Turn the raw contents of driver's licenses, ID cards, passports, boarding passes and GS1 supply chain barcodes into labeled fields. barKoder's built-in parsers run on the device, inside the same SDK that scans the barcode, so your app gets names, dates, numbers and product data without writing its own parsing code.
A barcode reader returns a string. A barcode data parser tells your app what that string means: which part is the date of birth, the expiry date, the batch number or the flight. barKoder ships these parsers with the SDK and returns their output as labeled fields with each scan.
Parses the PDF417 barcode on the back of North American licenses and ID cards, following the AAMVA DL/ID Card Design Standard from v1.0.0 to v10.0. It covers all U.S. states and most Canadian provinces, handles fixed and optional data groups and validates check digits and formatting.
Fields you can map
Decrypts and parses the ultra-dense PDF417 on South African driving licenses, which holds up to 720 bytes, and can return the holder's photo. Two options of the same parser read the Smart ID card and the vehicle license disc.
Fields you can map
Reads and parses the Machine Readable Zone defined by ICAO Document 9303, in the TD1, TD2, TD3 and MRV formats. It validates check digits and formatting and works offline. MRZ needs a license key with MRZ enabled.
Fields you can map
Splits GS1-formatted data into labeled Application Identifier fields, following the GS1 General Specifications v24. It recognizes GS1 data in Data Matrix, QR Code and 1D symbologies, and handles fixed- and variable-length AIs.
Fields you can map
Parses boarding pass barcodes into structured data: the mandatory header and flight leg data, the variable and security sections, and baggage-related fields. It tolerates small irregularities found in real boarding passes and can report parsing warnings.
Fields you can map
The SA ID and vehicle license disc parsers are options of the SA DL Parser, documented for Android, iOS and six cross-platform frameworks. The BCBP parser runs on every barKoder platform and framework, with step-by-step examples for Android and iOS.
Reading the barcode and interpreting its contents are two steps. barKoder does both on the device and returns the parsed fields with the scan result.
| Mode | Value | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Disabled | 0 | Keeps the raw result. This is the default. |
| Automatic | 1 | Detects whether the result is parsable and parses it if so. |
| GS1 | 2 | Uses the GS1 parser. |
| AAMVA | 3 | Uses the AAMVA parser. |
| SADL | 4 | Uses the South African driver's license parser. |
| BCBP | 5 | Uses the Bar Coded Boarding Pass parser. |
Turn on the decoder for the barcode, set the formatting mode and read the parsed fields from the result. These snippets are copied from the barKoder documentation.
Web SDK: parse AAMVA driver's license data.
Barkoder.setFormatting(Barkoder.constants.Formatting.AAMVA);
Web SDK: read the parsed South African license fields after a scan.
//access the parsed result
let SADL_ParsedData = JSON.parse(result.formattedJSON);
Python SDK: the same AAMVA parsing on a server or in a script.
formatting = BarkoderSDK.constants["Formatting"]["AAMVA"];
BarkoderSDK.setFormatting(formatting);
Android: parse boarding passes.
bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig().formattingType = Barkoder.FormattingType.BCBP;
iOS: the same parser.
guard let config = barkoderView.config else { return }
guard let decoderConfig = config.decoderConfig else { return }
decoderConfig.formatting = BCBP
Android: South African license, Smart ID and license disc parsing.
// Enable PDF417 symbology and South African Driving License parser
bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig().PDF417.enabled = true;
bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig().formattingType = Barkoder.FormattingType.SADL;
// Parsers for data in South African IDs and South African Vehicle License Discs
Barkoder.SetCustomOption(bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig(), "SADL_decode_ID" , 1);
Barkoder.SetCustomOption(bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig(), "SADL_decode_vehicle_disk", 1);
For MRZ, enable the ID document decoder instead of a formatting mode. Follow the Web MRZ example, the Android MRZ example or the iOS MRZ example. GS1 output can be tuned with the strict_gs1_rules and gs1_format_decimal_places custom options.
