Use UPCs in Point of Sale

Bar Codes & Scanners | Item Identifiers

Some merchandise comes from the vendor pre-tagged with UPC (Universal Product Code) bar codes. If you record those UPCs in inventory, you can scan the UPC bar codes to list the items on documents.

The UPC field on an item record can be used to record UPC-E, UPC-A, EAN, or similar identifiers up to 18 digits. Point of Sale will convert UPC formats of less than 13 digits (such as UPC-A and UPC-E) to a 13-digit form using a standard conversion algorithm.

Every UPC # recorded must be unique and contain only numbers. UPCs can be entered on an items record by any of the three methods described below.

Important Note

Bar codes created in Point of Sale are based on the item numbers, not the UPC. Do not scan a Point of Sale-created item number bar code into the item UPC field. Likewise, if a vendor provides alphanumeric bar codes that are not true UPC codes, do not enter those codes into the UPC field. UPC codes have a required format, and other code formats are not accepted. Consider using the Alternate Lookup field for these codes instead.

(Pro) You can use the Print Designer to customize your tags to print the UPC bar code if you prefer.

To record UPCs in inventory:

- Method 1: Scanning

UPC #s can be efficiently and accurately entered by scanning in the UPC bar code on the manufacturer's label. Position the cursor in the UPC field on the item record and scan the tag.

- Method 2: Manual Entry

Refer to the selections below in making manual UPC entries.

Type of code | # of digits | If you enter... | Point of Sale will...
UPC-E | 6 | all 6 digits | expand those 6 to a 13-digit form
UPC-A | 12 | the first 11 digits Example: 12345612345 all 12 digits | add the 12th digit (checksum) & leading zero Example: 0123456123458 add the leading zero
EAN | 13 | all 13 digits | add nothing
Other | <13 | all digits | expand the entry to a 13-digit form, if necessary
Other | >13 | all digits | no change (note: this ability is to support future UPC technologies)

When an item with a defined UPC is listed on a receipt, voucher, memo, or slip, the UPC is recorded on the document. Thus, merchandise can be filtered by UPC when running history reports even if the item has been deleted from inventory.

- Method 3: Transfer from Documents

If you enter a UPC code on a purchase order or receiving voucher, and that UPC code is not already entered in the item record in inventory, Point of Sale will populate the UPC field in inventory with your entry.

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Related Topics

Item identifiers

Alternate lookups