Hardware & Apps

HeroPOS runs anywhere a browser runs, but the iOS and Android apps add the hardware pieces: camera barcode scanning and push notifications. The apps load the live site, so every improvement reaches them instantly — no app-store update required for day-to-day features.

Install from the App Store or Google Play (search HeroPOS), log in with the same account, and bind the device to a station just like a browser. Allow notifications when asked and the device receives new pickup/delivery order alerts and the optional daily-snapshot push. Push delivery is a one-time server setup (a Firebase service account) — the Push health card on the Reports page shows whether it's configured and lets you send a test.

Three ways to scan, everywhere scanning matters (register, receiving, cycle counts, transfers):

• USB or Bluetooth scanner — the workhorse. It types the code into the always-focused scan box and presses Enter itself; nothing to configure.
• Camera — in the apps, a 📷 button opens the device camera with on-device barcode recognition. Great for the stockroom walk.
• Typing — any code can be keyed manually; "12*" before a scan or code applies a quantity of 12.

Scans match against UPC, SKU, PLU, and every alternate barcode on the item, plus scale-embedded price/weight labels when enabled.

When an age-restricted item hits the ticket, the verification modal accepts three inputs: scan the license barcode (the PDF417 on the back) with any 2D scanner, use the camera in the apps, or key the date of birth. A scanned license is parsed instantly — birth date, name, state — and HeroPOS flags expired licenses on top of the age math. Passed or failed, every check lands in the Age Verification compliance log with the method used; a failed check refuses the item and records the attempt.

Printers are configured per station under Settings → Payment Terminals (Receipt Printers card). HeroPOS renders receipts as an image, so the layout is identical on every printer. Four methods:

• Browser print dialog — zero setup; fine for an office PC with any printer.
• Epson ePOS — direct (recommended for Epson TM-m30 family and network Epsons) — enter the printer IP (e.g. 192.168.1.50) and paper width (80mm or 58mm).
• Star WebPRNT — direct — same idea for Star TSP100/TSP650II/mC-Print in WebPRNT mode.
• Star CloudPRNT — the printer polls HeroPOS for jobs instead of the register pushing to it. Paste the station's server URL (shown on the settings card) into the printer's CloudPRNT configuration, and it works from anywhere — no shared network needed.

Optional per station: kick cash drawer (drawer plugged into the printer) and auto-print after each sale. Always finish with Queue Test Print.

Card readers are also per-station on the Terminals page. Three provider modes: None (card sales recorded, no device), Manual (you run the card on an external terminal and the cashier records approved/declined with the last four), and Handpoint Cloud — the integrated path where the register pushes the amount to the reader and takes the tap/dip/swipe.

Handpoint needs your org-level API key (entered once, stored masked) plus each device's serial number. Before going live, run Terminal Certification — a guided real-money test that charges $1.00, refunds it, and reverses it, proving the whole loop and leaving you at net $0.

A second screen pointed at the customer mirrors the sale live: items as they ring, running totals with both cash and card prices, the savings figure, and change due at the end. Open /register/display on any spare tablet or monitor-attached device, pick the register station to pair with, and it follows that station's ticket automatically. No extra hardware protocol — it's just a browser page.

Shelf and item labels print through the browser's print dialog from Labels → Print Labels — so any label printer with a driver on that device works (a dedicated "Label Station" station kind exists for the back-room label machine). Design templates at true physical size first; the print preview renders exactly what feeds the printer.