Barcodes can be used to save you time and money
Check Digit Calculator
This Check Digit Calculator is provided as a free service by Barcode Solutions Online. If you require further assistance using the check digit calculator or the barcode type you want to use is not listed then please contact us for assistance.
Ordering a bar code for the first time
Ordering bar codes for the first time can be a difficult task. For the most part, obtaining the right number for the right retailer is your first step. There are bar code membership companies who offer to register you with a bar code number and there are companies who will sell you a bar code number. Once you have decided on where your product is being distributed, you can then become a registered member or use our buy a bar code number for a simpler solution. Which process you use really depends on which retailer is selling your products.
It is most common for small businesses starting up to Buy a Bar code number from a supplier and get back to the printer with the barcode image supplied. The next step is to make sure you make a bar code in the correct size for your style of packaging. For bar code labels paper you can generally get away with smaller size bar codes but when you are printing on cardboard, plastic, glass or metal, it is highly recommended to use larger ones. The size of the bar code is expressed by what is called Magnification. A standard EAN/UCC barcode can be ordered in approximately sixteen diffferent sizes. The most common sizes ordered are 80%, 90% and 100% Magnification for label printing.
For bar codes that are printed on plastic, cardboard, metal, glass you are better off using a magnification of 110% or greater. Unless you can verify your printer is confident he has done extensive testing on printed bar codes using different types of materials then the larger bar code is always safer to use. Bar codes can be verified and tested to measure the loss or gain from the printing process. This is called Bar code verification. There are also a number of other problems that may go wrong with printed bar codes. Bar codes can also suffer other problems like truncation where the bars of the bar code have been shortened. This can also cause scanning problems as there are less bars to verify.
Simply by printing the bar code in a larger size makes it easier to see, easier for the checkout operator to scan and find on the packaging and causes less problems.
Bar codes reveal origin of product by what is called the "Application Identifier"
One of the easiest ways to find out the origin of a product is to check the first three digits of the bar code. China is coded 690, for example.
| 00-13: USA & Canada | 20-29: In-Store Functions | 30-37: France |
| 40-44: Germany | 45: Japan (also 49) | 46: Russian Federation |
| 471: Taiwan | 474: Estonia | 475: Latvia |
| 477: Lithuania | 479: Sri Lanka | 480: Philippines |
| 482: Ukraine | 484: Moldova | 485: Armenia |
| 486: Georgia | 487: Kazakhstan | 489: Hong Kong |
| 49: Japan (JAN-13) | 50: United Kingdom | 520: Greece |
| 528: Lebanon | 529: Cyprus | 531: Macedonia |
| 535: Malta | 539: Ireland | 54: Belgium & Luxembourg |
| 560: Portugal | 569: Iceland | 57: Denmark |
| 590: Poland | 594: Romania | 599: Hungary |
| 600 & 601: South Africa | 609: Mauritius | 611: Morocco |
| 613: Algeria | 619: Tunisia | 622: Egypt |
| 625: Jordan | 626: Iran | 64: Finland |
| 690-692: China | 70: Norway | 729: Israel |
| 73: Sweden | 740: Guatemala | 741: El Salvador |
| 742: Honduras | 743: Nicaragua | 744: Costa Rica |
| 746: Dominican Republic | 750: Mexico | 759: Venezuela |
| 76: Switzerland | 770: Colombia | 773: Uruguay |
| 775: Peru | 777: Bolivia | 779: Argentina |
| 780: Chile | 784: Paraguay | 785: Peru |
| 786: Ecuador | 789: Brazil | 80 - 83: Italy |
| 84: Spain | 850: Cuba | 858: Slovakia |
| 859: Czech Republic | 860: Yugoslavia | 869: Turkey |
| 87: Netherlands | 880: South Korea | 885: Thailand |
| 888: Singapore | 890: India | 893: Vietnam |
| 899: Indonesia | 90 & 91: Austria | 93: Australia |
| 94: New Zealand | 955: Malaysia | 977: International Standard Serial Number for Periodicals (ISSN) |
| 978: International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN) | 979: International Standard Music Number (ISMN) | 980: Refund receipts |
| 981 & 982: Common Currency Coupons | 99: Couponss |
Powdered milk goes into many other products such as hotdogs and sausages, cereals, and a baby formula, where the country of origin may not be as apparent.
Just an interesting aside, the number standard for books (978), music (979) and periodicals (977) is not coded by country. These bar code numbers simply register the type of product.