On the surface, a barcode does not make sense to the casual observer. But packed within those undecipherable lines are savings worth millions.

A barcode is an optical tracking device. Companies use barcodes to maintain and transport stock with high precision. It can be a shipload or just a single item -- either way, barcodes track everything in seconds. With that information in hand, you can make decisions without fear of a mistake.

Barcodes come in various formats, and Online Barcode Reader helps make sense of them all.

Why Are There Different Types of Barcodes?

Different industries and applications have come up with their own version of barcodes tailored to their needs. There are 13 major one-dimensional and two-dimensional barcode types.

Remember, QR codes? They are a type of 2D barcode that can hold information in the horizontal and vertical directions. They also carry more information in a smaller space. Now, there are also 3D barcodes where the third-dimension is "color."

Scan Any Barcode With Online Barcode Reader

A barcode is meaningless without the barcode recognition tool in your hand. There are barcode readers available for all mobile platforms, which means you can easily carry one in your pocket. Online Barcode Reader is, as the name says, a web app accessible on mobile devices.

The free online barcode decoder can read and reveal the stored information behind any standard barcode label. It can read a variety of 1D and 2D codes, including QR codes.

  1. Upload an image file with the barcode. Supported file types include: PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, TIF, PDF, and BMP. Alternatively, you can field a URL in the box.
  2. Click Start.

The barcode reader automatically detects the barcode format and type of encoded information (text, URL, etc.) and displays it on the screen.

Other key features include:

  • It's free and you don't need to sign up to use it.
  • Supports common barcode formats: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 39, Code 128, QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF 417 and ITF.
  • Maximum file-size supported is 6 MB.

Barcode Reader is fast and accurate. You can easily bring barcode detection and decoding to your desktop, web and mobile. But do test it out and tell us about its usefulness in the comments.