Barcodes

[-Chris-]

If I produce a product, say for Tescos, and I label it as well, how would it get 'scanned' for the barcode at the checkout?

 

[fisicx]

You buy the barcodes: https://buybarcodes.co.uk/

That was the top Google result, there are loads of providers. Costs vary but they aren't that expensive.

 

[-Chris-]

Thank you, I did wonder how that worked. Are there any particular recommendations from anyone here?

 

[Mr D]

GS1

 

[-Chris-]

Thank you.

 

[-Chris-]

For just one product in 3 sizes (so 3 different prices), for someone just starting out, is GS1 the cheapest?

 

[Mr D]

For just one product in 3 sizes (so 3 different prices), for someone just starting out, is GS1 the cheapest?

Probably better to ask if its useful.

Do you want barcodes that point to a different company?

 

[-Chris-]

It's only one company making the products, then hopefully getting them stacked by a supermarket.

 

[Noah]

In a nutshell (and I am certain there are better-informed barcode people here) be wary of "renting" barcodes. As was hinted above, they are not your barcodes. Using the UK barcode organisation GS1 directly is not expensive and you have ownership of your barcodes and plenty of room for expansion.

[Edit]...and for basic use most commercial label/packaging printers will be able to produce the barcode image for you so additional services of 3rd-party barcode sellers may not be needed.

 

[-Chris-]

Thanks Noah, so a barcode bought through GS1 could be used in any shop in the world?

 

[Deleted member 59730]

GS1 sell you your unique number. You then have a range of many numbers you can use xxxxx1 xxxxx2 etc. You then pay an annual licence fee to keep those numbers. You them ask a barcode supplier to provide you with an .eps file which you drop into your artwork for packaging etc. Or you can buy your own software for about $50.

 

[Noah]

Thanks Noah, so a barcode bought through GS1 could be used in any shop in the world?

More or less. From their Web site : "GS1 is present in over 100 countries and is the official source for company prefixes used to create barcodes for all industries."

 

[paulears]

If I need EANs and barcodes for firms to sell my goods, which are mostly imported - I am extremely wary of using the number that some products ship with - simply because if I sell happily for £30, there is always an idiot selling for £20 - and the EAN assists the online big boys happily showing this product when customers are viewing mine! Barcode Buddy has always been OK with me - but with barcodes you pay and you get? That's it.

 

[-Chris-]

Thank you very much for this input. It's a totally unknown world for me at the moment, so any and all useful input is appreciated.

 

[Total Barcodes]

Hi Chris - if you were to go for a small desktop style label printer, they tend to come with basic label design software, which incorporates the barcode element you speak of.

 

[-Chris-]

Hi Chris - if you were to go for a small desktop style label printer, they tend to come with basic label design software, which incorporates the barcode element you speak of.

Thanks for this, but the labels need to be waterproof. Unless I hear reasons not to, I'll be signing up with GS1.

 

[-Chris-]

Thanks for this, but the labels need to be waterproof. Unless I hear reasons not to, I'll be signing up with GS1.

or, maybe there's another contender, who was mentioned earlier in this thread:
https://buybarcodes.co.uk/why-buy-from-us/
Can anyone here speak from personal experience of being a customer of GSI or BuyBarCodes please?

 

[Mr D]

Yes we buy from GS1

 

[Total Barcodes]

Hi Chris, if you 'buy' the barcodes, you will still need to print them on to a label and apply to your product won't you? You can source labels that are waterproof which can then be printed on by a thermal label printer

 

[Kev2017]

Wow, sorry I cannot assist on this matter, however I plan to learn something new everyday and today is barcode day! Never really paid attention before to how they worked.

 

[Noah]

or, maybe there's another contender, who was mentioned earlier in this thread:
https://buybarcodes.co.uk/why-buy-from-us/
Can anyone here speak from personal experience of being a customer of GSI or BuyBarCodes please?

We're not really a customer of GS1 - it is essentially the registry for barcodes. You may get added benefits dealing with a reseller; I don't know if you actually own the barcodes then, but I believe they are just assigned to you and if you look on the GS1 register that will actually show the name of the reseller - I think, but could be wrong.

As has been pointed out, barcodes are not physical labels - that is a separate thing altogether.

