tills, check Hike's list, and ask us for a sample to validate before committing to volume. For Windows and Mac tills the constraint does not apply, because anything that types will work.
The on-screen keyboard side effect
On any tablet, pairing a Bluetooth HID scanner tells the operating system that a hardware keyboard is attached — so it stops showing the on-screen keyboard. Staff scan fine, then discover they cannot type a customer name, and report that the scanner broke the POS. It is not a fault. On iPadOS, use the scanner's keyboard-toggle key if it has one, or unpair when typing at length; on Android, re-enable the on-screen keyboard under the physical-keyboard input settings.
1D or 2D?
Specify 2D unless cost is the deciding factor. A 2D imager reads ordinary retail barcodes as well as a laser, and also reads QR codes, PDF417 and codes displayed on a phone screen — which a laser physically cannot do. For a retail POS expected to last five years, the narrowing price gap makes 2D the better buy.
NETBYE models for Hike
| Model | Type | Reads | Interface | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBBS-S30 | Handheld imager | 1D + 2D | USB-HID / USB-COM | Windows or Mac till — the default |
| NBBS-S86 | Desktop omni-directional | 1D + 2D | USB-HID / USB-COM / RS-232 | High-volume, hands-free counter |
| NBBS-W35 | Handheld, wireless | 1D + 2D | USB + 2.4G (+ BT option) | Tablet tills, stock-taking, bulky goods |
| NBBS-S10D | Handheld, 1D laser | 1D only | USB / RS232 | Printed barcodes only, lowest cost |
Browse the full range of barcode scanners, or go straight to 2D scanners and wireless scanners.
Ordering advice for Hike: for a desktop till, USB-HID and nothing more. For an iPad till, specify the Bluetooth option — a 2.4G dongle needs a USB port the iPad does not have — and check Hike's recommended list. Tell us which and we will confirm the variant before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Which barcode scanners work with Hike POS?
Any scanner in HID / keyboard-wedge mode. Hike reads scans as keyboard input, so there is no driver and no scanner setting inside Hike. On the iPad app, check Hike's recommended-hardware list, because tablet compatibility is at the operating-system level.
My scanner does nothing in Hike.
Check two things. First, that it is in HID mode rather than USB-COM — a browser cannot read a COM port. Second, that the cursor is in the product search field, because the scan goes wherever focus is.
The barcode ended up in the customer name field.
Focus was in that field when the scan arrived. This is inherent to browser-based POS. Train staff to click the search field before scanning and to leave the till resting there.
Do I need to configure anything in Hike?
No scanner settings. You do need each product's barcode recorded against the item so the scan matches something.
Does the scanner need the same network as the till?
No. A scanner is an input device attached to the till itself, not a network device.
Can I use a 2.4G wireless scanner with an iPad?
No — 2.4G needs a USB receiver. Specify Bluetooth for tablets.
A note on this guide. The scanner side above — HID versus COM mode, Enter suffixes, the focus behaviour of keyboard input, 1D versus 2D imaging, the on-screen keyboard interaction — is what we know from the products we supply, and it holds for any browser-based POS. The Hike-specific parts, including browser operation on PC and Mac and the recommended-hardware position for tablets, are drawn from Hike's published material. We have not tested our scanners against Hike ourselves, and we have not claimed we have. If something here did not match your installation, tell us and we will correct this page. We would rather publish something accurate than something impressive.
Get pricing
NETBYE supplies distributors, system integrators and retailers worldwide. Our scanners are built by our partner factories in Shenzhen and sold under our own model range — we handle specification, quality control and support, so you deal with one supplier rather than several factories. Direct wholesale pricing, low MOQ on first orders, and OEM/ODM covering branding, packaging and scanner defaults.
Tell us whether your tills are desktop or iPad, how many sites, what quantity and which country, and you will get an accurate quote in one reply. We can ship scanners pre-configured so they work out of the box at every site. Request a quote.
Related guides
These guides form a set. If you are specifying a complete till, the other hardware for Hike POS is covered here:
And if you are comparing across POS software, the same hardware for other systems: