In short: A barcode is a number a machine can read. Your cashier software links it to name, price and stock, so every scan becomes a correct sale and a more accurate count.
In this guide
A barcode is the set of black lines on almost every product, but in your shop it is more than that: the fastest way to tie every sale to the right item, price and stock level. Here is what retail barcodes are, the types you will see, how they are read, and how to start even if half your items lack one.
What a barcode is
A barcode is a number written in a form machines can read. The black bars and white spaces come in different widths, and each pattern stands for a digit. When a scanner or camera passes over the bars, it turns them back into the number usually printed underneath.
The key point: a barcode does not contain the price or the product name. It is just a number. Your cashier software links that number to the item's name, price and quantity. That is why two shops can sell the same product with the same barcode at two different prices.
Retail barcodes at a glance
The types you will meet in a Jordanian shop, and what each one means for you:
| Type | What it looks like | Where you see it | What matters to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | 13 digits under the bars | Most packaged goods in Jordan and the region | Usually starts with 625 when the number was registered with GS1 Jordan |
| UPC-A | 12 digits | Imported American products | Any modern scanner reads it just like EAN-13 |
| EAN-8 | 8 digits | Very small packs such as gum | Scans like any barcode, only shorter |
| GS1 DataBar | A short, dense strip | Some packed produce and coupons in other markets | Check your scanner reads it if your goods carry it |
| Code 128 | Letters and digits, any length | In-store, warehouse and shipping labels | Good for barcodes you print yourself for unbarcoded items |
| QR code | A square, not bars | JoFotara receipts, links and café menus | Read by a phone camera or a 2D scanner, not a linear scanner |
Why barcodes change how your shop runs
- Speed: scanning takes a second, searching by name can take ten.
- Accuracy: no price mistakes, because nobody typed the price.
- Correct stock: every scan deducts the right item, not one that looks like it.
- Faster stock counts: scan and type the quantity instead of hunting through a long list.
- Shorter training: a new cashier can sell on day one without memorising prices.
How to get started
Start with items that carry a factory barcode, which is most of what a grocery, supermarket or cosmetics shop sells. Scan each item once and enter its name, selling price and cost price, and it is saved. From then on, a scan is all it takes. Say a grocery receives a case of 24 juice boxes: the owner scans one box, enters a sale price of 0.450 JOD and a cost of 0.320 JOD, and from then on every box sells at the right price and comes off stock.
Do not try to enter the whole shop in one day. Begin with your top sellers and add the rest as you sell: whenever an unregistered item comes through, register it. If your supplier gave you an item list in Excel, import it in one go. And for supermarkets, Ghalleh carries about 388 ready packaged items with their company logos and barcodes.
Common barcode mistakes
- One barcode on two different items: the cashier sells the wrong one, and both stock counts go off.
- A new pack size under the old barcode: every pack size has its own barcode, so the big and small bottles are two items.
- A price that was never updated: the supplier raises the cost, the old price stays in the system, and you sell at a loss without knowing.
- Faint or folded labels: the scanner cannot read them, or misreads them. Check that the number on screen matches the printed one before you save.
Items without a barcode
Fruit and vegetables, bread, perfumes filled in the shop, clothing and single pieces all need a solution. You have two options. Print an in-store barcode label for each item and stick it on, which suits clothing and accessories. Or add the item as a quick button on the sales screen, which suits bread and produce. In Ghalleh you pick items on the barcode labels screen, and Ghalleh gives any item without a barcode an internal number and prints its label on the shop's printer.
With clothing, watch sizes and colours: every size and colour needs its own barcode, or you will never know whether the large blue shirt has sold out or is still on the rail. And if you make a product that other shops will sell, an in-store barcode is not enough: read our guide to getting barcodes for your products in Jordan.
Phone camera or barcode scanner?
A phone camera is enough for a small or medium shop, especially with continuous scanning that reads items one after another without tapping a button. In a supermarket with a long queue, a USB or Bluetooth scanner is faster, because the cashier passes the item over it without aiming a phone.
Ghalleh reads barcodes both ways: continuous scanning with the phone camera, and USB or Bluetooth scanners on phones, tablets and PCs. You start with the camera and add a scanner when the counter gets busier. Our guide to using a price scanner in retail walks through the setup.
Common questions
What is a barcode and how is it used?
A barcode is a pattern of bars representing a number unique to a product. It is scanned at the till with a scanner or phone camera, and the cashier software recognises the item, applies its price and deducts it from stock.
What are retail barcodes?
Retail barcodes are the standard product numbers printed on packaging, mostly EAN-13 (13 digits) and UPC-A (12 digits), issued through GS1 so every product has a number of its own. Shops scan them at the till to find the item and its price.
Does a barcode show the country of origin?
Not necessarily. The first digits of an EAN-13 barcode show which GS1 office registered the number, not where the product was made. Products registered through GS1 Jordan usually start with 625.
Do I need a barcode scanner for my shop?
Not at first. A phone camera is enough for a small or medium shop. When customers increase and the queue gets longer, a USB or Bluetooth scanner is faster at the counter.