The Process of obtaining Bar codes

You may be in the stage of your business or manufacturing of your product that it has now become a necessity to obtain GS1 bar codes. There may be many reasons for this and in this article, we will have a look at some of the different formats that are available to business owners and individuals alike. Let us get started.

You will find many companies on the internet that sell GS1 bar codes, like ourselves at buybarcodes.co.za. We are an authentic reseller, we resell GS1 bar codes. Who is GS1 you may ask? They are the worldwide distributor of registered bar codes and the only format that you are able to use on your products when placing them into retail stores to be sold to consumers. You are able to buy GS1 bar codes directly from our website using our quick and simple electronic payment system or you can contact us to do a direct payment and email us your details for registration, once this is complete your bar codes are yours for life.

Those that are used on products come in two different formats; you get the UPC Format which is twelve digits and the EAN format which is a slightly newer format and consists of thirteen digits. When purchasing from us we will include two folders in your electronic pack, one being UPC and the other EAN. This is for your convenience as you will need to confirm directly with your specific retailer which format, they would like you to use on your product. Once they have confirmed this you can go ahead and either include the image of your code on the packaging of your product, on your product label or perhaps have them printed separately on self-adhesive rolls of stickers. Our bar codes are international, and this means that they can be used worldwide and are not restricted to certain countries.  Some of our clients are quite amazed that the process with us is so simple as it can seem like a daunting task, but we have thought of every way in which to assist our clients in streamlining this process.

Another widely used format is the ITF-14 format. This format is also used by retail stores but not at the point of sale system it is used in the receiving area when your products are delivered to the stores such as in bulk. Not all stores require these, but they may be requested at some point in marketing your products. An ITF-14 is linked to the EAN or UPC that are placed onto your products. They are placed on the outside of the main carton or box that is carrying all your individual products, so that when the receiving area scans in your ITF-14 they are able to see on their system what the box contains before opening it and checking the contents. We can create these for you on request and we will email you the high-resolution images as well. UPC, EAN and ITF-14s are all linear and are the only format used in retail. They also play a huge role in keeping stock inventory in all size businesses, it eliminates human error as the task of manual stock counting is no longer needed.  So, there you have it, if you require any of these formats, we are here to assist.

Thirdly, we will delve a little into the process of obtaining a QR code. Yes, we can provide you with these as well. QR codes, which is short for quick response codes are a more modern approach to the barcoding world and have a lot more leeway with the amount of information that can be stored on them. With UPC, EAN and ITF-14 formats there is a very limited amount of information that can be loaded as they are intended just to name and record products but QRCs can store up to 2Kb of data. You can use these to link to any website and people will scan them using their smartphones. They are square in shape and are made up of many squares and dots. These are used often by businesses to direct potential customers to their websites, sign up pages or promotions they are running as well as being used a lot more now during the pandemic we are experiencing as it offers a no touch payment option for businesses which you can read about on QR Codes during the pandemic. They tend to be a little more expensive but that is because of the amount of data they can store and as they are web-based.

Lastly, we have Asset bar codes. We have many clients purchasing these on a daily basis as more and more industry sectors are introducing this into their requirements and procedures. These are much shorter in numerical length than retail formats and are primarily used to log all company assets such as printers, computers, and furniture so that the company can be aware of the location of all their assets at all times. But they are being used for alternate means as well. They can be used on concert or event tickets that get scanned at the entrance to account for the number of guests and so that one ticket can not be used numerous times, therefore they counteract fraud as well. Some businesses are using them on access keys or cards as well for their employees to scan in and out of the building for timekeeping and security purposes. They can also be embedded into plastic tags or RFID Tags.

If this is the way in which you would like to evolve your business give us a call or email and we will advise you on the way forward with regards to registering your own unique bar codes that you can incorporate into your modern business. You can even purchase a few and give it a test run and return for more at a later stage. Let us help  you modernise your system.