QuickPack: How to set up and use Scan-to-Print in Shippo

Note: Scan-to-print is only available on Pro and Premier plans. If you're on the Starter plan, see our “Shippo Subscription Plan Overview” to learn about upgrading.

This feature is rolling out gradually throughout September. If you don't see it in your account yet, it will be available soon — no action is needed on your end.

Picking up an order, finding the right label, and clicking through the purchase flow takes time — especially when you're moving fast on a busy shipping day. Scan-to-print lets you skip the clicking. Scan a barcode from a pick list or packing slip, and Shippo pulls up the order, walks it through the purchase flow, and sends the label straight to your printer.

Scan-to-print is part of QuickPack and builds on Shippo Print. If you haven't set up Shippo Print yet, start there first — scan-to-print requires it.

How scan-to-print works

Scan-to-print connects a barcode scanner at your packing station to Shippo, so scanning a barcode does the clicking for you. Here's the flow:

You generate a pick list or packing slip in Shippo, each with a barcode for its order
At your packing station, you scan the barcode with a connected scanner
Shippo recognizes the scan and automatically opens the matching order, then moves through the purchase flow to the next step
Once you reach the final step, scanning purchases the label and sends it straight to your printer

Scanning currently works with one order at a time — it's not available for bulk order selection. If you scan a barcode while you're on a different page in Shippo, you'll be taken to the Orders page and the matching order will open automatically.

What you need

Supported scanners

Scan-to-print works with any barcode scanner that operates in keyboard emulation mode (sometimes called HID or keyboard wedge mode). This is the default setting on most scanners built for retail and warehouse use, so no extra software or drivers are needed beyond Shippo Print. Connect your scanner to the computer running Shippo Print by USB or Bluetooth.

This includes both 1D laser scanners and 2D imagers, ranging from professional models (such as Zebra, Honeywell, and Datalogic) to budget-friendly options many smaller shippers use (such as Netum, Tera, and Inateck). Your scanner needs to read Code 128 barcodes, which is the format Shippo prints on packing slips and pick lists — nearly every general-purpose scanner supports this out of the box.

If you're buying a new scanner, we recommend a 2D imager rather than a 1D laser scanner — imagers are more flexible in how they read barcodes and tend to work well across a range of surfaces and lighting.

Scanner settings

Most scanners work right out of the box with no configuration changes. If scanning doesn't seem to be working as expected, check these two settings:

Inter-character delay: Leave this at the default setting. Shippo recognizes a scan by how quickly and evenly the characters arrive — a scanner set to send characters slowly may be read as manual typing instead of a scan.
Prefix and suffix characters: Avoid adding custom characters before or after a scan. An Enter or Tab at the end of a scan is fine and can make scanning feel slightly faster, but other added characters change the scanned value and can prevent Shippo from finding the matching order.

Browser and computer requirements

Scan-to-print requires Shippo Print to be running, with a printer already selected in your print preferences.

Use a fully updated version of one of the following browsers on a desktop or laptop computer:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Mozilla Firefox
Safari (macOS only)
Brave
Opera

Not supported

ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices
Mobile browsers and Internet Explorer
Phone or tablet camera scanning
Scanners that require vendor software or a driver, or that connect in serial/COM port mode rather than keyboard mode

Set up scan-to-print

Scan-to-print is configured from the same place as your other printing preferences.

Step 1: Confirm Shippo Print is set up

Scan-to-print builds on Shippo Print, so make sure that's installed and connected first. See QuickPack: How to set up and use Shippo Print if you haven't done this yet.

Step 2: Turn on scan-to-print

From your Shippo dashboard, click Settings in the left navigation
Click Printing
Select the Labels tab
Under Print preferences, find the Print initiation dropdown
Select Scan-to-print
Confirm your printer is selected, then click Save

Once scan-to-print is selected, Shippo automatically shows scan-related icons and messaging throughout the label purchase flow, so you'll know scanning is active.

Important: Turn on scan-to-print here before generating any pick lists. If you create a pick list from the Orders page before scan-to-print is selected in Settings > Printing, the Show order barcodes option won't appear in the pick list configuration panel, and your pick list won't include scannable barcodes.

Note: If you're not on a Pro or Premier plan, the Scan-to-print option will appear locked in this dropdown. Upgrade your plan to unlock it.

Step 3: Turn on barcodes for pick lists and packing slips

Barcodes need to be visible on your printed pick lists and packing slips in order to scan them. Once you select scan-to-print in Step 2, Shippo turns this on automatically where possible — but you can review or adjust it here:

Still in Settings > Printing, select the Packing slips tab and confirm Show order barcodes is checked
Select the Pick lists tab and confirm Show order barcodes is checked

Important: Pick lists must be grouped by orders or by items and by orders to use scan-to-print. Each barcode on a pick list corresponds to one specific order, so this only works when pick lists are grouped by order. See QuickPack: How to create pick lists in Shippo for more on grouping options.

Using scan-to-print

Once setup is complete, here's how scan-to-print fits into your day-to-day fulfillment.

Generate a pick list (grouped by orders) or print packing slips as you normally would — each will include a scannable barcode for its order
As you pack each order, scan the barcode on the pick list or packing slip using your connected scanner
Shippo automatically opens the matching order
Scan again (or click through, if you prefer) to move through the purchase flow
On the final step, scanning initiates the purchase and sends the label to your printer

You can also scan at any point to jump straight to an order — if you're on a different page in Shippo when you scan, you'll be taken to the Orders page and the order will open automatically.

