UPC barcode resources
This article is intended to extend and support the information in our Buy Canada article
Granolala.ca/BuyCanada
Granolala.ca/CanadaTips
Additional UPC barcode information
Despite GS1 (Canada) protestations, there is no central repository for all the UPC codes used in each country and which specific product each UPC code has been assigned to. Each product manufacturer is free to choose which barcodes (from the block of UPC codes each manufacturer controls) are assigned to which of their products.
Some manufacturers do upload their product and UPC code pairing data to GS1, who include the info in the GS1 dataset for GS1 issued UPC codes. Other product manufacturers do not. They do tell the retail stores that sell their products.
In addition, not all valid UPC barcodes were/are issued by GS1. There were many (probably millions) of valid UPC codes allocated long before GS1 came into being, and those valid-but-not-yet-used UPC codes are actively being assigned to new products across a wide array of new and many small manufacturers.
Separate from GS1, there are multiple other entities that maintain online lookup databases for UPC codes. Some are private, some are open to receiving UPC product info from the public or from independent product manufacturers.
One of those is BarcodeLookup.com
Some other UPC scanning apps similar to Buy Canadian use the database connected to BarcodeLookup.com
UPC barcode backgrounder
Note: This information has been compiled from a range of resources and reflects my current understandings, in rough note form. If you encounter something that is incorrect or you can contribute better info, please update us.
GTIN = Global Trade Item Number
GTIN-12 = barcode for a specific product (unique combo of weight/size/colour/flavour)
GTIN-14 = Shipping Container Barcode (code on the outside of a multi-pack carton/box)
GS1, which used to be called the Uniform Code Council (UCC), is an assigner of UPC barcode prefixes and barcode numbers, typically in blocks of contiguous numbers.
GTIN stands for Global Tracking Identification Number. This is a family of data structures. The number that is encoded into a printed barcode is the GTIN.
The type of barcode is UPC or EAN. These names are often used interchangeably.
Where can you get UPC codes for your own company's products?
Non-GS1 source of UPC barcode number assignments
https://nationwidebarcode.com/order-upcs/
Barcodes Demystified PDF (2022 version 5.0)
Barcodes Demystified PDF (2013 version 3.3)
Barcodes Demystified as web page (some links seem to be broken)
NationwideBarcode Support and Resource Guide
Note: Some linked information may be out of date, especially for specific online services, apps and tools.
The UPC code system does allow retail stores to self-assign barcodes to products that are sold in their own stores, including products supplied by independent outside makers and manufacturers. These store assigned barcodes are only valid within the store(s) that did the assignment.
If a store that sells your product assigns a code, that code will not be valid in other stores. Typically a store assigned UPC code will begin with the digit 4
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The Barcode prefix (the first 6, 7, 8 or 9 digits) is called a UPC Barcode Prefix
The company who has been assigned the UPC Barcode Prefix is responsible for the assignment of the next digits (making up a total of eleven digits) to their products.*
Last digit (encoded on the far right) is the checksum digit
The checksum allows the scanner to verify whether it has correctly read the barcode.
* But only from the range of codes included in the number block assigned to each company.
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GS1 Single GTIN Barcodes (USA only?)
in 2021 GS1 US altered their policy to enable companies the option of purchasing single GTIN barcodes without licensing a Company Prefix and paying perpetual renewal fees.
The following is derived from the GS1 marketing materials;
https://www.gs1-us.info/gs1-single-gtin-barcodes/
Ideal for companies with only a few products
No On-going Renewal Fees!
GTIN assignment(s) are provided directly to you by GS1 US.
Barcode files (.eps) are provided immediately
Both a company’s name and product description are recorded in the GS1 Global Database so retailers/marketplaces such as Amazon, can verify ownership.
Bar Code Graphics is the GS1 US authority on barcodes and UPC technical implementation, whereas GS1 itself is essentially the organization that seeks to control UPC number assignments.
The GS1 Barcode Service provides the actual .eps barcode images for GS1 issued codes AND support with GS1 UPC GTIN assignments and product data uploads.
Many new (GS1 subscribing) companies will rely on GS1's Bar Code Graphics when beginning to barcode their products.
GS1 small quanity barcode purchasing: Still semi-pricy per UPC code
Does this include entry into their ‘official’ GTIN database? GTIN.cloud ?
When you join GS1 [and pay their significant fees and royalties] you get a prefix certificate along with your start-up package.
Non-GS1 barcodes
Except when working with a few specific large retailers*, small manufacturers have the option of using a UPS code provider that is legally able to subdivide their existing inventory of barcode prefixes.
You purchase exclusive rights to 12-digit UPC (or 13-digit EAN) codes, anywhere from a single code to a fairly large block, perhaps hundreds or thousands of assigned codes).
When your product is onboarded with a retailer, the retailer enters the barcode for each of your products into their point-of-sale system. Since every individual UPC code is only assigned to a single company, your UPC code(s) should never appear on any other product, worldwide.
(My understanding is that) Nationwide Barcode and similar companies received their prefixes in the 1990's or early 2000's
[… manufacturing companies who became members of UCC before August 28, 2002, are not obligated to pay membership renewal fees to UCC to maintain membership …] These older companies are a primary source of UPC codes available for re-assignment.
Some GS1 background (country codes, barcode notes)
GS1 (typically) charges an upfront fee and a yearly renewal fee based upon the number barcode numbers that you need along with your company's revenue. The more you make, the more the barcode prefix will cost you, and this amount can increase over time.
GS1 ... has created the confusion between UPC (Universal Product Codes) and EAN (European Article Numbers also called International Article Numbers).
