Frequently Asked Questions about Barcodes

If you are researching barcode numbers on the internet you may come across websites offering you barcodes at a very cheap one-off rate. These operators are not part of the GS1 network and are not authorised to sell GS1 numbers. In fact the numbers may be rejected by retailers and major online ecommerce sites.

GS1 standards improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors

A "GTIN" or Global Trade Item Number is the official term for a barcode number - the code that uniquely identifies a product or service. A GTIN is built up from a GS1 Company Prefix (GCP) to create a full barcode number.

There are is an annual licence fee for a barcode whish is charged pro-rata throughout the calendar year (Jan - Sept).

An introduction to the seven groups of GS1 barcode symbols, how they are used and their print specifications.

There are global guidelines on the target size, height and width for each type of barcode symbol.

Get a Global Location Number (GLN) to identify your company in EDI messages such as electronic invoices and orders. GLNs are used as an EDI mailbox number.

Selling on a retail website or online platform such as Amazon, ebay or Google Shopping? Get an EAN, UPC or GTIN code to identify your product for the seller.