It works with the printer you already own
Stock2Track prints, scans and weighs through the same Windows drivers everything else on that computer uses. There is no approved hardware list, because there does not need to be one. Here is what connects, what to check before you buy, and the one device that genuinely needs testing first.
No proprietary lock-in. Nothing here has to be bought from us.Six things that plug into the counter
3-inch and 2-inch thermal, and A4
Stock2Track sends the bill to the Windows printer driver, the same way any other Windows program does. That means the brand is not the question. If the printer installs on the computer and holds your paper size, it prints your bills. The common names in Indian shops all ship a Windows driver: Gobbler, TVS, Epson, Citizen, Bixolon, Rugtek and the rest. We usually supply Gobbler, because that is what we stock and support, not because the software needs it.
Direct thermal and thermal transfer
Shelf labels, price tags, garment tags and carton labels. You set the label size and what goes on it once, and the printer prints it from then on. Direct thermal suits labels that will be used and replaced; thermal transfer suits labels that have to survive months in a godown. Tag2Track handles the design and the printing for shops whose stock never came with a barcode.
1D and 2D, wired or wireless
A barcode scanner behaves like a keyboard. It types the code into whatever field the cursor is in, which is why no driver and no setup is needed. That is true of practically every 1D laser and 2D imager on the market. Choose 2D if you also need to read QR codes, DataMatrix or codes off a customer’s phone screen.
Essae, and any scale with a COM port
This is the one piece of hardware that genuinely differs between makes, because every manufacturer formats its weight output differently. Essae is already integrated, and so is a locally made scale several of our customers use. Any other scale with a COM port can be integrated. We ask to borrow it for about four hours first, to read its output and test it against real billing, before we tell you it works.
Second display at the counter
The customer-facing display that shows the item and the running total as it is billed. Standard serial and USB pole displays are supported. For shops that would rather use a second monitor, an image-led second screen can be driven from the same counter.
Any Windows machine that is already working
Any Windows PC with 4 GB of RAM runs Stock2Track; we recommend 8 GB where the counter is busy or the item list is large. The offline edition keeps the data on that machine with daily backups, so billing does not stop when the internet does.
The names we see across Indian counters
People ask us about a brand, not about a category, so here they are grouped by device with the thing that actually decides whether it works. Read the rule at the top of each group rather than hunting for your name in the list: the rule is what matters, and it is why this page does not need to name every model ever sold.
An honest caveat. These are brands common in the Indian market, not a list of models we have each tested, and naming one here is not a partnership or an endorsement. If yours is missing it almost certainly still works. Send us the model number before you buy and we will tell you plainly, including if the answer is no.
What decides it: a Windows driver.
If the printer installs on Windows and holds your paper size, Stock2Track prints your bills on it, because it prints the same way every other Windows program does. Worth knowing: a good number of the bill printers sold in India carry one brand name on a unit built by one of a handful of Chinese manufacturers, Xprinter among the most common. That is part of why almost everything on this list behaves the same way, and it is why an unfamiliar name on the box is rarely a reason to worry. Brands we come across on Indian counters:
What decides it: a Windows driver, and the label size.
Same rule as above. Direct thermal suits labels that get used and replaced; thermal transfer suits a label that has to survive months in a godown. Tag2Track designs and prints them either way. Brands we come across:
What decides it: nothing. They behave as keyboards.
A barcode scanner types the code into whichever field the cursor is in, which is why practically every 1D laser and 2D imager on the market needs no driver and no setup at all. Plug it in and scan. Brands we come across:
What decides it: how that make formats its weight output.
This is the exception on this page, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. Every manufacturer sends weight down the wire differently. Essae is integrated, and so is one locally made scale several of our customers use. Any scale with a COM port can be integrated, and we ask to borrow it for about four hours first to read its output and test it against real billing before we promise anything. Makes we are asked about:
What decides it: a serial or USB connection.
The second screen that shows the customer the item and the running total as it is billed. Standard serial and USB pole displays are supported. Brands we come across:
Five things worth checking
Most of what people worry about when buying counter hardware does not matter. These five do. Send us the model numbers before you order and we will tell you if anything needs attention.
