Barcodes and You
By: Blaine - 6/27/2014

Today I want to talk about a common misconception with barcodes. Fairly often I get customers calling in who expect that scanning a barcode into their system will automatically populate all relevant data about the product to your system. That's not quote the case, and there's nothing wrong with assuming that. On the surface that's how it looks, someone scans a barcode into the POS system and the computer knows exactly what it is and how much it costs, so its an understandable mistake.

So how do they really work? A barcode is just an ID number. In the case of all the products you find in department stores and retail the codes are UPC codes. These are unique product codes that identify the unit to the system. After it is scanned the POS software takes the ID number that the barcode contains then searches its database for the item information. The item information has already been added to the POS system when it was first keyed in, and the database contains all relevant information on the product. After that, the POS software populates the relevant information in the active cart so you can proceed with the purchase. This all happens in less than half a second typically, and makes for a speedy purchase.

So that's the basic explanation of how barcodes, scanners, and point of sale systems work. Special codes like QR codes can contain more data like product information, or a website address. Many products have QR codes printed on them for customers to scan with their smartphones to obtain information on the product. Those codes are going to become more and more common. If you're a business owner who uses barcodes consider switching to 2D barcode scanners to ensure you're ready for QR codes too.

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Barcodes and You By: Blaine - 6/27/2014

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Barcodes and You
By: Blaine - 6/27/2014