Postal · server-powered
Deutsche Post Identcode generator.
The Deutsche Post Identcode is a 12-digit barcode that gives a single German mail item its own identity, so it can be followed through Deutsche Post sorting centers from acceptance to delivery. Under the hood it is an Interleaved 2 of 5 symbol with a fixed length and a mandatory check digit. Type 11 or 12 digits and Plume renders the bars along with the grouped text line Deutsche Post prints on labels.
12 digits, German mail item ID.
Standards-based quiet zones are always on. For production packaging, verify a printed sample with a barcode verifier.
Preview
Sample: type to make it yours- Renders on our servers, the one Plume tool that does.
- We keep the code type and content length, never what you encode.
- Free SVG vector + up to 600 DPI PNG, commercial use allowed.
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Valid Deutsche Post Identcode input
Input is digits only, either 11 or 12 of them. The full 12-digit code breaks down as two digits for the origin distribution center, three for the Deutsche Post customer number, six for the individual item number, and one final check digit. If you enter 11 digits, Plume computes the check digit and appends it. If you enter all 12, the tool verifies the last digit and refuses to render a code that would fail at the sorting center.
The check digit uses the Deutsche Post weighting: the 11 data digits are multiplied alternately by 4 and 9 from the left, the products are summed, and the check digit is the amount needed to reach the next multiple of 10. Because the symbology is Interleaved 2 of 5, digits are encoded in pairs, which is why the finished symbol always carries an even count of 12.
Working sample: 563102430313 the placeholder 563102430313 is a complete 12-digit Identcode whose final 3 is the valid check digit for the first 11 digits
Where Deutsche Post Identcode is used
- Item labels for tracked Deutsche Post mail, where every piece needs its own serial number
- Bulk mailing runs that generate a unique Identcode per envelope from a customer number and a running counter
- Dispatch stations that reprint a damaged Identcode label from the number on the manifest
Common errors and how to fix them
- Deutsche Post Identcode must be 11 or 12 digits
- Count your digits. Plume strips pasted spaces and hyphens for you, but the dots that appear on printed labels are kept and inflate the length, so paste the plain number. Enter exactly 11 digits to have the check digit added for you, or exactly 12.
- Deutsche Post Identcode must contain only digits
- Remove letters and punctuation. The dots and spaces in the printed line, such as 56.310 243.031 3, are display formatting and never belong in the encoded data.
- Incorrect Deutsche Post Identcode check digit provided
- Your 12th digit does not match the 4 and 9 weighted checksum of the first 11. Fix the typo in the source number, or drop the last digit and let the tool compute the correct one.
- Enter the content to encode.
- The data field is empty. Paste or type the Identcode number and the live preview renders right away.
Size and printing
An Identcode always encodes exactly 12 digits, so the symbol has a fixed bar count and its printed width scales linearly with the module width you set in millimeters. Interleaved 2 of 5 needs clear quiet zones of about ten module widths on each side, so leave white space in the label layout instead of butting text against the bars. For thermal label printing, export the free SVG so the bars stay crisp at any scale, or raise the PNG resolution up to 600 DPI and avoid resizing the raster afterwards; the print presets cover common physical sizes.
Deutsche Post Identcode questions
What is a Deutsche Post Identcode?
It is a 12-digit tracking barcode Deutsche Post uses to identify one specific mail item. Two digits name the origin distribution center, three the customer, six the item itself, and the last digit is a checksum.
How is the Identcode check digit calculated?
Multiply the 11 data digits alternately by 4 and 9 starting from the leftmost, add the products, and take the difference to the next multiple of 10. Plume does this automatically when you enter 11 digits and validates it when you enter 12.
What barcode symbology does Identcode use?
Interleaved 2 of 5. Deutsche Post adds a fixed 12-digit length, its 4 and 9 weighted check digit, and a grouped human-readable line under the bars.
Is the Identcode the same as the Leitcode?
No. The Identcode says which item this is, while the Leitcode says where it is going. They share the digit-only symbology and the checksum method but differ in length and meaning.