Class Series 2 Programmer’s Manual  279 
 
Appendix O 
 
 
UPC-A and EAN-13: Variable Price/Weight Bar Codes 
 
The EAN/UPC standard allows for an additional checksum to be generated in the middle of 
the bar code based on the data. This is used when the price or weight of an item is 
embedded into the bar code data (commonly used in the food industry). 
 
For the printer to generate this checksum, a “V” must be placed in the data stream in the 
position the checksum is requested. If the “V” is placed in the 6th position for UPC-A or the 
7th position for EAN-13, a checksum will be generated using the next five digits in the data 
stream. If the “V” is placed in the 7th position for UPC-A or the 8th position for EAN-13, a 
checksum will be generated using the next four digits in the data stream. The checksum is 
generated per the EAN/UPC bar code standard. 
 
 
Examples: 
 
1B110000200020012345V01199 
 
Prints the UPC-A bar code with the variable price checksum in the sixth position. 
 
 
1B1100002000200123456V0150 
 
Prints the UPC-A bar code with the variable price checksum in the seventh position. 
 
 
1F1100002000200123456V01199 
 
Prints the EAN-13 bar code with the variable price checksum in the seventh position. 
 
 
1F11000020002001234567V0150 
 
Prints the EAN-13 bar code with the variable price checksum in the eighth position.