How to use a mobile phone barcode reader to cut your shopping bill

The humble barcode isn’t very exciting, but did you know that its zebra stripes can now be understood by mobile phones and help you save money?

You probably don’t need to buy a new mobile phone either, because if your phone has a camera and access to the internet then you’re well on your way to tracking down the best prices for everything from books and beans to DVDs to duvets.

What is a barcode scanner app?

To scan a barcode using your mobile phone the device only needs three things:

1. A camera
2. A 3G or wi-fi wireless internet connection
3. A barcode scanner app - the most popular include ScanLife, QuickScanner and Scan&Shop. Most can be downloaded for free from the iPhone App Store, BlackBerry App World and Android Market.

Imagine you’re in a bookshop mulling over the purchase of a rather expensive hardback. Simply whip out your mobile phone, open your barcode scanner app and - following the app’s instructions - take a picture of the book’s barcode.

The clever app will then detangle the barcode’s seemingly meaningless lines and search the internet to find the best price for that book. This could be from an online retailer, such as Amazon, or another high-street bookshop just down the road.

Armed with this information you could discover that the book varies widely in price between shops, but you’ll be confident that you always pay the lowest price.

Anything with a barcode can be scanned, so you really can compare deals for absolutely anything.

QR codes: The next step in mobile barcode scanners?

Barcode scanner apps have already become so popular that a new and more advanced form - known as “QR codes” - has since arrived that helps you do more than simply find the cheapest deal.

QR codes measure roughly 1in by 1in and look like squares of black and white dots. They are usually found on posters, magazines, business cards and promotional leaflets, but can be read by mobile phone in exactly the same way as ordinary barcodes.

For example, posters for Hollywood movies often have QR codes on which, when scanned, download a video trailer or free cinema ticket onto your phone.

QR codes are also often used to promote:

• Special offers - supermarkets increasingly use QR codes to promote buy-one-get-one-free deals
• New bands - a free track download could be loaded onto your phone when you scan the latest band’s QR code
• Apps - download an app directly onto your phone simply by scanning its QR code.

QR codes are also increasingly being printed onto business cards so that their contact details are automatically integrated into your address book.

The best barcode reader phones

Whether you want to find the best deal or download a video trailer, you can scan ordinary barcodes and QR codes with these phones:

C3(grey) £49.90

0 min 0 texts

£0.00

iPhone 4 (16GB)(black) £0.00

200 min Unlimited texts

£18.50

Curve 3G(black) £99.90

0 min 0 texts

£0.00

Wildfire(brown) £0.00

500 min 5000 texts

£28.00

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