Buy Barcodes Online – For Retail Products
Before I learned about barcodes, I took those little blocks of vertical lines for granted. Barcodes have greatly changed the nature of business around the world. We can all thank the simple barcode for speeding up our daily shopping. Also, they allow companies to easily track and manage assets, allow efficient ticketing procedures (think large concerts and theaters), track the movement of goods such as rental cars, mail, and parcels, and also, they can even go as far as helping scientists track insects. like a bee!
In this article, I will only discuss the world of “retail barcode”, especially with entrepreneurs and small business owners in mind. Unfortunately, the barcode process can seem quite daunting when you first enter this world. There is no recourse – it is a necessary crime to familiarize oneself with the ins and outs of this industry when launching a product into the retail market or if you have trouble you can Buy barcodes online.
When creating a product for sale, the first time the product owner usually considers a barcode is after the product has been made, the packaging has been designed and the retailer where the product will be distributed has been approached. This is when the owner will usually get the nasty surprise – “We can’t sell your product without a valid EAN or UPC barcode.”
They will then be referred to a company called GS1 – a global distributor and regulator of barcode numbers around the world. They are the bodies tasked with distributing unique 12 and 13 digit numbers that can then be translated into images (vertical bars of different sizes and spaces), linked to specific products, and finally scanned at retail stores – all intending to speed up the shopping experience. “Can’t I make my barcode number?” is often the next thought. Unfortunately, you can’t. Every product in the world needs a unique number. If people could make their numbers carelessly, duplication would occur, wreaking havoc with the point of sale system.
While most businesses and individuals get their barcodes through GS1, others get their barcodes through “barcode retailers”. In August 2002, barcode resellers were born due to a change in barcode law which allowed certain individuals and companies to resell barcode numbers that were “pre-owned but unused and unique”.
Each country has its GS1 division which provides UPC, EAN, EAN-8, and many other barcode types. Bar code retailers can be found online worldwide providing EAN and UPC codes. The UPC number consists of 12 digits, which originate in the United States. When the rest of the world started using the barcode system, one extra digit was added to the UPC code, resulting in billions of additional combinations with the new 13 digit EAN number. Barcode as a system has become standard enough around the world that a number from a GS1 or a specific barcode reseller can be used in any country in the world.
Resellers often also sell additional barcode services such as ISBN barcodes (for books), ISSN barcodes (for magazines and newspapers), and printed labels alongside equipment such as special barcode printers and scanners.
Once you have purchased a barcode number, the next step is to add an image of your barcode to the product packaging or print the label that will be affixed to your product. Finally, you need to take a sample of your product to the retailer and have them scan your product and link the product information (name, size, description, price, etc.) with the appropriate barcode number. This may sound like a daunting process, but fortunately, most barcode companies are very helpful and will guide you every step of the way.
