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- 1 Decode a UPC Number
- 2 What Does SKU Mean Regarding Inventory?
- 3 Find an SIC Code
- 4 Scan a Lot Number Using a Bar Code Scanner
Barcode technology makes real-time data collection possible. Despite the multitude of barcodes in existence today, universal product codes remain among the most useful to a small business. Because UPC barcodes can only be as accurate as the information in a back-end database allows, knowing how to read barcode numbers is essential for data entry personnel.
Barcode Basics
UPC barcodes are a 12-digit UPCA or a 6-digit UPCE code. UPCA codes are used on standard size labels or packages. UPCE codes are a condensed version of a UPCA code, used when the size of a package or label doesn’t have enough room for a standard size code. The entire UPC number is referred to as a Global Trade Item Number or GTIN. Product manufacturers get a manufacturers identification code from GS1 US -- the nonprofit group responsible for setting barcode standards -- and include this number in every UPC code they create.
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Symbology
Symbology refers to the rules that dictate how a barcode is arranged. This is significant in regard to a UPC barcode because its symbology is continuous, meaning that the individual numbers in a UPC code have no meaning unless you read them from end-to-end. Although the shorter length of a UPCE code can make it seem different, it is the same as a UPCA code except that the UPCE code is truncated. UPCE codes require the use of a scanner to restore the code to its original length before it can be read.
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Deciphering a UPC Code
A UPC code consists of a 1-digit number, a 5-digit manufacturer's code, a 5-digit product code, and a single check digit. The first digit is a standard numbering system character assigned by the Uniform Code Council. The numbering system character identifies the product category, either generally or as a specific category. For example, the numbers “0” and “7” are general product categories, the number “2” identifies a random weight item marked at the store, and the number “3” indicates that the item is an over-the-counter drug. The number “4” indicates that the product is a non-food item, and the number “5” identifies the item as a coupon. The next sets of 5-digit numbers uniquely identify the product manufacturer and the specific product.
Check Digit
The final number in a UPC code is an error detection code that verifies that the 11 numbers preceding it match what was entered into the UPC database. The check digit or checksum is determined by a four-step equation the starts by adding the digits in every odd-numbered position. Multiply the result by three, and then add the sum of the digits in the even-numbered positions to that result. Divide the result by 10 and if the final answer isn’t zero, subtract the remainder from 10 to get the checksum. For example, if the first 11 digits in the barcode are “03623029145,” add the numbers in the odd positions and multiply the result by three to get a total of 51. Next, add the numbers in the even positions to get a total of 18 and add this result to 51 to get a total of 69. Divide 69 by 10. Because the remainder is 9, subtract the remainder from 10 to get a checksum of 1.
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About the Author
Based in Green Bay, Wisc., Jackie Lohrey has been writing professionally since 2009. In addition to writing web content and training manuals for small business clients and nonprofit organizations, including ERA Realtors and the Bay Area Humane Society, Lohrey also works as a finance data analyst for a global business outsourcing company.
Photo Credits
- Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
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Lohrey, Jackie. 'How to Read Numbers on UPC Barcodes.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/read-numbers-upc-barcodes-73547.html. Accessed 19 June 2019.
Lohrey, Jackie. (n.d.). How to Read Numbers on UPC Barcodes. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/read-numbers-upc-barcodes-73547.html
Lohrey, Jackie. 'How to Read Numbers on UPC Barcodes' accessed June 19, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/read-numbers-upc-barcodes-73547.html
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