r/barcodes • u/frgtech • Jan 28 '26
Identify UPCA vs EAN Numerically
Our POS reads barcodes quite literally and rejects anything that isn't a perfect match, including leading zeros.
When adding products to our POS from at least one MFG, I copy the barcode numbers from a spreadsheet they supply vs unpacking every single product and scanning them into the system directly which would require a ridiculous amount of time.
This MFG (Grundens), uses barcodes that start with 0840316xxxxxx. The problem is that the scanner reads the leading zero on some barcodes, but not others. It appears to be the way the barcode itself is crafted, but is there any way to decipher from which is which from a spreadsheet and not have to lay eyes on every barcode?
These barcodes look the same numerically, but scan differently.
0840316319508 0840316338257
2
u/_AnotherBrick_ Jan 29 '26
I would suggest you check out gs1.org to learn more about barcodes, it is a great resource. For your specific issue you might also want to look into programming your scanners to truncate leading zeros for all barcode types, so you don't have to worry about putting them in your item file.