What is an Electronic Product Code (EPC)?
EPC is a unique number based on a global standard for product identification called a global trade item number (GTIN). This number uniquely identifies the manufacturer, brand, product type, unit of measure, etc., and can potentially identify items with serial numbers. The EPC can be associated with data in online databases to provide entities in the supply chain with extensive product and manufacturing information.
A. The EPC is an advanced version of the UPC (Universal Product Code or bar code). Like the UPC, an EPC identifies manufacturer and product style, color and size. The EPC also contains a serial number allowing each item to be uniquely tagged. The EPC is stored in the tags microchip. You will often hear the terms RFID tags and EPC tags used interchangeably. While RFID refers to the technology used to read the tags, EPC refers to the unique item identifier stored on the tags.
An EPC is a unique number that corresponds with an individual product (or container of products). EPCs are embedded in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached to each unit, and with an EPC and a distributed EPCglobal Network, an individual can look up detailed information about a product or package, such as its manufacture date and expiration date.
