As a barcode company, we know how important accuracy and expertise are to your business. When it comes to UPC barcodes, we’ve collected a couple of answers to common questions, as well as anecdotes showcasing common mistakes. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll understand why it’s imperative to trust an expert […]

I have not been able to ascertain where this term originated from, but it sounds very suspicious to me, and here is why. The word “certified” indicates a certain higher level of quality in a product or service. The use of this term here seems to indicated GS1 will certify […]

Amazon continues their inconsistent processes when dealing with vendors who sell their branded products through their pipeline. The difference showed up with two of our clients, both of whom were using shared prefixes. (The shared prefix issue will be discussed in another blog and time.) Let’s look at both scenarios: […]

Amazon requires a UPC/EAN symbol (the new term for this is a GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number) on every product that goes through their distribution system. As the brand owner, this means you’re responsible for completing this essential task. Unfortunately, Amazon’s policy is not consistent across all their product lines […]

The UPC symbol was announced in April 1973. What became their Board of Governors had been an ad hoc group of retail grocery supply chain  leaders, as well as representatives of eight companies that wanted their ad hoc group to use their proprietary bar codes. The McKinsey Company (Tom Wilson […]

When I was President of Symbology, Inc., I and several staff attended a  2-day GS1 class in Chicago or New Jersey and became “GS1 Standards Professionals”. Ray Delnicki was the instructor.  The class was back in 2015, and my staff and I re-certified in 2017 after taking an online update […]

The produce industry remained largely unaffected when the UPC symbol was introduced in 1973. The packer/growers did not want the additional expense of coding all the SKU’s, which are part of their industry and the wholesaler/retailers did not have the computer capacity to process all the many SKU’s as well. […]

What type of options do retailers, distributors, or wholesalers have when a UPC barcode doesn’t work? Their final decision can be influenced by time of day, some poorly worded policy, and/or the inclination of the buyer of the product with the problem UPC barcode. While many of the retailers and […]

A UPC barcode is always owned by some type of entity. It can be a brand in a grocery store, a pint of blood at the blood bank, or the serial number on an electronic device. Way too often, however, the UPC barcode owner doesn’t check (i.e. proof) the barcode […]

You’ve heard about the trouble with shared prefixes and what other common barcode issues can cost you. But to help you fully understand just how complicated a barcode situation can be for your brand, here’s a real-life story: On March 24th, I received a call from a brand owner who […]