How to Decode a Bar Code
A 12-digit bar code allows you to see the country that assigned the code, the manufacturer and a unique product code. With access to a database of product and manufacturer names, it's easy to decipher any bar code.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Locate the first two or three digits in the bar code. This indicates which country assigned the code. According to morethanyouthink.com, some common country codes are 00 to 13 for USA and Canada, 30 to 37 for France, 400 to 440 for Germany, 45 for Japan, 690 for 692 for China, and 750 for Mexico.
-
2
For a two-digit country code, the next four digits indicate the manufacturer. For a three-digit country code, the next three digits indicate the manufacturer.
-
-
3
The final six digits in a bar code indicate a specific product. For example, somewhereincanada.com states that the numbers 064300 in the bar code 001600064300 is assigned to General Mills' Frosted Cheerios.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
A list of manufacturers can be found at The Global GS1 Electronic Party Information Registry.
According to Snopes.com, it's impossible to tell where a product was manufactured from the bar code. You can tell only which country had the bar code assigned to it. For example, if a U.S .company has a manufacturing plant in China, the bar code may indicate the U.S., not China. Morethanyouthink.com states that one quirk is that books sometimes start with the code 78 (instead of 978) to make room for enough digits for a complete international book number.
