Quick answer: StoreHub runs on a tablet, so the scanner pairs over Bluetooth rather than plugging into USB. It presents itself as a Bluetooth keyboard and types the barcode — no driver, no app, no setting inside StoreHub.
There is one consequence nobody warns you about: a paired Bluetooth keyboard hides the tablet's on-screen keyboard. Staff suddenly cannot type a product name or a discount by hand. It looks like a fault, it is not, and the fix takes seconds — see below. The NBBS-W35 covers most counters; choose a 2D imager if you scan phone screens.
The on-screen keyboard problem
Leading with this because it is the single most common support call on tablet POS systems, and because it is not a fault.
iOS and Android both assume that if a hardware keyboard is connected, you want to type on it. So they hide the on-screen keyboard. A Bluetooth barcode scanner in HID mode is a hardware keyboard as far as the tablet is concerned.
The result: you pair the scanner, scanning works perfectly, and then a staff member taps a text field to type a customer name and no keyboard appears. From the counter this looks like the tablet has broken.
How to get the keyboard back
- Most scanners have a "show keyboard" toggle — usually a specific key combination or a configuration barcode that briefly releases the HID keyboard. Check the manual; this is the intended solution and it is worth teaching staff on day one.
- Or switch the scanner off when manual typing is needed. Crude but effective.
- Or use a scanner in SPP/serial mode instead of HID if the software supports it — the tablet then does not see a keyboard at all. This depends on the POS app supporting that mode, so confirm before choosing it.
Ask us about the keyboard-toggle behaviour on a specific model before you order. It is a small thing that has an outsized effect on how the counter actually feels to work at.
Connection: what actually works with a tablet
| Route | Works with tablet POS? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth HID | ✅ Standard choice | Pairs like a keyboard. No driver, no app. |
| 2.4G with USB dongle | ⚠️ Needs a USB port | Fine on Android tablets with USB-C OTG; awkward on iPad. |
| Wired USB | ⚠️ Adapter required | Possible but rarely worth it on a tablet counter. |
For StoreHub, Bluetooth is the answer in almost every case. It is the only route that works identically across iPad and Android tablets, and it leaves the tablet's charging port free — which matters more than it sounds when the till runs a twelve-hour day.
Battery: the specification that decides your day
A wired scanner draws power from the host. A Bluetooth scanner runs on its own battery, and that turns a hardware specification into an operational question.
Two things to settle before ordering:
- How it charges. A cradle that the scanner sits in between customers is far better than a cable you have to remember to plug in. Staff will not remember.
- What happens when it dies mid-shift. A scanner that can keep working on USB power while charging is worth paying for; one that simply stops is a real problem at a busy counter.
Ask us for battery life figures on the specific model and duty cycle you have in mind. A number quoted for "standby" tells you nothing useful about a scanner reading 400 items an hour.
1D or 2D: decided by whether you scan screens
1D laser scanners read the striped barcodes on retail packaging. They are fast, cheap and completely adequate if that is all you scan.
They cannot reliably read a phone screen. A laser works by reflecting a beam off a printed surface; a screen emits light instead of reflecting it. A 2D imager captures an image and handles screens without difficulty.
In Southeast Asian retail this decides it for most people. QR-based payment is everywhere, e-wallet and loyalty codes live on phones, and delivery platforms issue QR pickup codes. If any of that touches your counter, you need a 2D imager — and the price difference no longer justifies the risk of buying the wrong one.
Buy 1D only if you are certain you will never scan anything from a screen.
Getting the scan into StoreHub
Because the scanner is a keyboard, StoreHub receives typed characters followed by a carriage return that signals the end of the scan. There is nothing to configure on the software side. What has to be right is on the scanner and in your product data:
- Pair the scanner with the tablet over Bluetooth. It appears as a keyboard.
- Test in any text field — a notes app is ideal. Scan a barcode. The digits should appear and the cursor should move to a new line.
