Scan a driver’s license or ID

Instead of typing a walk-in’s details, you can scan their driver’s license or state ID and let JewelTrak fill the new-customer form. It reads the barcode on the back of the card and drops in their name, address, and birthday for you to review and save.

This pairs well with Scan a business card — the card is best for vendors and trade contacts, the ID is best for retail customers (and it captures a mailing address and birthday a card usually won’t).

Where to scan

On the New Contact page, click Scan ID at the top of the form. You have two ways to read the card:

• USB barcode scanner (recommended) — scan the PDF417 barcode on the back of the license with a USB 2D scanner. The scanner “types” the barcode into the box and the form fills automatically — no camera permission, and it’s the most reliable read. This is the fast counter setup.
• Take photo — on a phone or tablet, tap Take photo. Your device’s camera opens; photograph the barcode on the back and tap Use Photo. JewelTrak reads the barcode from the picture in a second or two.

Always use the back of the card (the wide rectangular barcode), not the front.

Getting a good photo

• Use good light. This matters most: in a dim room the phone softens the picture and the barcode can’t be read, while the same card in good light reads instantly.
• Get the whole barcode in the picture, with a little space around it. It doesn’t need to be perfectly straight.
• Tap the barcode on the screen to focus before taking the picture, and avoid glare from overhead lights.
• When it reads, a “License read” message appears and the form is filled. If it says it couldn’t find the barcode, move to brighter light and take the photo again.
• Take photo appears on phones and tablets. On a computer, use a USB scanner.

Which USB scanner works

It has to be a 2D scanner (often sold as an “imager” or “2D barcode scanner”). The common laser scanners that read price tags are 1D and can’t read a license’s barcode. Leave it in its normal keyboard mode: click in the box, scan the back of the license, and the form fills itself.

What gets filled in

JewelTrak reads the card and pre-fills:

• Name (first / last)
• Address (street, city, state, ZIP)
• Birthday

It leaves everything else (phone, email, roles) for you to add. Glance over the result before saving — review the fields, set any roles you want (Customer / Vendor / Partner), and save like any other contact.

If you see “Couldn’t read that barcode,” you’re likely scanning the front — use the PDF417 barcode on the back, or just type the fields in. The form is a normal New Contact form underneath.

A note on local rules and privacy

A few US states regulate scanning a customer’s driver’s license at retail — check your local rules before using it routinely.

The license is parsed in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is stored until you save the contact — at which point only the fields above are kept, the same as if you’d typed them.