--- title: 🔍 Understanding & Decoding Random Weight Barcodes description: Learn how to decode and set up random weight barcodes for both pre-packed supplier items and in-store deli scale items. --- [Skip to content](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#main-content) [![FNET Logo](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/fnet_logo_isolated-1.png?width=50&height=50&name=fnet_logo_isolated-1.png)](https://www.futurenet.com.au) Open main navigation Close main navigation How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Future Net Help & Support](https://help.futurenet.com.au/?hsLang=en-au) 2. [Inventory](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au) 3. [Item Maintenance](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#item-maintenance) 16 June 2025 # 🔍 Understanding & Decoding Random Weight Barcodes **📚 *This is a longer article. If you’d like to skip to a specific section, you can jump ahead using the links below:*** #### 🧠 [Detailed Explanation](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#Detailed-Explanation) #### ** #### ✂️ [Simple Explanation](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#Simple-Explanation) #### 🏪 [In-Store Deli Printed Items](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#Ranom-Weight-Barcodes-Deli) #### 📝 [Takeaway Notes](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#Takeaway-notes) Random weight barcodes link an item to its price based on weight, allowing the price to adjust automatically as the weight changes. These barcodes come in a few different formats to suit various suppliers and product types — especially useful for higher-value or variable-weight items. In this article, we’ll walk through an example and explain how to set up random weight barcodes for two common cases: - **Pre-packed supplier items**, and - **In-store deli items** (for stores using a deli scale). ### 🏷️ Random Weight Barcodes (Externally Supplied Pre-Packed Items) This section includes **two explanation styles** to suit your preference: - A **detailed explanation** for those who want to fully understand how these barcodes work - A **simple explanation** for quick setup guidance 👉 *If you’d prefer to skip the details, jump to the* [**Simple Explanation**](https://help.futurenet.com.au/understanding-decoding-random-weight-barcodes#Simple-Explanation) *section.* --- ### 🧠 Detailed Explanation When trying to understand how random weight barcodes work, the best approach is to compare **two identical products** that have **different prices**. We’re decoding the barcode to figure out **which portion stays the same**, so we can correctly match the item in your system and ensure it scans with the correct price. The easiest way to do this is to compare **two of the exact same product** that have **different prices**. #### Example Let’s say you have two packs of **Biltong Sticks**: ![Billtong sticks](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/KB%20Media/Billtong%20sticks.png?width=606&height=267&name=Billtong%20sticks.png) | Product | Price | Barcode | | --- | --- | --- | | Left | $19.44 | `2700187719447` | | Right | $93.23 | `2700187993236` |  If you look closely at the barcodes, you’ll see some numbers are the same and others are different — especially near the end, where the **price is embedded**.   Let's break this down:   #### Step 1: Line up the barcodes **2700187719447**   **2700187993236** #### Step 2: Break the barcode into sections We can break each barcode into logical chunks to isolate what stays the same: **27 | 00187 | 7 | 1944 | 7**   **27 | 00187 | 9 | 9323 | 6** **Here's what each section means:** - `27` → Prefix (identifies this as a random weight barcode — one of several possible prefixes) - `00187` → **PLU number** (represents the product — same for both) - `7 / 9` → **Internal use** - `1944 / 9323` → **Price** - `7 / 6` → **Check digit** (automatically calculated by the system) #### Step 3: Writing the APN Now that you know which part stays the same (`2700187`), you can construct the APN for your system: **2700187000000** Replace the changing price portion with six zeroes. This allows the register scanner to use the full barcode to calculate the price dynamically at checkout. 💡 **Why zeroes at the end?