Quick answer: This is the easiest hardware decision on a KORONA till. In KORONA's own words, “most USB barcode scanners will work out of the box” — the scanner acts as a keyboard, sending the code as if it had been typed. No driver, no device definition, nothing to configure in KORONA.
The NBBS-S30 (wired, 1D + 2D, USB-HID) is the sensible default. The only decision worth thinking about is 1D or 2D — and for most US retailers today the answer is 2D.
Why there is nothing to set up
A USB scanner in keyboard (HID) mode presents itself to the operating system as a keyboard. When it decodes a barcode it types the characters, usually followed by Enter. KORONA receives keystrokes and has no idea a scanner is involved.
That is why the scanner is the one peripheral you do not add as a device in the POS profile — unlike the printer and the cash drawer, which both need defining. Nothing to name, nothing to match, none of the name-mismatch trouble described in our KORONA receipt printer guide.
It also means that when something does go wrong, it is the scanner's own settings — changed by scanning configuration barcodes from the scanner's manual, not in KORONA.
Where you will actually use it
Two workflows, and it is worth setting both up deliberately:
At the till. Scan an item, it goes on the sale. Nothing to explain.
Building the product database. This is where a scanner earns its price on day one. In KORONA you add a code to a product by clicking Add New Code, scanning the item, and clicking Save. Typing thirteen digits by hand for several hundred products is how transposition errors get into an inventory system — and a wrong barcode does not announce itself until the day someone cannot sell the item.
If you are onboarding a shop's existing stock, do this with the scanner from the start. It is faster and it is right.
1D or 2D? In the US, 2D
| You scan | What you need |
|---|---|
| Printed UPC/EAN product barcodes only | 1D is sufficient |
| QR codes — payment, vouchers, loyalty | 2D imager |
| Codes shown on a customer's phone screen | 2D imager |
| Driver's licence / ID scanning for age-restricted sales | 2D imager — PDF417 |
| Damaged, curved or poorly printed labels | 2D reads these more reliably |
KORONA's own material makes the same distinction: 2D scanners read QR codes and can read data off other screens such as smartphones and tablets.
Two of those rows matter more than people expect in the US market:
- Phone screens. A 1D laser reads light reflected off a printed surface. A phone screen emits light. Most laser scanners simply will not read one — so any workflow involving a digital coupon, a loyalty code or a mobile wallet needs an imager.
- ID barcodes. The barcode on a US driver's licence is PDF417, a 2D symbology. If you sell alcohol, tobacco or anything else age-restricted, a 1D scanner cannot read it at all.
Given that the price gap between a 1D laser and a 2D imager is small, and the situations above tend to arrive whether or not you planned for them, buy the imager unless you are certain your workflow will stay printed-barcodes-only.
Wired, wireless, or hands-free?
Wired handheld is the default: no batteries, no pairing, no re-pairing after a power cut, lowest cost. Right for most counters.
Wireless handheld earns its price when the scanner leaves the counter — stock-taking in a back room, scanning bulky goods, a long counter. One thing to tell staff: because the scanner is only typing, an out-of-range scan produces nothing at all rather than an error. Watch the screen, not the beep.
Desktop omni-directional reads a code presented at any angle with no trigger and no aiming. For a convenience store or a high-volume counter where staff have full hands, it is measurably faster per transaction. For twenty sales a day it is not worth the difference.
NETBYE models for KORONA
| Model | Type | Reads | Interface | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBBS-S30 | Handheld imager | 1D + 2D | USB-HID / USB-COM | General counter — 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) | Stock-taking, bulky goods |
| NBBS-S10D | Handheld, 1D laser | 1D only | USB / RS232 | Printed barcodes only, lowest cost |
The imagers read all standard 1D codes plus QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, MaxiCode, MicroQR, HANXIN and PDF417 at 4mil resolution. Browse the full range of barcode scanners, the 2D models, or wireless models.
Ordering advice for KORONA: specify USB-HID (keyboard) mode. Ours ship that way by default. USB-COM (virtual serial) is the wrong choice here — in that mode the scanner stops typing and KORONA receives nothing.
Setup, start to finish
- Plug the scanner into the terminal. Windows installs it as an input device on its own.
- Open Notepad and scan any barcode. The digits should appear and the cursor should move to a new line. This proves the scanner works before KORONA is involved.
- If digits appear but the cursor does not advance, scan the Enter suffix barcode from the scanner manual.
- In KORONA, use Add New Code on a product, scan, and Save.
- Open a sale and scan the same item to confirm the lookup works end to end.
Step 3 generates more support calls than anything else on any Windows POS, and takes ten seconds to fix once you know it exists.
Frequently asked questions
Which barcode scanner works with KORONA POS?
Most USB scanners work out of the box in keyboard mode. There is no compatibility list to check because there is no driver and no device definition — the scanner types and KORONA reads the typing.
Do I need to add the scanner as a device in the POS profile?
No. Printers and cash drawers are defined as devices; a keyboard-mode scanner is not.
The scanner types but I have to press Enter each time.
Add an Enter/CR suffix by scanning the relevant setup barcode in the scanner's manual.
Can I scan a customer's phone screen?
Only with a 2D imager. Laser scanners generally cannot read an emitting screen.
Can I scan US driver's licences for age verification?
You need a 2D imager — the licence barcode is PDF417. A 1D scanner cannot read it. Whether KORONA does anything with the data is a question for KORONA; the hardware requirement is the imager.
Will a wireless scanner work?
Yes. A 2.4G dongle presents as a keyboard exactly like a wired scanner, so nothing changes on the software side.
A note on this guide. The scanner side above — HID keyboard behaviour, suffixes, 1D versus 2D, PDF417 on ID cards, wired versus wireless — is what we know from the products we supply, and it holds for any POS that reads scanner input as typing. The KORONA-specific statements, including out-of-the-box USB support and the Add New Code workflow, are drawn from KORONA's published support material. Menus change between releases, so confirm current details with KORONA. 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 — including units pre-configured with the suffix and symbologies you need.
Tell us which models, what quantity, which country and what you need to scan, and you will get an accurate quote in one reply — including an honest answer if a cheaper 1D model would serve you just as well. Request a quote.
Related guides
These guides form a set. If you are specifying a complete till, the other hardware for KORONA POS is covered here:
- Receipt printer for KORONA POS
- Cash drawer for KORONA POS
- Label printer for KORONA POS
- POS terminal for KORONA POS
And if you are comparing across POS software, the same hardware for other systems: