Do the first digits in the bar code indicate the country of origin of the product?

No. The first digits refer to the GS1 Member Organisation which issued the number.  The products themselves may have been produced anywhere in the world.  For example, numbers beginning with 539 have been allocated by GS1 Ireland, but members may not necessarily have manufactured the product in Ireland.

Are the description and price of the item included in the bar code?

In general this is not true.  The bar code represents the number shown below it, which in turn simply identifies the item uniquely.  All the information about a product is held on a computer database.  The only exceptions are the numbers for retail Variable Measure Trade Items and coupon numbers, which include the price of the item or value of the coupon.  GS1 128 bar codes may also be exempt from this rule.

Are the first seven digits of a GTIN the manufacturer's identity number?

No. GS1 Member Organisations allocate Company Prefixes that vary in length between six and ten digits, depending upon a companys needs.

Who is responsible for numbering the products I am selling?

The GS1 Specifications recommend that the brand owner numbers the products, regardless of the country where the products are manufactured or sold.  The brand owner may be either the producer, the distributor or the retailer, depending on agreements in place.

Will the American bar codes (UPC A and UPC E) scan outside the USA?

Yes. The GS1 System was designed around the American UPC System, so the American symbols work perfectly in all GS1 Systems.

Will EAN 13 Symbols scan in the USA?

Yes.  Prior to January 2005 all product exported to North America had to be marked with a UPC A or UPC E symbol as the software for scanning bar codes at the retail point of sale was configured only to read symbols up to a maximum of 12 digits in length.

A project called Sunrise 2005 was set up back in the 1990's to faciliate the upgrade of retail POS systems to handle EAN 13 symbols. As a result of the completion of this project companies may now export product marked with EAN 13 symbols to North America. This means that companies need no longer apply to GS1 Ireland for a separate UPC prefix. As of October 2004 GS1 Ireland ceased to issue new UPC prefixes. All existing users of UPC prefixes are unaffected by this change.

Will my own codes fit into the GS1 Article Number?

No. They are not meant to. The GS1 System is designed especially for open trade and will often be used alongside an internal system.

Do bar codes have to be printed in black on a white background?

No. It is important that the bars appear dark against a light background when lit by the red light which bar code scanners use. Cold colours such as blue, green or black can be used against backgrounds in warm colours like red, orange and yellow, as well as white. It is important to have sufficient contrast between the bars and spaces, so it is vital to check colour combinations with your printer.

Are GS1 bar codes only really suitable for the retail POS?

No. The GS1 System is a totally neutral system that can be used to identify anything that is traded between companies.  Goods are scanned as they leave manufacturers, as they are handled by distributors, at goods inwards at warehouses and depots, for stock counts, order picking and so on. The system is used by companies operating in all trade and industry sectors.

Are the bar codes on outer cases part of a different system?

No. The GS1 System allows for three different bar code symbologies EAN, ITF 14 and GS1 128 to be used. The numbering system is designed to be used for all packaging configurations and the different symbols are used according to information requirements, the scanning environment and the printing materials being used.

Are all bar codes the same?

No. EAN, UPC, ITF-14 and GS1 128 bar codes have a standardised data content, which means they can be used by any company with a GS1 based system and not be confused with any other symbology.  Other bar codes do not have a multi-industry standardised approach to the data they contain and so are only really suitable for use in closed systems.