Can a supplier buy the UPC bar code number anywhere else?
No, not in the U.S. The Uniform Code Council is the exclusive privately held non-profit, tax-exempt organization that assigns all UPC numbers to all US manufacturers. No one else can sell or broker a UPC number. According to the UCC, a UPC number cannot be rented, leased, or further sub-divided. To obtain a bar code, you will need to become a member of the Uniform Code Council, pay the $750 minimum fee, plus a fee based on your company’s revenue, and wait for an information packet to be sent to you. See the Uniform Code Council web Site. According to the UCC Site (at the time of this writing), you should allow up to 14 business days from the time they receive your completed application and payment. This UPC identification number can then be encoded into a UPC-A or EAN-12 bar code symbol and be printed on your retail product packaging. The retail bar code format is currently referred to as UPC-A. There are also many other types of bar codes and uses for a bar code, though this page disc