The UPC-A barcode was the original format for product barcodes. As demand in Europe, Asia and Australia started growing, country codes were added. (We have a list of country codes in this book).
US and Canada share a country code of zero.
This country code was not printed under the UPC barcode nor was it entered in US and Canadian Inventory and Point of Sale Databases. The leading zero was just assumed, however it is now often visible and causes no trouble.
… if you are currently doing business in the United States and Canada exclusively, it is generally safe to use UPC barcode format for your products.
Many retailers, especially smaller retailers, may be using older accounting and inventory systems that only allow them to enter in 12-digit UPC numbers and not a 13-digit EAN string.
If this changes in the future, you can convert your 12-digit UPC to a 13-digit EAN by adding in the country code (adding the leading 0). There is nothing to indicate that the US and Canada will ever switch over to explicit EAN 13 only barcodes.
George Laurer– www.laurerupc.com
Mr. Laurer is the inventor of the UPC barcode.
Clarification: "UPC Version A" and "EAN-13” are and always have been 13-character symbols. The numbers themselves have always been 13 characters long. The UPC (Version A) symbol and the EAN-13 symbol are essentially one and the same. They both have the same number of bars and spaces.
* I have used the name UCC throughout to avoid confusion although it evolved to this name over many years. In 1975 it was called UPCC (Uniform Product Code Council).
Simply put the U.P.C. and EAN-13 symbols and numbers are the same. Below is a U.P.C. symbol with its equivalent EAN-13 superimposed in red. One can see that the bars and white spaces are the same, only the human readable is different.
Note that the U.P.C. appearance has evolved in that the check digit is now printed and also that the SN has been brought in line with the other characters but the country flag is still not (or may not yet be) printed.
In the near future the human readable UPC may be changed to match the EAN format.
Because there are more than 9 countries, the country flags have been further subdivided by using the next two digits for various uses and countries.
The United States and Canada have the country flag 0 and subdivisions 000 thru 139.
It is interesting to note that the publishing industry produces so many products that it is its own country called “Bookland” for number assignment purposes. Bookland has been given two subdivisions of the country flag 9. They are 978 and 979.
The person in a company that coordinates which barcode goes with which product is called a UPC coordinator. This person is responsible for assigning item numbers to products, making sure the same code is not used on more than one product, retiring assigned codes as products are removed from the product line, etc.
Tip: If the product is changed, a new/unused UPC code should be assigned to the new product version and the old UPC code should be retired, documented as previously used. And never used again.
UPC Barcodes that work in a retail environment are those starting with 0, 6, 7, and 8
0 Standard UPC number
1 Reserved
2 Random Weight Items
3 Pharmaceuticals
4 In store UPCs (where the item is not sold using the same code in other retail stores or online)
5 Coupons
6 Standard UPC Number
7 Standard UPC Number
8 Standard UPC Number
9 Reserved
Printed UPC barcode size
The nominal printed size of a UPC barcode is 1.5 x 1”
EAN and UPC numbers are scanned by retail omni-directional scanners. This means that UPC/EAN barcodes have a fixed relationship between symbol height and width. When one dimension is modified, the other dimension should be altered by a proportional amount.
The minimum size of a UPC should be 80%; the maximum size is 200%.
If you do not have enough room, you can truncate the height of your barcode, meaning that the height is a little shorter. Large store retailers may apply non-compliance fines if your barcode doesn't scan or scans incorrectly.
Our experience has been that modern barcode scanners can tolerate quite a lot of 'badness' in your printed barcode and still sucessfully scan with good reliability. Don't make your printed barcode terrible and it should work just fine.
What do Granolala product UPC barcodes look like?
For our own Granolala packages, the UPC barcode appears on the back label. The bars are black on white with a white surround border. We have allowed the background colour of the label to slightly bleed through, reducing visual harshness. While the barcode contrast is slighly reduced we have found no problems with checkout scanner accuracy or readability. Works just fine.
UPC barcodes on Granolala products are also slightly less tall than the standard specification but within the allowable range overall. Again, no problems.
We do make sure the print quality and edge sharpness for our printed UPC codes is good. Barcode scanners work best with clean, high contrast printed edges for every black stripe in the barcode pattern. Use a magnifying glass to confirm your own barcode print quality.
Remember that it is OK for your barcode to be vertical or horizontal on your label. The checkout scanners can handle almost any angle, so if your label design or your printer quality works better with a vertical orientation for the barcode, you can do that.
UPC Databases
www.UPCdatabase.com
This is an informal database created as a college project and is now a hobby project There are over 1,000,000 items in the database. Although this sounds like a lot, it barely scratches the surface. This database allows you to enter in a UPC or EAN number and see who manufactures the product. It does not allow you to enter a product and get a UPC code. •
Google Merchant Center
This is an interesting database since they feed this information to (some of) the Google and Android phone barcode applications
GS1
This database is good for locating company codes. Very few actual products are listed, considering the scope of GS1. Results are also limited to 20 per search.
GS1.org/services/verified-by-gs1
UPCBarcodes.com
Primary function is to sell blocks of UPC codes, but also allows you to upload your product information along with your UPC code with the purpose of pushing information to the internet search engines. Fee based service.
www.upcbarcodes.com
UPCitemDB.com
UPCitemDB UPC code updates can be submitted via email in a specific tab delimited text file format. The website focuses on their (free & paid) methods for using the database.
You can add your own products and UPC info;
Create the data file using this tab delimited text file format
The mandatory fields are UPC, TITLE, IMAGEURL, PRICE, BUYURL
Then email the file to upcitemdb@gmail.com
You can also contact them for assistance.
Note: Began as a hobbyist UPC site/service, currently references over 600 million UPC codes