Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a Barcode?

A barcode is an image used to represent a small amount of information which can then be easily read by a barcode scanner or cell phone app. Barcodes come in many shapes and forms, howeverwh they are mostly seen on retail products for pulling up price and product information at the checkout. In this case the barcode is simply a 12 or 13 digit number encoded as an image. 

What is the Barcoding System?

The barcoding system, created in the 70’s by George Laurer, is a universal system for keeping track of items and prices in inventory systems worldwide. This is now used by almost all retailers worldwide and works under the premise that each barcode is only allocated to one product, therefore in any store there is no chance of a barcode being on two different products. This system incorporates both UPC-A numbers and the superset EAN-13 Numbers.

What Barcodes are Supplied by You?

We supply EAN-13 retail barcodes. These are the barcodes used most commonly on all retail products outside of the USA (with the exception of books and magazines). Our numbers come from the same original system as GS1 numbers, however are now outside of GS1’s control. Therefore we are able to sell these for a one-off cost.

Do I need a Barcode for My Product?

 The short answer is ‘yes’, ‘usually’. – The vast majority of retailers find it much easier if products entering their stores have barcodes on them, many retailers require barcodes. This means that barcodes open the door to retailers and allow you to expand the availability of your product. If you are selling your product in your own store only and have no intentions of selling it elsewhere then you can opt not to use barcodes on your products. You can also label all of the products you stock with non-retail barcode numbers which may be cheaper. This is because if the products are only for your own internal use, they don’t need to be part of the ‘Barcoding System’.

What is the difference between UPC-A and EAN-13 Barcodes?

– Both UPC-A Barcodes and EAN-13 Barcodes are used in retail stores worldwide, however the 12 digit UPC-A codes are most common in the USA whereas the EAN-13 Barcodes are most common in all other countries. As far as the actual encoding goes, these barcodes are very similar, in fact a UPC-A Barcode can be encoded as an EAN-13 barcode by adding a ‘0’ to the front. In this case the image or bars of the barcode will be exactly the same as the UPC-A barcode. Barcode scanners can generally pick up both types of codes easily however it is recommended if your product is going into the USA only (or mainly) that you get a UPC-A Barcode. If your product is selling in any other countries, an EAN-13 barcodes is best.

How Many Barcodes Should I Get?

 It is best practice to get a different barcode for each product or product variation. This is because stores use barcodes for two primary purposes: 1. Barcodes are used for obtaining the price of the product when scanned at the checkout. 2. Barcodes are used for keeping track of stock and deciding when to reorder an item.

This means that if the retailers only use barcodes for option 1, you can get away with having the same barcode for 2 product variations (i.e. different colours of the same product), however if the retailer uses barcodes for option 2 as well, then a different barcode will be required for each product variation.

In general retailers prefer to stock products that will be straight forward to manage. Some retailers may prefer not to stock products if they have to manually count how many are left of each size and reorder accordingly. Therefore it is recommended that you have a different barcode for each variation.

Are your Barcodes suitable for all retail products?

 The only types of retail products that do not use EAN-13 Barcodes are Books and Magazines. All other products use EAN-13 or UPC-A Barcodes – You can purchase there here.

Do Your Barcodes Work in Every Shop?

 Our barcodes are accepted in nearly all stores worldwide, however there are a few exceptions. The only stores to our knowledge that do not accept our barcode numbers are the ‘Super Cheap Retail Group’ and ‘Woolworths Australia Central Branches’ in Australia, ‘Walmart, Sam’s Club, Krogers, Fred Mayers, Macy’s & JC Penney’s’ in the USA and ‘Super Retail Group and Foodstuffs Auckland and Wellington Branches [Only on food products]’. Apart from those stores, we have sold ten’s of thousands of these barcode numbers, and never come across difficulty with other stores.

We can also arrange independently accredited verification reports which means that our barcodes are accepted by more stores than any other retailer

For more information on which stores do not accept our barcode and which require verification reports, please see Barcode Acceptance.

Do You Guarantee That All Shops Will Accept Your Barcode Numbers?

