The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a barcode standard used to identify retail products. UPC codes were created by the Uniform Code Council to speed up checkout processes and improve inventory tracking for retailers. A UPC code contains the manufacturer's identification number, item number, and check digit. It allows stores to look up product prices when scanned but does not encode the price directly. Coupon codes have a different numbering system that allows stores to validate discounts against specific product families.

8. Example Here Coke’s manufacture ID is 049000. However, if you look at can of Coke of 2-litre bottle, you will find that the UPC code is much shorter which is of only eight digits.

9. Example The bar code for a 2-litre bottle of Sprite. The short bar codes are called zero-suppressed numbers .

12. E xample Above is an example of a pharmaceutical bar-code (number system 3) .This is a 4-ounce bottle of Selsun blue anti-dandruff shampoo

14. Coupon Code Cont… Here is the code from a box Post Honey Nut Shredded Wheat.

15. . Coupon Code Cont … The coupon’s bar code starts with a 5 to indicate that it is a coupon.

22. REFERENCES: http://www.azalea.com/UPC/UPC_checkdigit.html -- Calculating the UPC barcode check digit http://www.barcode-us.com/info_center/upc.htm -- The Barcode FAQ http://www.barcoderesource.com/barcodesymbology.shtml -- Barcode symbology descriptions http://www.upcdatabase.com/ -- UPC code database http://www.google.com/ -- just type UPC code in the search window http://www.gs1us.org/ -- The only US authority to assign UPC numbers http://www.laurerupc.com/ -- Site of the inventor of the UPC code

23. Thank you