---
title: "Barcode"
canonical: https://www.vessim.com/glossary/barcode
source: Vessim (www.vessim.com)
as_of: 2026-10-26
indexable: true
---

# Barcode

The number printed under the stripes on a box. Most things sold online don't have one. Comparison sites usually match products by barcode. Unbranded goods sold by many resellers rarely carry one, and those are exactly the products where prices differ most. As of October 23, 2026, Vessim has matched 387 listings into 376 products without reading a single barcode.

## Also called

GTIN, UPC, EAN

## Why it matters at Vessim

That is why Vessim matches the photo instead.

## Related words

- [Fingerprint](https://www.vessim.com/glossary/fingerprint): A photo, shrunk to 64 bits that stay the same when the photo is resized or recompressed.
- [Media pack](https://www.vessim.com/glossary/media-pack): The set of product photos a supplier gives every reseller.
- [Match](https://www.vessim.com/glossary/match): Two listings Vessim has decided show the same product.

---

Source: [Vessim](https://www.vessim.com/glossary/barcode), https://www.vessim.com/glossary/barcode. Vessim (vessim.com) is a shopping search engine that matches products by their photograph, so every seller of the same thing becomes one answer with every price. Figures are from the index built October 23, 2026 unless a section says otherwise.