EAN-13
Name: EAN-13
Also known as: GTIN-13, Retail Barcode, European Article Number
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 13 digits
Purpose: Identifying unique retail products at the point of sale
European Article Numbers (EAN barcodes) comprise 13 digits. They are used worldwide on all retail products except books and magazines. They are the most widely used barcodes globally, except in the USA and Canada, where UPC-A (Universal Product Code) barcodes are more common. In the UK, the EAN-13 is probably the barcode you need if you want to stock products in a retail store.
Each EAN-13 is product-specific and encoded into a barcode image. This means that when the barcode is scanned into store systems, the retailer records price and inventory data related to your product. A different EAN-13 number, therefore, is required for each unique product.
UPC-A
Name: UPC-A
Also known as: Universal Product Code, Retail Barcode, GTIN-12
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 12 digits
Purpose: Identifying unique retail products at the point of sale
12-digit UPC Barcodes are used predominantly in the USA and Canada on all retail products, except for books and magazines. UPC barcodes predate EAN-13 codes and started appearing in stores in the USA in the 1970s. If you are selling in the US or Canada, you likely want to use a UPC-A code rather than an EAN-13 code.
EAN-8
Name: EAN-8
Also known as: European Article Number 8
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 8 digits
Purpose: Used for small products that cannot fit an EAN-13
A smaller globally unique barcode intended for VERY SMALL products – difficult to obtain and only available from GS1 (a membership organisation). EAN-8 barcodes are only eight digits long, so there are a limited number of them, and GS1 guards them carefully. To obtain these, you need to submit proof that your product is very small and wait to see if GS1 approves it.
ITF-14
Example of a GTIN-14 (in ITF-14 Format)
Name: ITF-14
Also known as: TUN, Carton Code, GTIN-14
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 14 digits
Purpose: This is a carton code. Retailers use it to streamline their inward goods.
ITF-14 Carton Codes are created from EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes. They are only used in warehouses on cartons containing a specific quantity of the product the barcode represents. These codes are not for products that are sold individually at a retail level. For example, a case of wine sold as a single unit would need a retail barcode. You may need an ITF-14 code if you have a shipping carton full of wine bottles taken out and sold individually after they arrive at the shop.
ISBN
Name: ISBN
Also known as: Book Barcode, International Standard Book Number, ISBN Barcode
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 13 digits
Purpose: For selling books at the retail level
International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) are unique numbers assigned to a book. ISBNs start with 978 and are distributed by ISBN agencies in each country (see isbn-international.org/agency). You can also obtain them through independent publishing agencies such as bookisbn.org.uk, which serve self-publishing authors.
ISBN Barcodes are barcodes generated based on an ISBN. Each book has a unique ISBN, so no two ISBN barcodes are the same, allowing retailers to track each book when stocking and selling it easily.
ISSN
Name: ISSN
Also known as: International Standard Serial Number, Magazine Barcode, ISSN Barcode
Encodable digits: 0-9
Length: 13 digits plus 2- or 5-digit supplement
Purpose: ISSN barcodes are for magazines being sold at the checkout
Magazine barcodes are called ISSN barcodes, based on a unique ISSN number assigned to each magazine. If you intend to publish and sell a magazine, you will need an ISSN number obtained from the ISSN International Centre. Once you have your number, a barcode company such as ours can convert it into a unique 13-digit retail barcode.
Code 39
Name: Code 39
Also known as: Alpha 39, USD-3, Type-39, Code 3-9
Encodable digits: Alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols
Length: Variable
Purpose: Asset labels, name badges, membership cards, etc. Any closed system that needs unique identifiers
Code 39 barcodes are used for internal unique numbering. This makes them appropriate for asset labelling, membership cards, library books or any other internal item that needs to be tracked or managed. No one regulates the uniqueness of these barcodes (unlike retail barcodes), so they cannot be used outside a closed system. Code 39 barcodes have low data density, meaning each character takes up many bars and spaces. Due to this, these codes are not suited to very long strings of characters.
Code 128
Name: Code 128
Also known as: No alternative names
Encodable digits: All ASCII characters (128 characters)
Length: Variable
Purpose: Like Code 39 barcodes, these codes can be used for asset labels, name badges, membership cards, etc. Any closed system that needs unique identifiers
Code 128 barcodes are very similar to Code 39 in that they are unregulated codes suited for internal use. The main difference is that Code 128 has higher data density (more characters can be encoded in a smaller space) and can contain any ASCII character, not just alphanumeric characters and some symbols.
Code 11
Name: Code 11
Also known as: USD-8
Encodable digits: 0-9 and – (dash)
Length: Variable
Purpose: Primarily used in telecommunications
Code 11 barcodes are relatively simple, with a limited range of encodable digits. They are high-density, which means each character doesn’t take up much space. Telecom companies most often use Code 11 barcodes to identify equipment and other important business assets.
Code 93
Name: Code 93
Also known as: USS Code 93, USS 93, Code 9/3
Encodable digits: The same as Code 39, so alphanumeric characters plus some special symbols
Length: Variable
Purpose: Internal use (like Code 39 and 128)
The Code 93 barcode is an updated version of Code 39, with more efficient encoding, more reliable scanning and a greater variety of characters. It has the same uses as Code 39, and Canada Post uses Code 93 for internal use.
GS1-128
Name: GS1-128
Also known as: UCC-128, EAN-128
Encodable digits: Numeric characters
Length: Variable, even number of characters preferred
Purpose: Can encode an enormous variety of details about a product shipment
The GS1-128 is a subset of the Code-128 barcodes mentioned above. However, these GS1 barcodes include only numbers, unlike the regular 128 codes. They can encode various product details, such as expiry date, packaging date, batch number, net weight, and more. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1-128 for details.
SSCC
Name: SSCC
Also known as: Serial Shipping Container Code
Encodable digits: Numeric
Length: 18 digits
Purpose: Used on the tertiary level of shipping (pallets, etc.), these codes communicate the company and shipment number
Serial Shipping Container Codes communicate which company a container, pallet, or outer carton came from. These are different from ITF-14 container codes because they cover a shipment with several different products (and therefore EAN-13 codes), unlike ITF-14 codes, which are matched 1:1 with EAN codes. These SSCC codes are iterated by one for each order, so a retailer’s inwards goods will know they are receiving the 20th shipment from Generic Company (for example).
Codabar
Name: Codabar
Also known as: Codeabar, Ames Code, Code 2 of 7, Monarch, USD-4
Encodable Digits: Numeric digits and some special symbols
Length: Variable
Purpose: Used for asset tracking, e.g. library books; the Codabar can function even on suboptimal printing material
Codabar is a somewhat outdated barcode used in some older internal inventory systems, such as libraries. These codes are designed to function even when printed on low-quality paper or created with a mechanical printer (typewriter). It is similar to Code 39 but less versatile in what it can contain.
QR Code
Name: QR Code
Also known as: Quick Response Code, Matrix Barcode
Encodable digits: Alphanumeric and symbols
Length: Variable; more characters = more complex code
Purpose: Commonly used to encode a website URL; QR codes are extremely versatile and can contain almost anything
QR Codes have become a common feature of marketing, advertising, and digital communication, storing information through a physical object (the code). These barcodes can store more data than traditional 2D codes and are easy to scan with a smartphone.