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MCP Barcode in Claude Code

QR codes and barcodes drawn locally: SEPA payment codes, WiFi, vCard, Code 128, EAN-13. It draws a QR code from text or a URL, a WiFi join code, a vCard, an EPC069-12 SEPA payment code checked against the shared business profile's IBAN, and Code 128, EAN-13, EAN-8 or UPC-A with the check digit computed or verified. No network call of any kind.

The register that counts the free tier's 20 codes a month lives under one data directory per machine, so `claude mcp add --scope project` still shares that same monthly allowance across every project on the box; it is per install, not per repo.

What you get in Claude Code

You say	Tool
Make a QR code for this URL.	`qr_create`
Put a payment QR code on invoice INV-2026-0007.	`invoice_payment_qr`
Give this SKU a Code 128 barcode.	`barcode_create`

The first Code 128 table transcription was missing one row, silently shifting 67 of 107 values to their neighbour: a clean-looking barcode that scanned as the wrong string. Comparing against an independent encoder caught it; every table is now pinned against that comparison in the test suite.

Install it in Claude Code

The file is .mcp.json, and the key inside it is mcpServers.

Scope	Path
local (default)	`~/.claude.json, this project only`
project	`.mcp.json at the repository root`
user	`~/.claude.json, every project`

claude mcp add barcode -- npx -y @theluckystrike/mcp-barcode
claude mcp list    # health-check it before the first prompt

# or --scope project, committed to .mcp.json for the team

No restart. The entry is picked up in the next session, and `/mcp` reconnects one on demand.

The npm publish of @theluckystrike/mcp-barcode is pending; until then use the .mcpb bundle or a clone and build from the latest release.

No install: the hosted endpoint

The same server runs at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/barcode over MCP streamable HTTP, no install. Mint a free token with curl https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token, or use a Pro key. It has no filesystem, so a file comes back as a one-hour download link.

claude mcp add --transport http barcode https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/barcode \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Claude Code notes worth knowing first

The `--` is load-bearing: it separates Claude Code's own options, such as --transport, --env and --scope, from the command that runs the server. And the default scope is local, private to you and to the directory you ran it in, so adding it in the wrong folder leaves the tools absent with no error at all.

Free: 20 codes a calendar month, every symbology and QR kind, SVG output. Pro is $19 once, verified offline.

Questions

Which scope should I use for MCP Barcode?

Local, the default, writes ~/.claude.json and is private to you and that directory. --scope project writes .mcp.json at the repository root, shared through version control. --scope user loads it everywhere.

Why did my first prompt ignore the server?

Measured, not documented: of three fresh projects, one first prompt made zero tool calls although initialize answered in 1.05 seconds. Run claude mcp list once first: it prints Connected, and the next run used the tool.

Can I use MCP Barcode without installing anything?

Yes: claude mcp add --transport http barcode https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/barcode --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>". Mint a free token at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token or use a Pro key. -t and -H are the short forms.

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