Barcode Verification

Barcode verification is a test scan of the barcode as it will be printed on the product packaging. These tests are done on a technical scanning machine that measures how easily and accurately the barcode is likely to scan in a variety of different environments. The report will either come back with a pass grade (A,B,C or D) or a Fail grade (in which case reasons will be given for the failure).

Some retailers require that all barcodes going into their stores have verification reports done on them first. This is to ensure that all of the barcodes in their stores scan easily in order to avoid missed scans and save check-out time. You can get an idea of what stores require verification here. – Verification reports are required by some larger retailers. Often supermarket chains require these.

Our verification reports are done to an internationally accepted standard with the best verification technology. In order to properly adhere to these standards we require that you send us a sample of your barcode on it’s product packaging as it will be printed. Reports take 2-3 days to complete once we receive your packaging, so please allow for this time in addition to the time it will take your packaging to reach us. You can find our address here.

Once we receive your order, we will contact you regarding verifying your barcode.  This will normally take 2-24 hours, depending on the time of day/week that you make the order. Our normal office hours are 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, plus we process some orders on Saturday whenever possible.

Just over 10% of the verification reports that we do are fails. This is usually due to simple common mistakes with the dimensions of the barcode. If you need a barcode verification report please ensure that your barcode adheres to the Standard Barcode Dimensions. It is very important that the barcode adheres to this including sufficiently big quiet zones on either side.

It is always a good idea to check your barcode before sending it to us. You could look at it under a magnifying glass to see if any of the bar lines are fuzzy. If at all possible it is a good idea to test scan the barcode yourself with a handheld scanner before sending it to us. The chances are that if it doesn’t scan well with your scanner, it won’t pass a verification report.

Here you can find detailed information on barcode verification and how to ensure that your barcode scans well.