Product teams in ID verification, rental, fleet and logistics usually need more than one document type. One SDK covers them all, so you add documents without adding vendors.
| Workflow | What users scan | Parser |
|---|---|---|
| ID verification, KYC and onboarding | Passports, national ID cards, driver's licenses | MRZ Parser, AAMVA Parser, SA DL Parser |
| Car rental, car sharing and fleet | Driver's licenses at check-in, South African vehicle license discs | AAMVA Parser, SA DL Parser with the license disc option, plus VIN scanning for the vehicle |
| Logistics, warehousing and retail | Shipping labels, cases, pallets and product packaging | GS1 Parser for GTIN, SSCC, batch and expiry |
| Pharma and healthcare | UDI and serialized packs, ID documents at patient onboarding | GS1 Parser, MRZ Parser and AAMVA Parser for onboarding |
| Travel, airlines and hospitality | Boarding passes, passports at check-in | BCBP parser, MRZ Parser |
| Access control, events and visitor management | ID cards, licenses, passports | MRZ Parser, AAMVA Parser, SA DL Parser |
Teams that use barKoder to turn licenses, ID documents and license discs into fields their systems can use.
Decoding, decryption and parsing run locally. The SDK goes online only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it doesn't store any personal information retrieved from scanning a barcode. Your application decides what it keeps.
Verified credentials
Certified information security management built around internationally recognized controls.
Official Solution Provider supporting standards-based barcode and data-capture workflows.
Solution Provider listing covering barcode, mobile application and 2D barcode capabilities.
Discover the barKoder Web SDK listing and connect through Microsoft Marketplace.
Registered Independent Software Vendor in Zebra's PartnerConnect ecosystem.
The parsers ship with the barKoder SDK, so you set a formatting mode in the native, web or cross-platform SDK you already use. Check each parser's docs for the platforms it documents.
Direct SDKs for mobile, browser, desktop and server environments.
Official integrations for teams building one application across platforms.
Install the free barKoder demo app, or open the web demo, and scan your own barcodes before you integrate the SDK.
iPhone and iPad
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open the App Store.
Android phones and tablets
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open Google Play.
Any modern browser
Runs the Web SDK in your browser, on desktop or mobile, with nothing to install.
Test with known samples. Print or display the testing sheet and scan each 1D and 2D barcode with the demo app. The data sheet summarizes the SDK for your team.
A barcode data parser interprets the decoded contents of a barcode or MRZ according to its standard, such as AAMVA, GS1, ICAO 9303 or IATA BCBP, and returns labeled fields instead of one long string. In barKoder, the parsed barcode data arrives with the scan result as formattedJSON and formattedText. MRZ results arrive in the result’s extra data, as a JSON string and as key/value pairs.
Enable the PDF417 decoder and set the formatting to AAMVA for U.S. and Canadian licenses, or to SADL for South African licenses. Automatic mode detects parsable data for you. Start with the AAMVA Parser or the SA DL Parser, which also covers Smart ID cards and vehicle license discs.
GS1-formatted data in Data Matrix, QR Code and 1D barcodes, with fixed- and variable-length Application Identifiers, following the GS1 General Specifications v24. barKoder also decodes GS1 DataBar and GS1 Composite codes. See the GS1 Parser.
MRZ is supported on every barKoder platform and framework: Android, iOS, the Web SDK, Windows, Linux, Python, C# and the cross-platform plugins. On the web it uses the barkoder-wasm-ocr package, and on Linux the OCR build on 64-bit systems. Every platform needs a license key with MRZ enabled. See the MRZ Scanner SDK.
Yes. Set the formatting to BCBP, or use Automatic mode, which recognizes boarding passes after a lightweight pre-check. The result contains structured passenger, flight and journey data. The parser is available on every barKoder platform and framework. See the Android and iOS examples and the BCBP parser page.
No. Scanning and parsing run locally. The SDK connects to the internet only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it doesn't store personal information retrieved from scans. What happens to the data next is up to your application.
No. Check digits and format checks show that the data was read consistently. They don't establish that the document is authentic or that it belongs to the person presenting it.
barKoder's free online Barcode Generator creates PDF417 barcodes from the data you enter. Use made-up test data, never a real person's details.
Get a free 30-day trial key and test the parsers on the licenses, IDs, passports, boarding passes and GS1 labels your users scan, or talk to an SDK expert about your workflow.