** Adding six zeroes tells the system to pull the price from the last digits of the barcode. This is essential for random weight items. #### Step 4: Enter the APN Enter the APN in the **Details tab** under the APN section. The system may add a check digit at the end (e.g. `27001870000005`) — **this is expected** and won’t affect scanning. ![BARCODE APN](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/KB%20Media/BARCODE%20APN.png?width=368&height=119&name=BARCODE%20APN.png) ✅ Once done, send the item to the registers and test to confirm it scans correctly. Now that you understand how the barcode works behind the scenes, let’s move on to the **Simple Explanation** — a quicker way to get your APN set up without the deep dive. --- ### ✂️ Simple Explanation Here’s a quick way to add random weight barcodes to your item setup: 1. **Grab 3 of the exact same item** with different prices *Example: `2700187719447`, `2700187993236`, and `2700187608502`* 2. **Look at all 3 barcodes and find how many digits match before the first difference** *Example: `2700187` is the same on all 3 barcodes* 3. **Use those matching digits**, then add enough **zeros (`0`) to make the barcode 13 digits long** *Example: `2700187000000` → 7 matching digits + 6 zeroes = 13 digits* 4. **Enter this into the APN field** in the item details *(Don’t worry about the number that gets added at the end — that’s the check digit)* ![Barcodes APN 2](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/KB%20Media/Barcodes%20APN%202.png?width=358&height=120&name=Barcodes%20APN%202.png) ✅ Once done, send the item to the registers and test to confirm it scans correctly. --- ### 🏪 In-Store Deli Printed Items Now that you understand how random weight barcodes work, setting them up for your **in-store deli scales** is extremely simple. All in-store random weight barcodes use the barcode identifier **prefix `02`**. This is used *only* for in-store deli printing — suppliers will not use this format — so we always know to start with `02` when creating the barcode. It’s also worth noting that when creating the PLU for deli items, it’s best to keep it to **5 digits or fewer**. Most scales and barcode systems expect this length. 👉 *For a more detailed explanation on setting up deli items, see:* [Creating Deli Scale Items](https://help.futurenet.com.au/creating-deli-scale-items?hsLang=en-au) #### Example The items PLU is: `102` Since this PLU only has 3 digits, we’ll add **two leading zeroes** to make it 5 digits: → `00102` Next, we add the prefix `02`, giving us: → `0200102` To complete the 13-digit barcode, we add **six zeroes** to the end: → `0200102000000` #### Barcode Formula To summarise, here’s the formula used for deli items: **02** | *5-digit PLU* | *6 × 0’s* Example result: `0200102000000` This is what it looks like when entered into the **APN field**: ![Barcode APN 3](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/KB%20Media/Barcode%20APN%203.png?width=381&height=116&name=Barcode%20APN%203.png) 🔍 **Note:** The system may strip the first `0` and add a digit to the end — this is a **check digit** and is expected. It does **not** mean the APN was entered incorrectly. Once the APN is added, send the item to the **registers** and your **deli scales**, then print a label and scan it to test. ✅ If it doesn’t scan, it likely wasn’t sent to the scale with the APN attached. --- ### 📝 Takeaway Notes - Random weight barcodes can be tricky to understand — we hope this article helped! If you're still unsure or your barcode doesn’t scan, please submit a ticket in our [support portal](https://help.futurenet.com.au/support?hsLang=en-au). - In the first example, the price was represented by **4 digits** in the barcode. This means the maximum value the item can reach is **$99.99**. If you need an item to exceed this, please submit a ticket in our [support portal](https://help.futurenet.com.au/support?hsLang=en-au). - In both examples (the pre-packed and in-store deli items), we used barcode prefixes like **‘27’** and **‘02’**. These are just two of many possible **barcode identifiers (prefixes)**. Others might include **‘20’, ‘22’, ‘24’,** or **‘29’** — often used to avoid barcode conflicts across suppliers or to allow more room for pricing data. If a barcode isn’t scanning, the **prefix may need to be registered** with the system — please submit a ticket in our [support portal](https://help.futurenet.com.au/support?hsLang=en-au). - Even if a deli item is sold *by the each*, you still need to create a random weight barcode. 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