UPC Codes

We take UPC codes for granted these days, since they appear from every item from electrical goods to sliced bread. There were no UPC codes a few decades ago, and a check out employee had to type in prices by hand, causing many errors and delays in shopping. UPC codes have made shopping quicker and easier and have eliminated unnecessary hours spent in inventory. With a simple scan, the price and the product is labeled, and it is certainly true that UPC codes have made our lives easier.

A company needs UPC codes for every item it sells. Even if a company sells two sizes of the same item, there needs to be a UPC code for each individual version of a given product. When a company wants UPC codes, it registers its product with the UCC (Uniform Code Council), which will issue the company UPC codes for its products. All UPC codes have twelve digits; the first 6 digits are the manufacturer’s code and the last 6 digits are the product code. The last digit is a “check” digit to ensure that there is not mistake in the code. These codes are checked by adding up the numbers and checking them against the check digit. If the sum is correct, the code is correct.

A UPC code is used everywhere in the world a particular product is sold. UPC codes are seen on as barcodes that appear on labels of products. There are two parts of UPC codes; the numbers can be read by use and the bar codes are the series of black stripes and white patches the computer reads. Both parts of the code are essential for creating valid UPC Codes. If the bars appear without the numbers or the numbers appear without the bars, the code is incomplete, and the product cannot be scanned properly.