 No we do not guarantee this – No barcode company can guarantee this. Retailers are able to choose their own requirements for barcodes whether or not they make sense. These requirements are also subject to change. However we have sold thousands of barcodes worldwide and are confident that apart from the stores mentioned above, stores will accept our barcode numbers. If you are unsure, feel free to contact us to query particular stores.

Will My Barcodes Have a Company Prefix?

 If you purchase 1 barcode number, then you will not be supplied with a company prefix (no barcode company supplies this). However if you wish to purchase either 10, 100, 1000, or 10,000 barcodes from us we can supply you with a unique company prefix. The length of the company prefix will be dependent upon how many variations are required to make a total of 13 digits. So if you order 10 barcodes your company prefix will be 1 digit longer than if you order 100.

What Data is Encoded into My Barcode?

 A retail barcode is simply a unique number encoded as an image. As such it does not contain any company or product information encoded into it. When the barcode goes into stores, the product information is attached to the barcode in the store’s scanning system so that when the barcode is scanned it links the computer to the associated product information.

How Do I Order a Barcode From Your Company?

 You can order a barcode here. Barcode purchases come with free barcode registration. After you proceed to check-out you can elect to pay by credit card. Once payment has been made, we will email you through your barcode with the images as attached files. If you would like to pay by bank transfer or via another alternate method then please email us. 

What Do I Do Once I Receive My Barcode?

 Once you receive your barcode number with the images as attached files, you can simply incorporate them into your product packaging or have them printed onto adhesive labels. You can resize the barcode before doing this if you wish, however you shouldn’t go too small (an EAN-13 barcode has to be at least 30mm wide and 20mm high). When a retailer receives your barcode and product they will scan the barcode into the system and enter the product information so that when the barcode is scanned after this point the product information will automatically appear.

Will Your Barcodes Work Worldwide?

 Yes they will. We supply EAN-13 Barcodes (which are used worldwide).

Our barcodes are currently being used in the following countries worldwide: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Channel Islands, China, Cook Islands, Curacao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor, England, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong,  India,  Ireland,  Israel,  Italy,  Jamaica,  Japan,  Jersey,  Kiribati,  Kuwait,  Lebanon,  Lithuania,  Malaysia,  Malta,  Mauritius,  Mexico,  Mozambique,  Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Egypt, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Rarotonga, Rwanda, Singapore, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sultanate of Oman,  Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Egypt, Tonga, UAE, Uganda, UK, USA, Vanuatu, Egypt, Wales, Zambia

This list is expanding all the time so please let us know if your country is not on the list and we can check if it is a recent addition. Or, you could be the first.

Why Should I Purchase Barcodes From You?

 We offer affordable legal barcode numbers for a one-off cost. Some of our features include:

1. Cheap Barcodes – getting even cheaper the more you buy

2. No Ongoing fees – the barcodes are sold for a one-off cost so you only pay once

3. Barcode Images Provided – we also provide high resolution (600 dpi) barcode images in 4 different formats (Bitmap, eps, Tiff, Jpeg, and PDF) for your convenience

4. No compulsory membership – These include time consuming forms and money consuming fees

5. Quick Service – you will either receive your barcodes immediately (If you order a retail barcode) or within 12 hours. We can speed up service if you require something urgently.

6. Can provide accredited verification reports – we can provide independently accredited verification reports which means that our barcodes are accepted by more stores than any other reseller.

Please see ‘why buy from us‘ for more information on this. 

Will the Barcode Number I Buy Be Unique?

 Yes, we guarantee that the barcode numbers we sell have never been sold or used before. Our numbers are unique and have originated from the Uniform Code Council (now GS1 US). We provide guarantee certificates which you can use as proof that you own the barcode number. We also have a written guarantee from the company these barcodes have come from that these numbers are for our resale only – the company we get them from is recommended by George Laurer (the inventor of the UPC Barcode). Furthermore, we check our numbers for illegal use on the internet before sale so that you can be sure at the time of sale that no one is using them illegally. 

Will My Barcode Ever Expire?

 No, once you purchase a barcode from us, it is yours for life and you are free to use it how you wish. We have a selection of barcodes that do not require annual fees as they are outside of GS1’s control now. We pass this benefit onto the consumer. 

How Can Barcodes Be Sold For a One-off cost?