 

[-Chris-]

I paid the 100 odd pounds to GS1 for the barcode a couple of weeks ago, I then downloaded and printed up the barcode (in top dpi quality), took it to my local Tescos to test it, but the scanner was unable to read it? (I tried a few just in case I had a dodgy scanner). Have I missed a certain (important) step please?

 

[fisicx]

It won't work because your barcode isn't in the Tesco inventory.

It's like taking a tin of Tesco baked beans to B&Q and trying to scan it.

 

[-Chris-]

It won't work because your barcode isn't in the Tesco inventory.

Aaah, okay, I thought it was like UK wide thing, but no worries - thanks for that.

One thing though, how can I ensure that the barcode on the labels actually work, before I've ordered the labels?

 

[fisicx]

Don't think you can. But you can buy a barcode reader for next to nothing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-...392841&hash=item1e9f05ce4c:g:EtMAAOSwLsBZXZy3

When you go to sell the product in Tesco you link the barcode to product to the POS/inventory system.

 

[-Chris-]

Don't think you can. But you can buy a barcode reader for next to nothing:

Thanks fisicx, but would a barcode scanner like that bought on ebay for example, tell me if the barcode on my labels should work in Tescos, Sainsburys, Aldi, etc?

 

[fisicx]

You give the supermarket the product details and the EAN number. They add this to their systems. When the customer gets to the POS and scans the product the software connects the scanned number with the inventory DB and returns the product name and price.

All the scanner does is read the number. It's the supermarket software that does all the clever stuff.

 

[-Chris-]

That's appreciated. Thanks. I'm going to go now onto the GS1 site and try to find my EAN. I guess it would be in the account section?

 

[-Chris-]

You give the supermarket the product details and the EAN number.

I am not sure I understand what you mean, EAN is the barcode?

 

[Matthew1982]

The EAN is the number that the barcode image represents.

Basically if a supermarket decides to stock your item they will enter the details on to their stock management database as follows

EAN: 1234567
Brand: Heinz
Product: Tomato Soup
Price: £0.99
Number in stock: 45

When the barcode is scanned at the till all that happens is the computer reads the number and automatically looks it up on the stores database so it knows all the details such as the price and it can adjust stock levels accordingly. If the barcode doesn't scan for any reason the cashier can just type in the number under the barcode manually which gives the exact same result.

The barcode number that you buy from GS1 means that nobody else can register that actual number so you can use your unique barcode in any store.

@fisicx example is a good one and to expand on that, scanning Tesco own brand beans in Asda won't work but if you scanned Heinz beans in both Tesco and Asda it would work because that barcode will have been added to both supermarkets systems.

 

[Raw Rob]

To test barcodes you could try an app for your smartphone, here's one for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.zxing.client.android&hl=en_GB

And once you have bought the barcode numbers, you can create an image of the barcode for free here: https://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/

 

[-Chris-]

Thanks Matthew and Rob.

 

[-Chris-]

Rob, on the barcode scanner via your mobile phone, I've just tried that and it just gives a code?

 

[Raw Rob]

Rob, on the barcode scanner via your mobile phone, I've just tried that and it just gives a code?

What were you expecting? A barcode is just something encoded, specifically an EAN product barcode is a 13 digit number encoded in a way that is easy for a machine to scan. So when you scan an EAN barcode, you should get back the 13 digit number you started with.

 

[-Chris-]

I'd never used one before, so obviously wasn't sure what to expect. I get it now though. Thank you.

 

[-Chris-]

So, I guess if that scanner app can give you the full EAN code, that hopefully means the proof (barcode) is okay before sending it to the printers and so the main shops should have no problems with it?

 

[Raw Rob]

So, I guess if that scanner app can give you the full EAN code, that hopefully means the proof (barcode) is okay before sending it to the printers and so the main shops should have no problems with it?

Yes, exactly. If the number you get out is the same number you started with, all is well.

 

[-Chris-]

Thanks. Cool.

 

[TCK1]

Just want to say that you guys are amazing w/ the helpfulness.
Really appreciate this forum

 

[-Chris-]

Just want to say that you guys are amazing w/ the helpfulness.
Really appreciate this forum

Yep, most of the people here are very good.