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The Global Language of Business

Get a Barcode

The Global Language of Business

What Is a Barcode? 

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  • Barcodes are all around us and can be found on just about anything we use. They’re used across industries like retail, grocery, healthcare, apparel, general merchandise, and many others to streamline information dissemination. The common barcode (known as a UPC/1D Barcode) consists of black-and-white lines that create a scannable image. Combined with these lines, the numbers, known as a UPC numbers, create the whole barcode. Each barcode is unique; it is assigned to a company and its specific product. In addition to providing unique identification, the barcode helps recall unsafe products like tainted food or even faulty airbags on cars. Barcodes play a massive role in making everything we do as consumers, workers, and business owners easier. Barcodes help provide proper inventory management and ordering and even maintain public safety for perishable items like food and vaccines. 

    There are many types of barcodes with different features used for unique applications. Businesses across nearly every industry worldwide should understand barcode standards, formatting, and function to effectively use them in their businesses or along their supply chains. Efficiency and accuracy in inventory management and supply chain tracing, and serving customers at point-of-sale (POS) or patients at point-of-care (POC) can all be improved with barcode reading and scanning.

How Do Barcodes Work?  

Barcodes work by encoding numbers into a pattern of vertical bars, dots, or boxes. Linear, or one-dimensional (1D), barcodes use a single row of vertical bars arranged in a specific pattern, while two-dimensional (2D) barcodes (often referenced as QR Codes) are made of a matrix of dots and boxes that can be scanned omnidirectionally—or in two dimensions—to display information. It can seem impossible to decode information in a barcode, but laser scanners and image scanners alike can quickly "read" the information by either sending a laser across the barcode or capturing an image of it. Image scanners and readers capture an image of the barcode then translate the pattern into alphanumeric information. Because of this, all barcodes must have a certain amount of contrast between the code’s pattern and background so the light can reflect properly. This is why barcodes are often printed in black against a white background. If a barcode doesn’t have sufficient contrast with its background, the risk of a read error is increased. To ensure readability, contrast and reflectance must be considered just like in 1D barcodes. Readability is checked during barcode verification tests.

History of the Barcode

The barcode has become a fixture in everyday life, but it hasn’t always been that way. Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver invented the barcode in 1949 to streamline the customer experience at checkout and improve inventory management. The barcode structure was based on Morse code, with thick and thin bars arranged in specific patterns to represent numbers zero through nine. The Universal Product Code (UPC) was fully adopted for standard use in 1973, and the first barcode was scanned on a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum in an Ohio supermarket. For now, the UPC remains the standard for retail products.

In 1987, the 2D barcode was invented. The first 2D barcode was called “Code 49” and had the appearance of a box of layered linear barcodes. Since then, the 2D barcode has evolved from Code 49 to the QR Code, GS1 DataMatrix, and many others that can hold more information than linear codes.

Historical photo of grocery store checkout

Where Does GS1 US Fit Into the Timeline

GS1 US® is a global standards organization that was formed in 1974 when grocery stores moved to create the Uniform Code Council (UCC) to ensure barcodes were consistent across the industry. GS1 US was established to help organizations uniquely identify products, assets, locations, and more with barcodes that can be used globally. The ability to track your barcodes anywhere in the world can help you more easily manage your supply chain so you know where products are each step of the way until they’re in your customers’ hands. In addition to providing barcode services, GS1 US is also an expert across various industry standards, so our team can help ensure your barcodes meet requirements.

The Present and Future of the Barcode With GS1 US 

Today, GS1 US sets the standards for barcodes in North America that work seamlessly with additional international standards. We’ve established these standards to prevent duplication of product, location, and asset identification codes. With many linear and 2D barcode options, our mission is to continue providing a system of standards across more than 25 industries. In response to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), GS1 US sees opportunities to leverage 2D barcodes at both point-of-sale and at point-of-care. This shift to 2D barcodes will allow organizations to:

  • Improve inventory management 
  • Enhance recall readiness 
  • Provide greater sustainability and ethical sourcing 
  • Offer better authentication 
  • Create greater brand trust 

Why Is GS1 US the Globally Trusted Barcode Provider?  

GS1 US offers unique barcodes that can be tracked globally. Whether you’re using barcodes for products, locations, services, or individual identification, GS1 US makes it easy to monitor your barcodes with GS1 US Data Hub®. GS1 US Data Hub is a centralized platform to store product, location, and company information for your business and for your trading partners. Our standards ensure every organization that registers a barcode with us has a code that won’t be duplicated or replicated anywhere in the world. Major enterprises like Amazon and other online marketplaces rely heavily on GS1 US for barcodes to ensure sellers meet standards for their retail products. For instance, even an Amazon product barcode (UPC barcode) is sequenced for each item’s variations. Meaning a size small T-shirt sold in three colors with the same design will have three barcodes assigned to it. GS1 US makes it easier to move your products through every step of the supply chain, no matter the size of your business.  

GS1 US: More Than Just Barcodes 

In addition to providing barcode standards and registration, GS1 US also offers services to assist with inventory management, RFID implementation, and food and drug safety. GS1 US can help you understand standards for implementing an RFID system in your warehouse to streamline inventory management processes. RFID technology can also be used to track employee movement, to monitor patient traffic throughout a hospital or care facility in the healthcare industry, and with food and drug suppliers for precise traceability. GS1 US can help you implement your RFID system and provide your company with education and support to enhance your operations.

Create, Manage, and Generate a Barcode With GS1 US Data Hub

GS1 US Data Hub is your one-stop shop to create, manage, and view your barcodes. You can create barcodes or generate barcodes for all your needs. Once you’ve created your barcodes, assign them to products and locations. Data Hub makes improving inventory management, increasing visibility, and fulfilling retailer requirements easy. You can also search for and verify retailers, products, locations, and company data anywhere. From barcode creation to verification, GS1 US Data Hub is an excellent way to ensure you have the information you need to do business globally.

Small business owner packaging products

Learn More and Get Your Barcode 

Whether you’re a small online business or a global enterprise, barcodes are essential to managing what you do. You can learn more about the role barcodes will play in your company by reading about the different parts and types of barcodes as well as the function of each. Government regulations in the food and drug industries require barcode standards to be met, and GS1 US standards will ensure that you’re covered on this front. 

Get in touch with a member of our team to get started with GS1 US. We’ll help you get set up with GS1 US Data Hub, where you can create, register, and manage your barcodes. Whether you’re looking for a UPC, Global Trade Item Number® (GTIN®), or EAN®, etc., our resources will help ensure your codes meet industry standards. Start with GS1 US today to make sure your barcodes serve your business in the U.S. and internationally.

Get Your UPC Barcodes From GS1 US

Scale Up With a GS1 Company Prefix

A GS1 Company Prefix allows businesses to get multiple barcodes at a single time, as well as identify locations, mixed cases, create coupons, and create higher levels of packaging like a case or pallet.

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Start Small With a GS1 US GTIN

Barcodes issued by GS1 US uniquely identify a single retail product online and in retail stores around the world. If you have only a few products that need barcodes, this might be the most cost-effective option for your company.

Get a GTIN
GS1 Company Prefix Pricing
Number of items needing a barcode/GTIN**Initial feeAnnual renewal fee
1 GS1 US GTIN$30None
10$250$50
100$750$150
1,000$2,500$500
10,000$6,500$1,300
100,000$10,500$2,100
GS1 Company Prefix including U.S. FDA NDC Labeler Code. $2,100$2,100

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