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Barcodes
Barcodes and Tracking
Numbers
The COSS Spec 03 document details, for customers, the barcode and tracking
number specification for all of Royal Mails trackable services.
It specifically covers barcode fonts and the check digit algorithm.
This specification must be used with the relevant accompanying specifications
for customers wishing to interface their systems with Royal Mail services.
Version 1.1
Page 1 of 8
Contents
1 Document Control ................................................................
................................................................................................
......................................................................................
...................................................... 3
1.1 Terms and abbreviations ........................................................................................................3
1.2 Document author and document location..........................................................................3
1.3 Version history...........................................................................................................................3
1.4 Document review and distribution .......................................................................................3
1.5 Document approval and sign-off ..........................................................................................3
2 Overview ................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
......................................................................
...................................... 4
3 Barcode Production ................................................................
................................................................................................
...................................................................................
................................................... 5
3.1 Number Ranges (Formatting)................................................................................................5
3.2 Number Ranges (Testing).......................................................................................................6
3.3 Number Ranges (General Maintenance) .............................................................................6
3.4 Barcode Standards ...................................................................................................................7
3.5 Modulus 11 Check Digit Algorithm.......................................................................................7
Page 2 of 8
1 Document Control
1.1 Terms and abbreviations
Term
Meaning
BIG
COSS
RMGTT
TODS
Simon Dodd
Date
Author
Notes
0.1
09/05/2013
Simon Dodd
1.0
14/06/2013
Simon Dodd
1.1
21/06/2013
Simon Dodd
Recipient name
Role/Position &
Department
0.1
20/05/2013
Sharon Palmer
Special Delivery
Guaranteed
13/06/2013
0.1
20/05/2013
Tony Boyle
Local Collect
13/06/2013
0.1
20/05/2013
Mark Sherborne
Parcels
13/06/2013
0.1
20/05/2013
Robert X Woods
International
13/06/2013
0.1
20/05/2013
Tim Bowles
Tracked
13/06/2013
0.1
20/05/2013
Nancy Tolhurst
13/06/2013
Approval date
Name
Role/Position/Business unit
1.1
21/06/2013
Tony Utting
Page 3 of 8
2 Overview
Royal Mail contract customers using barcoded services can develop their own systems to
produce appropriate barcode labels directly from their own systems. These labels must
adhere to a high quality of readability and follow specific guidelines for content, colour and
layout. The customer system must also create the appropriate despatch documentation
needed for collection of the parcels. The customer system may also need to interface with
Royal Mail systems if electronic data needs to be shared for reporting purposes, or if
collection data is a pre-requisite of the service used.
This guide specifically focuses on barcode generation, providing a detailed
explanation on the check digit algorithm and our barcode standards. It also
provides test tracking number ranges for Royal Mail barcoded services.
Customers wishing to develop or implement a system to produce barcode labels should
gain agreement from Royal Mail before commencing work. Labels produced are subject to
approval by Royal Mail before being used, and live barcode number ranges will not be
issued before this approval is given. Further sample labels will also need to be submitted
to Royal Mail periodically for quality checks.
Note that following approval, any changes or additions to the outputs relating to Royal
Mail despatches will also need to be discussed and validated before implementation. This
includes the addition of new services.
Customers should address initial enquiries regarding development of systems for these
purposes to their account handler.
Page 4 of 8
3 Barcode Production
3.1 Number Ranges (Formatting)
(Formatting)
Royal Mail barcode numbers are in the form of a 13 alphanumeric sequence. Customers
who use their own systems to create the shipping barcodes, the following numbering
scheme is to be used
AANNNNNNNN
AANNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNAA (e.g. FF07062188
FF070621885
070621885GB)
Key
Represents
AA
Product Prefix
Two alpha characters part of the allocated number range for each service.
For test purposes, the prefix TT is issued, but live number ranges may be assigned
any 2 letter prefix.
Note: These prefixes may be different for each service and each subsequent issue of
additional range.
NNNNNNNN
Item Identifier
An eight-digit number that is unique within each range prefix. Part of the allocated
number range, and should be assigned sequentially.
Note: Different ranges will be issued for each service and each subsequent issue of
additional range.
AA
Check Digit
You will need to calculate this
this modulus 11 check digit for which the algorithm
is specified in section 3.5.
3.5.
Country of Origin Code
There is only one code a UK customer can use: GB = Great Britain
Page 5 of 8
Range total
100
100
Tracked 48 No Sig
Tracked 48 Signature
TT32220901
TT322209010
22209010GB
TT32
TT327209011
209011GB
TT32221000
TT322210004
22210004GB
TT32721000
TT327210006
10006GB
100
100
TT42220901
TT422209012
22209012GB
TT42
TT427209014
209014GB
TT42221000
TT422210007
22210007GB
TT42721000
10009
TT4272
10009GB
100
100
TT52220901
TT522209015
22209015GB
TT52
TT527209017
209017GB
TT52221000
TT522210000
22210000GB
TT52721000
10001
TT5272
10001GB
100
100
TT62220901
TT622209018
22209018GB
TT62
TT627209010
209010GB
TT62221000
TT622210002
22210002GB
TT6272
210004
TT627
10004GB
100
100
TT72220901
TT722209015
22209015GB
TT72
TT727209012
209012GB
TT72221000
TT722210005
22210005GB
TT72721000
10007
TT7272
10007GB
100
100
TT82220901
TT822209013
22209013GB
TT82
TT827209015
209015GB
TT82221000
TT822210008
22210008GB
TT82721000
10000
TT8272
10000GB
100
100
The test ranges and live ranges will carry different prefixes as well as different numerical
elements, so the prefixes should not be hard coded.
Page 6 of 8
exhausted.
Ranges issued must not be reused, but must be replaced when exhausted
Royal Mail will provide new number ranges when required, and additional sample labels
will need to be validated before each new number range is issued. For this reason, new
ranges should be requested well in advance of previous ranges becoming exhausted.
FF
Coded
in B
Change
Character
To subset
C
07062188
Numerics
coded in C
Change
Character
To subset
B
GB
128 Check
Royal Mail
numeric check
digit coded in B
Origin text
coded in
B
Code 128
modulus 103
check digit.
Stop
Character
Coded in B.
Page 7 of 8
Each digit is multiplied by its related weighting, and the 8 results added together.
This total is then divided by 11 and the remainder recorded.
The check digit is the result of subtracting this remainder from 11.
If the remainder is 0 or 1, then the result from the subtraction will be 11 or 10.
10 As
there is only room for a single digit, these cannot be used. In these cases, a check digit
of 11 will be substituted with a 5, and a check digit of 10 will be substituted with a 0.
The check digit algorithm will always be performed against all 8 digits in the tracking
number. The prefix and suffix elements are not include in the calculation.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE:
LE:
Original Item Identifier: FF07062188
FF07062188*
07062188*GB (* is the check digit)
Original Digit:
0
7
0
6
2
1
8
Weight:
8
6
4
2
3
5
9
Result:
0
42
0
12
6
5
72
Total:
7
56
193
FF0706
FF07062188
070621885
21885GB
Page 8 of 8