- No new line? The carriage return suffix is off. Scan the "Add CR suffix" barcode from the manual.
- Wrong characters? Keyboard layout mismatch. Set the scanner's keyboard country to match the tablet's.
- Make sure your products have barcodes in StoreHub. A scan that reads perfectly still fails if nothing in the catalogue matches the number.
- Scan into the POS and confirm the item is added.
Step 2 is the one to insist on. It separates "the scanner is misconfigured" from "the product data is incomplete", and those two problems have nothing to do with each other.
NETBYE models for StoreHub
| Model | Type | Connection | Interfaces | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBBS-W35 | 1D/2D imager | Wireless | USB + 2.4G + Bluetooth option | Tablet counter, general retail |
| NBBS-W30 | 1D/2D imager | Wireless | USB + 2.4G + Bluetooth option | Stocktaking, back of house |
| NBBS-S86 | 2D omni-directional | Wired, hands-free | USB-HID / USB-COM / RS-232 | Fixed high-volume counter |
| NBBS-S30 | 1D/2D imager | Wired | USB-HID / USB-COM | Where a cable is acceptable |
| NBBS-S10D | 1D laser | Wired | USB / RS232 | Printed codes only, budget |
The 2D imagers resolve to 4mil and decode all standard 1D symbologies plus QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec and PDF417 — the formats used by e-wallets, loyalty apps and delivery platforms.
Important: Bluetooth is a build option on the wireless models, not standard on every unit. Say explicitly that you need Bluetooth for a tablet POS when you enquire — a 2.4G-dongle-only unit will not pair with an iPad, and that is a difficult conversation to have after a shipment has landed.
Browse the full range of barcode scanners, or narrow to 2D and wireless models.
Frequently asked questions
The on-screen keyboard disappeared after pairing the scanner.
Expected behaviour, not a fault. The tablet hides the soft keyboard whenever a hardware keyboard is connected. Use the scanner's keyboard-toggle function, or switch it off when typing.
Do I need an app or driver?
No. In HID mode the scanner is a keyboard and uses the tablet's built-in support.
Can it read QR codes on a customer's phone?
Only a 2D imager. Laser scanners cannot read backlit screens. Given how common QR payment and e-wallets are in Southeast Asia, choose 2D.
Will a 2.4G dongle scanner work with an iPad?
No — there is no practical USB port for the dongle. You need Bluetooth. Specify it when ordering.
The scanner types the barcode but nothing is added to the sale.
Either the carriage return suffix is missing, or the product has no barcode in StoreHub. Test in a notes app first to tell the two apart.
Can two tablets share one scanner?
Bluetooth pairs to one device at a time. Re-pairing to switch is possible but not practical during service. Buy one per till.
A note on this guide. The scanner behaviour described — HID pairing, the on-screen keyboard interaction, suffixes, keyboard layouts, 1D versus 2D on screens — is hardware and operating-system behaviour we know from the products we supply, and it holds for any tablet POS. Whether StoreHub supports a scanner in serial rather than HID mode should be confirmed with StoreHub. If your deployment behaved differently, 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 across Southeast Asia and 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 default scanner configuration — including keyboard country and suffix pre-set for your market.
Tell us which models, what quantity, which country and that you are pairing to a tablet over Bluetooth, and you will get an accurate quote in one reply. Request a quote.
Related guides
These guides form a set. If you are specifying a complete till, the other hardware for StoreHub POS is covered here:
And if you are comparing across POS software, the same hardware for other systems:
- Barcode scanner for uniCenta oPOS
- Barcode scanner for SambaPOS
- Barcode scanner for Moka POS
- Barcode scanner for Nextar POS
- Barcode scanner for Qashier POS
- Barcode scanner for Odoo POS
- Barcode scanner for KORONA POS
- Barcode scanner for eHopper POS
- Barcode scanner for Hike POS
- Barcode scanner for Erply POS