Good to know:

Scanning moves fastest when your orders can go straight through to purchase. If an order is missing a package or weight, the scan will stop so you can fill in the details by hand before continuing. Package automations and store-level package defaults help keep orders ready to buy, so a scan carries all the way through to a printed label.
If you scan the same barcode twice in quick succession, Shippo ignores the second scan. This prevents accidental duplicate actions from a single scan — just pause briefly before rescanning the same order.
Scan-to-print currently works with one order at a time. It isn't available for bulk order selection or bulk label purchasing.

Troubleshooting scan-to-print

My scanner isn't being recognized

Confirm it's in keyboard emulation mode. Most scanners ship in this mode by default, but if yours was reconfigured, check the manufacturer's manual for how to reset it. Scanners that require special vendor software or connect in serial/COM port mode are not supported.
Check the connection. Make sure the scanner is properly connected by USB or paired by Bluetooth to the same computer running Shippo Print.
Test the scanner outside of Shippo. Open a text editor or search bar and try scanning a barcode. If the characters don't appear as expected, the issue is with the scanner or its connection rather than Shippo.
Confirm Shippo Print is running. Scan-to-print depends on Shippo Print. Check that it's installed and connected — see QuickPack: How to set up and use Shippo Print for setup and troubleshooting steps.

Scanning types out random text instead of opening an order

This usually means the cursor is sitting in a search box or another text field rather than on the Shippo page itself.

Click an empty area of the Shippo web app (the Orders or Shipments page) so the cursor is focused on the Shippo interface, then scan the barcode on your pick list again — it should populate the order.

Scanning opens the wrong order or doesn't find a match

Confirm you're scanning a barcode generated by Shippo (from a pick list or packing slip), not a shipping carrier barcode or product barcode
Make sure the barcode wasn't altered by scanner prefix/suffix settings — extra characters change the scanned value
Try printing a fresh pick list or packing slip and scanning that barcode directly
A wrong order is often the scanner picking up a neighboring barcode on the same sheet. Cover the other barcodes with your hand or a sheet of paper before scanning.

Nothing happens when I scan

Make sure you're logged into Shippo in an active browser tab, and that the tab is open (not minimized in the background on some browsers)
Confirm Shippo Print is running — look for its icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS)
Refresh your browser and try scanning again
Test the scanner in a text field outside of Shippo to confirm it's working at all

I don't see order barcodes on my pick list or packing slip

Go to Settings > Printing and confirm Scan-to-print is selected under the Labels tab — barcodes won't appear on pick lists created before this is turned on
Confirm Show order barcodes is checked under the Packing slips and Pick lists tabs
Confirm your pick list is grouped by orders or by items and by orders — barcodes aren't available when grouped by items only

Labels are printing, but scan-to-print doesn't seem to be selected

Go to Settings > Printing > Labels and confirm Scan-to-print is selected under Print initiation
If you're on a Starter plan, scan-to-print will appear locked — you'll need to upgrade to Pro or Premier to use it

Still having trouble with your scanner?

If your scanner won't connect, or it isn't reading barcodes that are clearly printed and legible, your scanner's manufacturer is best equipped to help. Many wireless scanners come with a setup guide that includes special barcodes for adjusting settings — like switching between a wired USB connection and a wireless dongle, or lowering the scan volume. We're always happy to help rule out anything on the Shippo side, but hardware-specific issues are usually fastest to resolve with your scanner's manual or manufacturer support.

FAQs

Do I need a special scanner for Shippo?

No. Any barcode scanner that operates in keyboard emulation (HID) mode and can read Code 128 barcodes will work. Most retail and warehouse scanners support this by default.

Can I use scan-to-print without Shippo Print?

No. Scan-to-print requires Shippo Print to be installed and connected, since that's what sends labels to your printer.

Can I use scan-to-print for bulk orders?

Not currently. Scan-to-print works with one order at a time.

What happens if I scan the same barcode twice?

Shippo ignores the second scan if it happens in quick succession. This prevents accidental duplicate purchases from a single scan. Wait a moment before rescanning.

Can I still click through the purchase flow manually with scan-to-print turned on?

Yes. Turning on scan-to-print doesn't remove the manual purchase flow — you can still click through each step as usual. Scanning simply gives you a faster way to move through the same steps.

Why can't I turn on order barcodes for my pick list?

Order barcodes are only available when pick lists are grouped by orders or by items and by orders. Switch to that grouping option, and make sure Scan-to-print is already selected under Settings > Printing > Labels, to enable barcodes.

Can I scan barcodes I already print myself?

Yes, if the barcode contains your order number. Shippo looks for an open order that matches and opens it the same way. It has to match exactly one order, so duplicate order numbers won't open anything, and carrier tracking or product barcodes won't work.

When to contact support

If you've worked through the troubleshooting steps above and scan-to-print still isn't working, reach out to our support team. To help us resolve the issue faster, include:

What happened: A brief description of the issue (e.g., “scanner not recognized” or “scan opens wrong order”)
Your scanner model and connection type: e.g., “Netum NT-1228BL, connected via Bluetooth”
Your browser and operating system: e.g., Chrome on Windows 11
Whether the scanner works outside of Shippo: Try scanning into a text editor or search bar to confirm

Contact support or reach out via live chat in your account dashboard.