Universal product codes -- UPCs -- are the 12-digit numbers that appear under the barcodes on many U.S. products. They are given out by GS1 US, a nonprofit group that sets standards for ...

UPC barcodes are a 12-digit UPCA or a 6-digit UPCE code. UPCA codes are used on standard size labels or packages. UPCE codes are a condensed version of a UPCA code, used when the size of a package ...

As BizFluent reports, items so small that they can’t accommodate a lengthy 12-digit barcode use UPC-E barcodes, which consolidate category, manufacturer, and product information into just six ...

The black bars and 12-digit numbers transformed retail industries around the world. RALEIGH, N.C ... Click the video player above to see Laurer and UPC codes in action.

Laurer was an electrical engineer with IBM in the early 1970s when he spearheaded the development of the UPC, or bar code, which helped retailers reduce pricing errors and keep track of inventory.