anybody know how the scanned code is translated into the price that the customers pay?

Answer 1

Bar codes do not give the price of an item. The bar code is a 12-digit number that identifies the name of the manufacturer (first 6 digits) and the code of the specific item being scanned (next 5 digits) and a check digit (last digit) which, through a mathematical procedure, assures the first 11 digits were entered correctly.

When the bar code is scanned, the computer looks up the item in the store's database and applies the current price.

Here is a site that explains the process in more detail with pictures.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/upc.htm

Answer 2

The scanned "bar code" just goes in to the vender's data bank. Then several things can happen, such as price matching and inventory control. Some systems can even re-order stock from the collected information. Our system is quite complicated due that we are a large dealer/distributor and have several price levels. They are keyed off of the bar code from the OEM and from the code on our in house stickers.

Answer 3

each item has an idenity, the barcode label is made up of both black and white bars, both of which go into the idenity of the item. Management supplys the $ for the item in a store's computer system (beware different stores of even the same chain can have identical barcodes proced differently). Once the scanner reads the barcode of black and white bars (binary language to computers) it searches its database and bingo here is the price.