Codes used to serialize shipping containers must be 18 digits long and should follow the UCC/EAN-128 format. Serial Shipper Container Codes (SSCC) make it possible to track the contents of a shipping container like an individual purchase order. UCC standards also provide a guideline for serializing shipping containers. Companies whose UCC prefix number begins with zero can use this shortened reference number. There is a special type of UCC-12 number called the UPC-E, which has eight digits instead of 12. The purpose of check digits is to prevent transportation problems. UCC-12 numbers also include a calculated check digit that comes after the item reference number. The item reference number always comes after the UCC prefix, and the length of the reference number depends on the prefix number to which it is attached. Currently, the UCC has issued 200,000 prefix numbers. The UCC assigns every manufacturer unique prefix digits to be placed at the beginning of their item reference numbers. UCC-12 identification numbers cannot include letters when identifying a product or a shipping carton and will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. In addition to identifying individual products, UPCs also serve as a base form of identification for shipping containers. Under the UCC, manufacturers must assign a 12-digit reference number, known as either a UCC-12 Identification Number or UPC (Universal Product Code) number, to individual units meant for consumers. In addition to identifying products, you can use these rules to indicate how much of a product is in a shipping container or package. The goal of using UCC standards is to make it easier for trade partners to communicate during a transaction. Originally, the purpose of these standards was to ease communications between distributors and manufacturers of electrical products, but today, thousands of manufacturers in the United States use this numbering system. The food industry has used the UCC system for more than two decades, but these standards apply to multiple industries, including retail.
#Barcode prefix standards code
The UCC, or Uniform Code Council, also includes rules for using a bar code to communicate business data, such as: The international standards of the EAN.UCC System provide guidelines for labeling products and putting shipping containers into the correct order. These standards include very specific rules for labeling products and shipping containers and communicating information related to business transactions. UCC standards are designed to simplify the process of shipping goods between countries.
#Barcode prefix standards how to
To learn how to determine how many UPCs you need, please visit, UCC Standards Basics 2. The membership fee for GS1 is primarily based on the number of products that require identification. A small company, that only needs to identify a single product, would receive a 10-digit number. The number of digits in a Company Prefix can vary between 6 – 10 characters, depending on the number of products a manufacturer needs to identify. The length of the prefix (and price) is dependent on the number of unique items that require UPC identification. Your company prefix identifies you as the manufacturer throughout the entire product supply-chain. Whereas Bar Code Graphics is the authority for barcoding and UPC implementation, GS1 is the global standards organization for product identification.
#Barcode prefix standards license
The first, and most important, step in obtaining a UPC barcode for your product is to apply for membership and license a UPC (GS1) Company prefix from GS1. Step 2: Apply for UPC (GS1) Company Prefix