>An estimated 10 billion barcodes are scanned globally, every day, according to GS1, the organisation that oversees UPC and QR code standards.
GS1 are the ultimate gate keeping monopoly. They provide numbers as a service.
Most retailers like Amazon require you to have a GS1-issued barcode number on your product, and so you need to pay GS1 annually for the right to use a particular number. You can see the pricing here:
GS1 are the ultimate gate keeping monopoly. They provide numbers as a service.
Most retailers like Amazon require you to have a GS1-issued barcode number on your product, and so you need to pay GS1 annually for the right to use a particular number. You can see the pricing here:
https://www.gs1us.org/upcs-barcodes-prefixes/how-to-get-a-up...
That's $250 upfront and $50/year for the right to use 10 numbers. What a business.
They get away with it by being a (tax-exempt) non-profit.
According to ProPublica, the CEO of the US division (Robert Carpenter) earned US$3.3 million in 2022.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362...