number used to identify a product. Translated into bar codes consisting of a series of vertical parallel bars, the UPC can be used for scan entry, by an electronic cash register, of information for product sales and inventory tracking.
number used to identify a product. Translated into bar codes consisting of a series of vertical parallel bars, the UPC can be used for scan entry, by an electronic cash register, of information for product sales and inventory tracking, newsstand wholesalers use the UPC code to record magazine returns; each code identifies the magazine title and issue. Grocers and other retailers use the UPC code to identify products and prices and to maintain a record of goods sold.
The code is assigned by the Uniform Code Council (UCC), in Dayton, Ohio, upon receipt of an application from a manufacturer. The first six digits are the same for all of the manufacturer's products and represent the name of the manufacturer; they are assigned by the UCC. The next five digits refer to the product itself and are assigned by the manufacturer to the product of his choice. Retailers use this portion of the code to reference a computerized table of prices when the UPC code is entered to an electronic cash register. The correct price is automatically pulled from the tableand recorded on the register. The last digit of the UPC code is a check digit.
