Archive | Standards

What Exactly is Data Hub & Should My Company Use It?

Although most companies can now manage their GTINs and UPC product data on www.GTIN.cloud, there are other websites available to host UPCs. Included in the licensing of a GS1 Company Prefix is limited access to an online tool, called Data Hub. Data Hub is a suite of tools provided by GS1 US to help improve […]

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Wait a Minute! Not All UPCs Will Work For Amazon?

Amazon now accounts for over 44% of all ecommerce in the US, and is gaining market share in numerous product categories.  Existing manufacturers are constantly rethinking their Amazon strategy and most new manufacturers plan on leveraging Amazon’s dominance in the consumer marketplace. For identifying books and ebooks, Amazon relies on  a 13-digit ISBNs (International Standard […]

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UPC Barcode Frequently Asked Questions

UPC Barcode – Basic Overview UPC barcode numbers are not random numbers chosen by a brand owner, but a string of numbers which adhere to a global standard to enable products to be sold worldwide. To ensure authenticity and to prevent duplicate UPC barcodes from being assigned, the data in a UPC barcode must contain […]

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Who’s Controlling Your Online Product Content?

Every year we assist thousands of companies who are new to UPC identification and barcoding. In most cases these companies are reaching out to us because they know they need to include UPCs on their products but do not really know what that entails or why proper UPC identification is so important. Our professional support […]

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GS1 General Specifications

GS1 has released the latest revision of the GS1 General Specifications Version 17.  The global standards address identification and barcode marking for numerous industries. The vast majority of the retailers follow these specifications.  The Unique Device Identifier requirements for medical devices by the FDA include the identification standards of GS1 US. Changes to the GS1 General […]

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Amazon’s Updated UPC Policy

In May 2016, Amazon quietly made a significant policy change to the Amazon UPC barcode policy: What does the Amazon UPC barcode policy change mean for your company? This requirement impacts not only new suppliers desiring to sell on Amazon but also existing sellers who risk having their account suspended. Suspended sellers not only lose time and […]

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GS1 GTIN Management Standard

The GTIN Allocation Rules are now the GTIN Management Standard. GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) data structures provides the global supply chain solution for the identification of any item that is traded (priced, ordered, invoiced). The new GTIN Management Standard replaces the previous GTIN Allocation Rules.  Manufacturers do NOT have to change any previous GTIN assignments. This […]

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The Evolution of the Coupon Barcode

Companies utilize coupons to expand their business by encouraging spending while sparking the interest of saving.  Coupons have been prevalent in society since the late 1800s, with Coca-Cola creating paper tickets redeemable for a free glass of their beverage. Building off the creation of the UPC barcode in 1974 companies made use of the new […]

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Bar Coding Facts; Getting Your Products Labeled Properly

By, Alan Garton, GS1 US The use of U.P.C barcodes has become a requirement of doing business in most retail and distribution channels.  Retailers generally have the expectation that suppliers will place barcodes on their products and that they will comply with global standards for formatting and accuracy. Needless to say, companies who are asked […]

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