What Happens After You Buy a UPC or EAN Barcode? A Simple, Accurate Guide
After you purchase a UPC or EAN barcode, the next steps are often much simpler than people expect. One of the biggest misconceptions about barcodes is the belief that there is a single global or regional database where all products are officially registered. In reality, no such comprehensive database exists.
There Is No Universal Barcode Database
Public lookup websites are hobbyist-run platforms. While they are well designed and useful for casual lookups, they contain only a small fraction of active barcodes and products. Because these sites are open to public submissions, the data may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate.
Barcode systems were never designed to rely on a single global registry. Instead, they function through retailer-specific inventory systems.
How Barcode “Registration” Really Works
The true barcode registration process is far less formal than most people anticipate. In practice, it is a relationship between you and your retailers, not a centralized authority.
When you purchase UPC or EAN barcodes from Nationwide Barcode, you receive:
- A transfer of ownership/certificate of authenticity
- An Excel spreadsheet containing all purchased barcode numbers
- UPC and EAN barcode graphics
This spreadsheet allows you to track which barcode is assigned to each product. Barcode assignment is entirely up to you—there is no governing body dictating which number must be used for which item.
Assigning Barcodes to Products
As you prepare to sell a product, you assign one barcode number to that specific item and provide the product details to your retailer.
If your product has variations—such as size, color, design, style, or quantity—each variation must have its own unique barcode. This is essential for accurate inventory tracking and point-of-sale scanning.
Many businesses use the provided spreadsheet as their internal barcode management system to ensure consistency across sales channels.
How Retailers Use Your Barcode
Once the retailer receives your product information, they enter it into their inventory management system, which is linked to their electronic point-of-sale (POS) system.
Here’s how the process works:
- You provide the retailer with the product description, price, and barcode number.
- The retailer enters the data into their database, including initial inventory and reorder quantities.
- When a customer purchases the item:
- The barcode is scanned at checkout.
- The POS system queries the inventory database.
- Pricing and product data are returned to the register.
- Inventory levels are automatically reduced.
This process is the same whether the retailer is a small local shop or a large platform like Amazon.
Why There Is No Centralized Barcode Authority
Every retailer operates within a closed inventory system tailored to their own accounting and logistics software. No retailer relies on an external master barcode database.
Between UPCs (primarily used in the U.S. and Canada) and EANs (used across Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa), there are billions of potential barcode numbers. While not every number series is used—and some ranges are reserved for internal purposes or coupons—the scale is enormous. Managing a universal database of this size would be impractical and unnecessary.
Instead, each retailer manages only the barcode data relevant to their own inventory.
Optional Online Product Visibility
Customers who purchase from Nationwide Barcode may optionally sign up at UPCBarcodes.com for a 30-day $1.00 trial. This service allows you to associate your UPC with product information that is distributed through indexed data feeds to Google and Bing, improving online visibility and search recognition.
Special Note for Musicians and Video Producers
For music and video products, SoundScan registration is optional. It is not required for barcode functionality but may be useful depending on distribution and reporting needs.
Key Takeaway
Barcodes are not governed by a central registry. Their effectiveness comes from retailer acceptance and internal inventory systems, not public databases. Once you understand this, managing UPCs