- Does it install on Windows and print a test page? That is the whole test for a printer.
- Is the bill roll the width you actually want, 3 inch or 2 inch? Changing later means changing rolls.
- For labels, does the size you need fit the printer, and will the label be handled or stored?
- For a scanner, 1D is enough for shop barcodes. Choose 2D only if you need QR or phone screens.
- For a weighing scale, does it have a COM port? If yes, we can integrate it after testing.
We can quote the hardware with the software
Some owners would rather deal with one supplier than chase a printer from one shop and a scanner from another. If that is you, we quote the hardware alongside the software, take a part payment against it, buy it and hand everything over set up and working. We are a software company and this is a convenience, not a sideline, so you are never obliged to take it.
Questions owners ask about hardware
Do I have to buy a particular printer?
No. Stock2Track prints through the Windows printer driver rather than a proprietary protocol, so any bill printer that installs on Windows and takes your paper size will work, whether it is a 3-inch thermal, a 2-inch thermal or an A4 laser.
My printer is an unbranded or white-label model. Will it still work?
Almost certainly, and this is more common than people realise. A good number of the bill printers sold in India carry one brand name on a unit built by one of a handful of Chinese manufacturers, Xprinter among the most common, so an unfamiliar name on the box usually means a very familiar device inside. The test is the same either way: if it installs on Windows and prints a test page, it prints your bills.
Will it work with the printer I already have?
Almost certainly. If it prints from Notepad on that computer, it prints from Stock2Track. Tell us the model at the demo and we will confirm before you commit to anything.
Do you support thermal transfer as well as direct thermal label printers?
Yes. Both are set up the same way: you choose the label size and the layout, and the printer prints it. Direct thermal is the usual choice for shelf and price labels, thermal transfer where the label has to survive handling or storage.
Do I need a special scanner?
No. Almost every 1D and 2D barcode scanner sold today behaves like a keyboard, so the scan arrives as typed characters and needs no driver and no configuration. Plug it in and scan.
Which weighing scales are integrated?
Essae is integrated, and so is one locally made scale used by several of our customers. Beyond those, any scale with a COM port can be integrated. We ask to borrow the scale for about four hours to read its output format and test it properly before we promise anything.
Which bill printer brands work with Stock2Track?
Gobbler, TVS Electronics, Epson, Citizen, Bixolon, Rugtek, Posiflex, TSC, Zebra, Toshiba TEC, Everycom, Retsol, HPRT, Xprinter, Pegasus, iBall, Rongta, Black Copper, Star Micronics and SNBC are all names we come across on Indian counters, and all of them ship a Windows driver, which is the only thing the software needs. If your brand is not in that list it almost certainly still works. Send us the model number and we will confirm before you buy.
Does it work with Zebra, TSC or Godex label printers?
Yes. Zebra, TSC, Godex, Honeywell, Argox, Postek, Sato, Brother, Toshiba TEC, TVS Electronics, Citizen, Rugtek and Bixolon label printers all install on Windows and print from Stock2Track, direct thermal or thermal transfer. You set the label size and layout once in Tag2Track and the printer prints it from then on.
My scanner is a Honeywell, Zebra or Datalogic. Is there any setup?
None. Those, along with Zebex, Argox, Newland, Opticon, Unitech, Netum, Retsol, Pegasus, iBall, Impact and Essae scanners, behave as keyboards: the scan arrives as typed characters, so there is no driver to install and nothing to configure. Plug it in and scan.
Which weighing scale brands are supported?
Essae is integrated as it comes, and so is one locally made scale used by several of our customers. Avery India, Aczet, Contech, Phoenix, Atom, Goldtech, Wensar, Metis, CAS, Digi, Mettler Toledo and Sansui are the makes we are most often asked about, and any of them can be integrated if the scale has a COM port. Unlike printers and scanners, this one genuinely differs by make, so we ask to borrow the device for about four hours to read its output and test it against real billing before promising it works.
Can you supply the hardware as well as the software?
Yes, if you would rather deal with one supplier. We quote the hardware alongside the software, take a part payment against it, buy it and hand it over with the system set up. We are a software company, so this is a convenience rather than a business line.