U.P.C. Symbols

There are a variety of different types of bar codes. However, the U.P.C. symbol is the most recognized bar code in the United States, since it appears on almost every retail product. The U.P.C. symbol is the bar code representation of the GTIN-12. (Universal Product Number) which consists of twelve numeric characters that uniquely identify a company's individual product. Although, the initial U.P.C. usage was focused on retail point of sale (POS), many other industries have adopted this coding structure. As of January 2005, there are significant changes to the terminology involving product bar code marking. Please visit www.gtin.info to learn more about the new GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number) data structures.

The first six to nine digits of a U.P.C. is referred to as the “Company Prefix”, and they are assigned by a non-profit organization (GS1 US formerly the Uniform Code Council). This number uniquely identifies a company and always remains constant on all of a company's products. The next set of digits is called the “product numbers”, and these numbers uniquely identify individual items. Unlike the GS1 Company Prefix, product numbers are arbitrarily assigned by each company. The twelfth character in a U.P.C. is the “check digit”. This number is derived from a formula based upon the previous eleven numbers.

To view a UPC magnification table, click here.

The GS1 US is the only organization which could assign Company Prefixes. Recently there have been small web based "UPC Resellers" providing inaccurate and incomplete information. Click here to for additional information.

For additional information on UPC/EAN EAN numbering and bar code requirements please visit www.gs1-us.info

There has been a dramatic increase in the dependency on U.P.C. symbols, since companies are investing millions of dollars in computer systems and scanning equipment to take advantage of automatic data collection. The foundation of these systems is contingent on bar code print quality. When symbols can not be read or decode incorrectly, the efficiency of these systems is brought to a halt. Consequently, many retailers are severely penalizing consumer goods manufacturers who furnish substandard U.P.C. symbols.