Upc code where is it made

It's displayed in two different ways: a barcode and printed numbers. The barcode is designed for computer scanners to easily read. It consists of alternating white and black bars of various widths.

Each numeral from zero to nine corresponds to a specific pattern of bars. For example, a one would be written as three bars, each two lengths wide, followed by a bar one length wide. Remember that you need to consider both the white and black bars when deciphering the code. The barcode starts and ends with a black bar, a white bar, and a black bar, each one unit in width. These are called the start code and the end code. Between the start and end codes, you'll find the bars indicating the numbers in the code.

The second part of a UPC code is a plain-text version of the number, which is printed near the barcode so that humans can read it easily. This is useful, for example, when a scanner isn't working properly and a cashier needs to enter the code by hand. The plain-text number is much faster for the cashier to type than trying to decipher the code would be, and having it there reduces the chance of making a mistake when keying in the product information by hand.

The digit UPC code is made up of three groups of numbers with different purposes. In a product UPC, the first six numbers indicate the manufacturer, the next five digits are an item number, and the final number is the check digit. It's assigned to the manufacturer when they apply for a UPC barcode. Every item that the manufacturer sells will start with this number.

The second group of numbers, the item number, is assigned to each individual product by the manufacturer. For example, the item numbers for a six-pack of strawberry yogurt, a single container of strawberry yogurt, and a single blueberry yogurt from the same manufacturer would all be different from one another.

The check digit is there to help ensure that the right number has been scanned or hand-entered. Our affiliate compensation allows us to maintain an ad-free website and provide a free service to our readers. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy Page.

We may earn money when you click on our links. Learn More. On this page: What's a UPC? UPCs are more than mere barcodes—these detailed product numbers allow you to sell to other businesses. By Courtenay Stevens. Published on August 12, Share Article. What is a UPC code? Every digit in a UPC code means something. What a UPC isn't. All about those SKUs? Manufacturer code.

Delivering Business Advice Directly to You. Sign Up. By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use. When do you need a UPC? How to get UPC codes for your products. Get a GS1 US company prefix. GS1 prefix pricing schedule. Number of UPCs. Assign unique product codes. Generate your check digit. Order your UPC barcodes. What is the difference between a barcode and a UPC? What does a UPC code tell you? Get Started. Zoho Inventory. Learn more about our top brands. Where can I buy cheap UPC codes?

First of all, the two- or three-digit country codes referenced above are incorporated into the European Article Number EAN bar code standard, but not into the UPC-A bar code which is most commonly used in the U. Moreover, what those EAN country codes indicate is the country or economic region where a particular bar code was assigned , not necessarily the country where the product identified by that bar code was made:. The 3-digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company.

For example, a company may have its headquarters in South Africa. The prefix code is a way to have plus EAN member organizations issuing numbers without having to worry about duplicate numbers.

In that case the bar coding would be of little help to consumers who for whatever reason were desirous of avoiding food products grown in Guatemala. Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China? This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.

However, you may now refer to the barcode — remember if the first 3 digits are:. We need every boost we can get! Pass this on to everybody on your E-Mail Contact List!! Whether you purchase a barcode prefix from the GS1 or purchase a barcode from a company like Nationwide Barcode, the barcode will indicate the country where the prefix originated regardless of where that company has their products manufactured. The GS1 is a corporation, they are not a government agency.

The GS1 originated in the US and are now in every major country in the world. All UPC-A barcodes 12 digit barcodes originate from either the US or Canada and do not show the country code in the human readable numbers the numbers below the barcode.