In the 1990’s GS1 was established in most parts of the world. They licensed their 13 digit barcode numbers to their members (and as discussed previously charged both membership fees and joining fees). However, there was a separate organisation in the USA – the Uniform Code Council (UCC) – which sold 12 digit barcode numbers to their members for a one-off cost (there were no ongoing license fees). The UCC was effectively competing with GS1. Their 12 digits numbers were effectively a subset of the 13 digit system.

In the late 1990s, the UCC merged with GS1, becoming GS1-US. As part of this change, they decided to start charging annual license fees for all of their members, including those who had paid a one-off fee for barcode numbers in the 1990s. Of course, many of these members weren’t happy with the new annual license fees, and so a group of them ended up in class action law suit with GS1. The members won in the courts in the early 2000s, resulting in a multimillion dollar settlement by GS1. A further consequence of this court case is the proof that the original numbers issued by the UCC in the 1990s are outside of GS1s control now, and hence no license fees are required.  These are the numbers bought by resellers and onsold. They are ‘new’ numbers, in that they have never been used on a retail product, and are part of the GS1 system. 

How Big Should My EAN-13 Barcode Be?

  The official standard size of an EAN-13 barcode is 37.3×25.9mm – This can be officially reduce to 80% of the size (around 20x30mm) or enlarged to 200% the size. It is dependent on the retailer as the whether you can get away with a smaller or bigger size however if you require verification reports then you should adhere to the standards as the barcode will not pass verification otherwise. It is always a good idea to do a test scan of your barcode before sending it to stores. Please see Barcode Dimensions for the official standards. 

Will My Barcodes Be Registered in an Official Database?

 No – there is no up to date official database for barcodes to be registered (neither nationally or internationally). Barcode registration is not required. Instead it is up to resellers and GS1 to ensure that each number is only sold once and up to manufacturers (you) to ensure that each barcode is only allocated to one product. We offer an optional barcode registration service which has various different advantages.  

Who Invented the Barcoding System?

– George Laurer invented the 12 digit UPC-A Barcode system when he was working for IBM. He is supportive of reseller barcode numbers like ours and does not like the way GS1 has decided to restrict entry to the market by charging high fees. 

Why Was the International Barcodes Network Formed?

– The International Barcodes Network was formed in order to increase the availability of reseller barcodes and barcode information worldwide. They do this by providing local offices where local licensees, who know their individual markets, provide reseller barcode numbers for a reasonable price in the client’s native language.

Can I Print My Barcode on a Coloured Background?

 Yes, It is possible to print your barcode in something other than black and white however the scanability of the barcode is depended on there being a good level of contrast between the background and the bars. So, a light yellow barcode on a white back ground would not work well whereas a dark blue on a white back ground would probably scan fine. Again it is a good idea to do a test scan before printing on all of your products. 

What is a Global Location Number (GLN)

– Global location numbers are globally unique numbers which are used by some retailers as a location identifier for suppliers. Please contact us if you require a GLN number.

Listing a Product on Amazon

– To sell your products on Amazon.com you need a barcode number to use as a unique identifier for your product, and our barcode numbers are ideal for this. We have many happy customers using our barcode numbers to sell their products on international Amazon stores including Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de etc. Our barcodes can be used both in online retail stores (such as Amazon, eBay, CD Baby etc), and in physical retail stores worldwide.

Amazon’s system uses 12-digit versions (UPC) without the leading 0 – both versions of the number are the same, and belong to you – but Amazon tends to prefer the 12-digit version at the moment. You may be asked to submit your barcode number dropping the lead 0.

Also, we have been advised by customers that Amazon requires their website address (URL) on the barcodes invoice – so please let us know (when you purchase barcodes or later) that you would like your website address on the invoice/receipt.

IMPORTANT Update from 2020 July

Amazon keeps changing its listing requirements. Currently, the ‘Brand’ field is VERY sensitive for Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and possibly Amazon.com.au

NOTE: Because Amazon keeps changing its listing requirements, we cannot guarantee that our barcodes will be accepted by Amazon.

