The EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes are the most widely used for trade item identification.
The encoded GTIN comprises the following:
- GS1 Company Prefix – issued by the GS1 Member Organisations (these are established in over 100 countries, but more cover than 140 countries directly) to a user company.
- Item reference – assigned by the user company, without introducing any classification. Each item will receive a different item reference, according to the variations of model, colour, size, fragrance, weight, presentation, etc.
- Check Digit – ensuring the integrity of the number, it is calculated according to the GS1 Check Digit Algorithm
Remember that while the GTIN has a structure to enable it to be created correctly, the complete number has no meaning (i.e. it has no significance) and cannot be decoded to reveal any meaning without access to a database.
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