What types of barcodes are used in the Netherlands?
Retail Barcodes:
The main type of retail barcode used in the Netherlands is the EAN-13 barcode. These barcodes are globally unique and 13 digits long. EAN stands for ‘European Article Number’. EAN-13 barcodes are the main type of retail barcode used in the Netherlands, Europe, and most parts of the world – they are widely used everywhere (except in the USA and Canada where the 12 digit UPC-A barcode is more common for retail products – although EAN-13 barcodes work fine in USA/Canada too).
EAN-13 barcodes are suitable for use on all retail products except books and magazines/serials. Books and magazines/serials also use the same 13 digit EAN-13 barcode symbology as other retail products, however the encoded barcode number is either an ISBN Number (for books) or an ISSN number (for magazines). ISBN numbers are 13 digits long, and are assigned by the ISBN Agency in the Netherlands. ISSN numbers are 8 digits long and are assigned for the ISSN Agency in the Netherlands. To turn 8 digit ISSN numbers into 13 digit long EAN-13 barcode numbers a ‘977’ is added to the front of the ISSN number, the 8th digit (a check digit) is removed, 2 digits (usually “00”) is added to the end, and finally the check digit (13th digit) is recalculated.
Other Barcodes:
Barcodes for delivery cartons are usually ITF-14 Carton codes, which are based on the retail product’s EAN-13 barcode number, but are changed slightly (by adding an extra digit to the front of them & changing the last digit of them). ITF-14 barcodes are used by retailers to keep track of stock – when it is scanned an ITF-14 barcode tells a retailer exactly what retail product is in the box and how many units of that retail product are in the box. ITF-14 carton codes are only scanned for inventory/stock-keeping purposes (they are not scanned at the checkout counter).
QR Codes are square shaped barcodes that usually encode a URL. When scanned with a smart-phone QR code scanner app they direct the user to a target website or webpage. Some QR codes encode other information instead, e.g. business card contact information or event details. The content of a QR code can never change (it will always encode the same information or URL). If the target URL might change in the future, then we recommend getting a ‘Dynamic QR code‘ (instead of a normal static QR code).
Barcodes that are used for asset tracking, library books, or membership cards in the Netherlands are usually code-128 or code-39 barcodes. These barcodes are usually created based on a series of sequential numbers and are used by large companies for asset tracking, loyalty points cards, or membership cards.
Buy Barcodes in the Netherlands – https://barcodenederland.nl/
Where to Buy Barcodes Internationally
Below are some members of the International Barcodes Network:
Netherlands – barcodenederland.nl
Germany – barcodedeutschland.de
Thailand – barcodesthailand.com
United Kingdom – buybarcodes.co.uk or barcode1.co.uk
India – indiabarcodes.com
France – codesabarres.fr
Austria – barcodeoesterreich.at
Czech – barcodes.cz
Philippines – barcodes.ph
Ghana – barcodesghana.com
Luxembourg – codesabarres.lu
Zambia – barcodeszambia.com
Malaysia – barcodesmalaysia.com
Belgium – codesabarres.be
Switzerland – barcodeschweiz.ch
Uganda – barcodesuganda.com
Sudan – sudanbarcodes.com
Yemen – yemenbarcodes.com
Worldwide – internationalbarcodes.com
To see a full list of the members visit the International Barcodes Network website.