BUT – there are thousands of products listed on Amazon using our barcode numbers

 

Current requirements

Amazon prefers barcode numbers to come directly from GS1 – they have a preference that their suppliers are current members of GS1. Unfortunately, this is very expensive, especially for smaller manufacturers/businesses – as GS1 charge relatively expensive joining fees, plus recurring fees for the rest of your product life. So GS1 membership is effective for listing on Amazon, but also an expensive option.

As mentioned above, there are thousands of products currently listed on Amazon using our barcodes.

For the latest demonstration of listing on Amazon, please see https://youtu.be/e36o35CLUHY – it shows how crucial the ‘Brand’ field is when listing.

Barcodes on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How do I use my barcode on Amazon?”

If you have products that you want to list on Amazon, you will need barcode numbers for them. Amazon requires a unique barcode number for each individual listing on its websites. Our EAN-13 barcode numbers are perfect for use as “Amazon Barcodes”. Amazon has confirmed that our Amazon barcode numbers are acceptable and meet their standards. We have many customers using our barcode numbers on their products. Our Amazon barcode numbers can also be used on other online shops (eg. eBay, CD Baby or Play.com), and in normal retail stores.

Note: You will need a unique barcode number for each separate listing on Amazon. It is your choice whether to make separate listings for each different variation (size/colour/design) of your product or to just make one general listing for your product & get your customers to specify the size/colour after ordering.

If you prefer your barcode in 12-digit UPC-A format (instead of 13-digit EAN-13 format), that is fine – just let us know when making your order – we can supply these Amazon barcode numbers as either 13-digit EAN13 barcodes or as 12-digit UPC barcodes.

After you make your order, you will receive a unique EAN-13 barcode number(s) via email.

We process orders quickly (instantly for EAN-13 barcodes and carton codes).

After receiving your barcode numbers, you can begin using them immediately: just assign them to your products, and then enter the barcode number into the online form when listing each of your products on Amazon.

Once Amazon has received your listing, they will then also assign their own unique code to your product (this is called an ASIN or Amazon Standard Identification Number).

If you are storing and dispatching the products yourself, you won’t need to put the barcode image onto your product (but you can if you wish to). However, if you are using the Amazon warehousing & dispatch arrangements, you will need to put the barcode image onto your product.

For information on how to successfully list your product with Amazon, watch our video here with a step-by-step guide on how to list products on Amazon. You can also watch our video showing how to list product variations.

You can also refer to our Common Issues customers may face while trying to list on Amazon.

 

12 digit versions (UPC) without a leading:

You might need to enter our barcodes in Amazon’s system as 12 digit versions (UPC) without a leading 0 (e.g. 0712345678901 becomes 712345678901) – both versions of the number are the same, and belong to you – but Amazon possibly prefers the 12 digit version at the moment.

  • Sometimes Amazon asks for proof of the connection between the supplier (you) and the original barcode licensee (as listed on gepir.org) – we can provide our customers with a document demonstrating this chain of proof. Some of our customers have had this accepted by Amazon.
  • It is possible to apply to Amazon for GTIN exemption – this allows the listing of products without a GTIN (barcode) – the process and requirements for this exemption are unclear
  • We have been advised by customers occasionally that Amazon require their website address (URL) on the barcodes invoice invoice – so please let us know (when you purchase barcodes or later) if you would like your website address on the invoice/receipt.
  • Recently (since late 2019), Amazon has tightened up on the ‘brand’ field when listing. They are pushing suppliers to register on the Amazon brand Directory (see below). However, we have been able to list products using ‘N/A’ in the brand field (as recommended by Amazon). Other Amazon suppliers report being able to use ‘Generic’ or ‘un-branded’ in this brand field.

It might also be possible to register with Amazon’s Brand Registry, which can make it easier to have products approved on Amazon, and also reduce the occasional problems with barcodes.

We don’t know where Amazon is heading in regards to their barcodes policy. We hope that they will be reasonable and allow people to list products using legitimate and verifiable barcode numbers (the ones we sell). However, it is possible that Amazon might go crazy and become more and more restrictive, and eventually, no longer accepting our barcodes in the future. If the online shop unfortunately rejects your barcode(s), please refer to our Refund Policy for applying the possible refund based on the conditions stated.