Barcode help · Revised 16 October 2026

How to get a barcode for your product

Before creating a barcode image, establish which product number your sales channel expects and who is responsible for assigning it. A new own-brand product, an existing branded item and an internal stock label need different approaches. Getting that decision right can prevent a readable label from being rejected at listing or checkout.

Choose your starting route before paying for numbers

Understand the number, image and stock record

A GTIN, or Global Trade Item Number, identifies a trade item. A barcode symbol represents data in a machine-readable pattern. Your SKU is an internal stock reference: it may help your own systems, but it is not automatically the identifier another retailer accepts.

EAN-13 carries a 13-digit GTIN and UPC-A carries a 12-digit GTIN. EAN-8 carries an allocated GTIN-8; UPC-E is a compact representation available only for eligible UPC-A identifiers. Choose the symbol agreed with your trading partner rather than deleting digits to make a number fit. See the barcode format comparison.

For conventional product lookup, the shop associates the identifier with its own description and price. Creating the bars does not send your product details to that shop. Specialised variable-measure and other sector workflows can use different data rules, so this explanation should not be applied to every barcode.

For background, see GS1 UK’s GTIN explanation.

Count products and packaging levels before choosing a licence

List the products customers can order as distinct trade items. Changes such as size, colour, flavour and declared pack quantity can require distinct identifiers. Product changes should be assessed against the GS1 GTIN Management Standard, rather than handled by guesswork.

Worked example: a mug range

Suppose you launch a mug in three colours and two capacities, with every combination sold separately. That produces six consumer trade-item combinations: 3 × 2 = 6. If you also introduce a separately sold two-mug gift set, assess that set as another trade item. Outer cases may need additional identifiers depending on how they are ordered and supplied. “Six designs” is therefore not a complete number budget for every supply chain.

Create one row per item or packaging level with these fields:

• Brand, precise description and variant.
• Capacity, size or declared net content, as applicable.
• Units per pack and relationship to the item inside it.
• Internal SKU, assigned GTIN and the source of the assignment.
• Sales channels, artwork version and approval status.

Keep GTIN columns as text so spreadsheets preserve leading zeros. Maintain retired records instead of overwriting an old item with a new product. Check GS1’s non-reuse rules and any sector-specific exceptions before making an assignment.

Obtain and record the identifiers

1. Find the appropriate GS1 member organisation.

   Use the official GS1 directory. Discuss your business location and intended channels if you are unsure where to apply. Avoid relying on an advertisement that simply uses “GS1” in its wording.

2. Compare the actual licensing options.

   Availability, capacity and fees differ by organisation. A company prefix supports allocation within its licensed capacity; individual GTIN options exist in some markets. Check initial charges, renewal terms and what your planned packaging levels require. For example, GS1 US describes both prefix and individual-GTIN options. Do not apply its fee structure to every country.

3. Allocate using the official process.

   Follow the member organisation’s tool or instructions and associate each identifier with the correct product record. A barcode website’s check-digit calculator is not a substitute for allocation.

4. Check the recorded company and item details.

   Review spelling, brand, variant and net content. Where available, use Verified by GS1 to check registry information and resolve discrepancies with the responsible organisation.

5. Complete retailer onboarding.

   Submit the item data required by your customer and confirm the identifier is associated with the intended listing. Record the approval before committing to a large packaging run.

GS1 UK provides an example of its own allocation workflow in the My Numberbank instructions. Other member organisations use different interfaces.

Amazon and other marketplaces: separate listing from fulfilment

Check the rules for the marketplace country, product category and brand before creating a listing. Amazon provides a process for eligible products without a GTIN; approval conditions must be checked in the relevant Seller Central workflow. Its official generic-product guidance describes exemption requests and category/store distinctions. Do not assume every private-label product qualifies or use “generic” to bypass the actual brand information.

If an existing listing matches the exact branded product you resell, investigate the marketplace’s process for adding an offer to that listing rather than creating a duplicate identity. A different colour, size or pack is not necessarily the same item. Amazon’s generic listings have separate rules and are not shared in the same way.

A GTIN exemption is not a warehouse labelling instruction. Confirm the fulfilment service’s requirements separately, including whether it expects a manufacturer barcode or a marketplace-specific label. Follow the instructions shown for your shipment; this article does not promise eligibility for a particular fulfilment method.

Evaluate third-party numbers before you print them

A low price or a working scan does not demonstrate that a number will be accepted for your brand. Ask who licenses the number, what registry information is available, whether it has previously identified another item and what your target trading partners accept. Obtain written clarification of any ambiguity before buying packaging.

GS1 UK warns that identifiers obtained outside GS1 may cause problems with trading partners and marketplaces. That is a reason to verify allocation and acceptance, not a basis for claiming every third-party offer is fraudulent or every resold number is valid. Compare the documented terms with your channel’s current requirements.

If a marketplace reports an identifier mismatch, preserve the error message and compare the number, brand and licence details. Repeatedly generating a different image will not repair a product-record mismatch.

Turn the approved number into usable artwork

1. Select the required symbol.

   Use the type requested for the identifier and scanning environment. For cases, agree the packaging-level GTIN and whether ITF-14, GS1-128 or another permitted symbol is needed. Adding a nonzero indicator is not just another display format of the unchanged consumer item.

2. Enter the approved data.

   The generator can calculate or check the final digit for supported numeric formats. Prefer copying the approved full value and comparing the result with your record. A valid check digit does not prove product ownership or database acceptance.

3. Plan the printed dimensions.

   Keep the required quiet zones, bar height and readable digits. Ask your printer about the actual material, print process and placement. There is no single 100% size that guarantees every packaging application. See the size guide.

4. Export and place the image carefully.

   SVG or PDF can preserve vector bars. Keep the intended physical size and avoid fit-to-page scaling. For raster files, review the generated dimensions and placement size rather than assuming the DPI label alone establishes suitability.

5. Approve a finished sample.

   Scan the applied packaging with the intended equipment and compare the returned data with the approved record. The generator’s image and camera checks are decoding aids, not formal print-quality certification. Obtain professional verification when the customer requires it.

For sheet layout and test-print steps, see how to print barcode labels.

Books, serial publications and internal labels

• Books: consult the appropriate ISBN agency about identifier eligibility and allocation. A valid 13-digit ISBN can be represented in EAN-13. Do not invent a 978/979 number or treat every publication as ISBN-eligible. See the International ISBN Agency’s barcode guidance.
• Magazines and other serials: an ISSN and its retail barcode representation are different things. The 977-based EAN structure uses defined additional fields and a calculated check digit; it is not simply the eight-character ISSN typed into EAN-13. Check the ISSN International Centre’s instructions, including any required supplement. This generator does not claim to build a complete periodical barcode with add-ons.
• Internal stock or equipment: a private reference in a supported format such as Code 128 may be suitable if your software accepts it. Keep it within the agreed internal workflow. Do not choose an EAN prefix for in-store or weighed goods without the rules from your till supplier and relevant GS1 organisation.

Prepared by eToolPlus using the linked identification guidance. eToolPlus generates barcode images; it does not allocate GTINs, grant marketplace exemptions or certify printed labels.