Barcode types

EAN-13

Noun: EAN-13

Also known as:
GTIN-13, retail barcode, European product number

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 13 numbers

Goal:
Identify unique retail products at point of sale

European Article Numbers (EAN Barcodes) are 13 digits long. They are used worldwide on all retail products except books and magazines. They are the most widely used barcodes in the world, Except for USA and Canada, Where UPC-A (Universal Product Code) barcodes are most common.

Each EAN-13 is product specific and barcoded as a barcode. This means that when scanning a barcode in store systems, Price and inventory data related to your product is logged by the retailer. So , A different EAN-13 number is required for each unique product.

 

UPC-A

 

Noun: UPC-A

Also known as:
global product code, retail bar icon, GTIN-12

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 12 numbers

Goal:
Identify unique retail products at point of sale

12-digit UPC barcodes are used mostly in the USA and Canada on all retail products, Except for books and magazines. UPC bar codes predate the EAN-13 codes and began appearing in stores in the USA in the 1970s. If you sell in the United States or Canada, It is likely that you want to use the UPC-A code instead of the EAN-13 code.

 

EAN-8

ean8

 

Noun: EAN-8

Also known as:
European Article No. 8

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 8 numbers

Goal:
Used for small products that do not fit EAN-13

Smaller size globally unique barcode for very small products – hard to come by and only available from GS1 (a membership organization). EAN-8 barcodes are only 8 digits long – this means that there are a limited number of them, The GS1 is therefore carefully guarded. So , to get it , You need to provide proof that your product is too small and wait to see if the GS1 agrees.

 

ITF-14

 

Noun: ITF-14

Also known as:
TUN, cartoon icon, GTIN-14

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 14 digits

Goal:
This is a cartoon icon. Retailers use it to simplify incoming merchandise.

ITF-14 cartoon codes are generated from EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes. They are used only in warehouses on cartons containing a specified amount of the product represented by the barcode. These codes are not for products sold individually at the retail level. for example , A case of selling wine as a single unit may need a retail barcode. You may need the ITF-14 code if you have a shipping carton full of wine bottles that were taken out and sold individually after they arrived at the store.

 

ISBN

 

Noun: ISBN

Also known as:
barcode book, international standard book number, ISBN Barcode

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 13 numbers

Goal:
To sell books at the retail level

International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) are unique numbers assigned to a book. ISBNs begin with 978 and are distributed by ISBN agencies in each country (see isbn-international.org/agency ).

ISBN barcodes are barcodes that are generated based on the ISBN number. Each book has a unique ISBN, So this ensures that no two ISBN barcodes are the same, This allows retailers to easily keep track of each book as it is being stored and sold.

 

ISSN

 

Noun: ISSN

Also known as:
international standard serial number, magazine bar code, ISSN bar code

Coded numbers:
0-9

Length: 13 digits plus 2 or 5 digit extension

Goal:
ISSN barcodes are for magazines sold at checkout

Journal barcodes are called ISSN barcodes , It is based on the unique ISSN number that is assigned to each journal. If you intend to publish and sell a magazine, You will need the ISSN number obtained from the ISSN International Centre . Once you get your number, It can be converted by a barcode company like us into a unique 13-digit retail barcode.

 

Code 39

code39

 

Noun: Code 39

Also known as:
Alpha 39, USD-3, type 39, Code 3-9

Coded numbers:
Alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols

Length: Factor

Goal:
Asset designations, name badges, membership cards, etc. Any closed system needs unique identifiers

Code 39 uses a unique internal numbering barcode . This makes it suitable for classifying assets, membership cards, library books, or any other internal item that needs to be tracked or managed. Nobody regulates the uniqueness of these barcodes (unlike retail barcodes), So it cannot be used outside a closed system. Code 39 barcodes have a low data density, Which means that each character it contains takes many bars and spaces. As a result , These symbols are not suitable for very long character strings.

 

Code 128

code-128

 

Noun: Code 128

Also known as:
There are no alternative names

Coded numbers:
All ASCII Characters (128 characters)

Length: Factor

Goal:
Like barcodes for code 39, These tokens can be used for asset labels, name badges, membership cards, etc. Any closed system needs unique identifiers

Barcode 128 is very similar to Code 39 in that it is unstructured and suitable for internal use. The main difference between the two is that Code 128 has a higher data density (more characters can be encoded in a smaller space) and can contain any ASCII Instead of just alphanumeric and some symbols.

 

Code 11

Code11_barcode

 

Noun: Code 11

Also known as:
8 USD

Coded numbers:
0-9 and – (dash)

Length: Factor

Goal:
Primarily used in telecommunications

Barcode 11 is relatively simple, With a limited range of cipherable numbers. It is high density, Which means that each character does not take up much space. The 11 bar code is often used by carriers to identify equipment and other important business assets.

 

Code 93

code93

 

Noun: Code 93

Also known as:
USS Code 93, USS 93, Code 9/3

Coded numbers:
same code 39, So the alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols

Length: Factor

Goal:
Indoor use (eg code 39 and 128

Code 93 barcode is an updated version of Code 39, With more efficient coding, more reliable scanning, and greater character diversity. The uses are the same as code 39, Canada Post uses code 93 for internal use.

 

GS1-128

Gs1-128_example

 

Noun: GS1-128

Also known as:
UCC-128, EAN-128

Coded numbers:
numeric characters

Length: variable preferred, up to the number of characters

Goal:
It can encode a large variety of details about a product shipment

GS1-128 is a subset of the Code-128 barcodes mentioned above. However , These GS1 barcodes contain numbers only. Unlike regular 128 codes. They can code different product details, Such as expiration date, packaging date, batch number, net weight and more. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1-128 for details.

 

SSCC

sscc

 

Noun: SSCC

Also known as:
Serial Shipping Container Icon

Coded numbers:
Digital

Length: 18 numbers

Goal:
These codes are used in third level shipping (pallets etc.), It shows the company number and the shipment

Serial shipping container codes are a shipping code that informs the company from which a container, pallet, or outer carton came from. These differ from ITF-14 container codes because they cover a shipment with many different products (hence EAN-13 codes), Unlike ITF-14 codes, which matches 1: 1 with EAN codes. These SSCC codes are repeated with one digit per order, So the retailer will know that it is receiving the 20th shipment from Generic (for example).

 

kodabar

codabar

 

Noun: kodabar

Also known as:
Codeabar, Ames symbol, symbol 2 of 7, Monarch, USD-4

Coded numbers:
Numeric numbers and some special symbols

Length: Factor

Goal:
Codabar is used for asset tracking, Like library books, It can even work on suboptimal printing materials

Codabar is a fairly old barcode found in some internal, dated inventory systems such as libraries. These codes are designed to function even when printed on low-quality paper or generated using a mechanical printer (typewriter). It is similar to Code 39 but is less versatile in what it can contain.

 

QR Code

qr-code-14

 

Noun: QR Code

Also known as:
QR code, Barcode Matrix

Coded numbers:
Alphanumeric and symbols

Length: a variable , More characters = more complex code

Goal:
QR codes are commonly used to encode a website’s URL, It is very versatile and can contain just about anything

QR codes have become a very popular feature for marketing and advertising and for communicating digitally stored information through a physical object (the token). These barcodes can store more data than traditional 2D codes and are easy to scan with a smartphone.