Glossary — Letter N

The thinner bars in a binary level barcode. (See Wide Bar)

Fresh foods and apparel products have different prices in each package; books and magazines, with their enormous number of items and short cycles, also have differing prices. The price information for those products cannot be entered into the store controller. So the sales price is coded directly into the barcode.
A barcode that includes the price is called NON-PLU, because its Price is not Looked Up from the store controller. (See PLU)

The first digit of a UPC code, corresponding to the flag in EAN, is administered as a distinction between industries and uses. It is called the number system code (NS).

NS = 0, 6, 7	Code for source marking of foods and sundries, administered by UCC. Products exported to the U.S. must carry their own UPC maker code within this NS, and must be source marked.
NS = 2	NON-PLU attached to instore marking, such as for measured-out products, etc.
NS = 3	Administered by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Used for NDC (National Drug Code) and HRI (Health Related Item Code).
NS = 4	For instore codes attached to sundries that cannot be source marked.
NS = 5	Used for coupons.