Getting Started

Go from sign-up to your first print in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

  • A Star Micronics thermal receipt printer connected to your network (see Supported Printers)
  • A Windows PC on the same network as your printer
  • A ReceiptKit account (free trial, no credit card required)
1

Create your account

Sign up at receiptkit.io/sign-up with your email, Google, or GitHub account. During sign-up, you'll create an organization — this is your workspace where templates, printers, and team members are managed.

Your free trial includes full access to all features for 14 days, no credit card required.

2

Download and install Receipt Bridge

After signing up, you'll see the dashboard with a getting-started checklist. Go to the Devices page and click Download Receipt Bridge to download the Windows installer (.msi).

Receipt Bridge is a lightweight desktop app that runs in your system tray. It connects your local printers to ReceiptKit's cloud so you can print from anywhere.

Note: Windows may show a SmartScreen warning during installation. Click "More info" then "Run anyway" to proceed. This is expected for new applications that haven't yet accumulated enough installations for automatic trust.

3

Paste your API key

On the Devices page, you'll see your API key displayed next to the download button. Copy it and paste it into Receipt Bridge when prompted during setup.

The API key authenticates your bridge with ReceiptKit and links it to your organization. See Authentication for more details on API key types.

4

Connect a printer

Once Receipt Bridge is running and authenticated, it automatically scans your local network for Star Micronics printers using mDNS discovery. Found printers appear in both the bridge app and the ReceiptKit dashboard within seconds.

Make sure your printer is powered on and connected to the same network as the PC running Receipt Bridge. Printers are discovered via TCP port 9100.

5

Send your first print

You can print from the dashboard or via the API.

From the Dashboard

Go to Templates, pick a starter template (or create your own), click Print, select your bridge and printer, and hit send.

From the API

Send a POST request to the print endpoint with your template and data:

curl
curl -X POST https://receiptkit.io/api/bridge/print \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rk_live_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "printerMac": "00:11:62:xx:xx:xx",
    "templateId": "your-template-id",
    "data": {
      "storeName": "My Store",
      "items": [
        { "name": "Widget", "price": "$9.99" }
      ],
      "total": "$9.99"
    }
  }'

See the REST API Reference for the full endpoint documentation.

Next Steps