A barcode (also bar code) is a unique number. Barcodes allow retailers to track product sales in their inventory system. EAN or UPCs specifies a type of barcode. Barcodes can be of different lengths. UPCs are 12 digits, and EANs can be 13 digits. A barcode is a machine-readable representation of a number. Barcodes are usually dark ink on a light background. This creates high and low reflectance, converted to 1s and 0s.

Yes. Each product has its own barcode number as an identifier (GTIN). If you sell beer in 3 brews and 2 sizes per beer, then you need 3×2=6 barcodes. By using  barcode numbers as identifiers retailers know precisely how many of each product (sometimes called ‘SKU’) they have in stock.

GTIN stands for Global Trade Identification Number. It’s just another term for a barcode (also bar code). GTIN 12 is a UPC 12-digit barcode number, GTIN13 is an EAN13 13-digit barcode number, and GTIN14 is a 14-digit carton code number.

No. Barcodes are product-specific. They can be used in all stores. Barcode numbers are product identifiers. They are sometimes called GTIN (Global Trade Item Number).

Most retail products (except published works by an author such as books, magazines, newspapers, journals and sheet music) use EAN-13 barcodes.

EAN-13 barcodes represent unique EAN numbers for your products (SKUs). Barcodes are bars of different widths representing the unique sequence of numbers shown below the lines. Barcode scanners read the barcode number by scanning the bars. The retailer’s computer system will then find the corresponding product name and price (you need to supply this product information to your retailers when you give them your product & barcode).

You need a unique barcode for each unique product (or SKU) that you sell. Retailers use barcodes in their computer systems to record product information and track products. If you are selling a juice drink with two different flavours, e.g. orange and apple and two different sizes (200ml & 500ml), you will need to buy four barcodes. With a unique barcode on each size and flavour, if the 200ml orange juice is selling faster than the 500ml, your retailers can easily see that they are running low on the 200ml stock and order more of that size in a timely way.

No. Barcode numbers should never be reused on a new product. The old product information remains in retailers’ databases. Reusing a barcode on a different product could cause confusion.

Retailers use barcodes as the basis for their pricing, inventory and ordering systems. It is standard for retailers to require all products they sell to display a unique product barcode for this purpose. If you want to keep selling your product through reputable retailers, we recommend that you put a barcode on it.

No. Black bars on a white background is standard for barcodes as it gives good contrast for scanning. However you can print your barcode in other colours, but you must have a good distinction between the bars of your barcode and the spaces in between. Do not print onto black packaging, as you need the left and right white ‘quiet zones’ to show. Some colour combinations won’t work. For full details, please see our Barcode Colour page and our Barcode Colour & Print Guide PDF.

See sample images here. If you have trouble with these, just send us an email & we can email you samples of barcodes in various graphic formats – so you can see which format you prefer.

Books require ISBN barcodes. You can get an ISBN (for books) in Australia from the ISBN Agency. Once you have the number, order online, and we will provide you with the barcode image to print on your book.

Magazines and newspapers are serial publications. They use ISSN barcodes. First, obtain your ISSN number from the Australian National Library. Then once you have received your ISSN number, come back to us and order online, and we will provide you with the barcode image to print on your magazine or newspaper.

A GLN is a globally unique number that some retailers use as a location identifier for suppliers. If you require a GLN. please order here.

Both UPC-A and EAN-13 barcodes scan at store checkouts. The main difference between them is that UPC-A barcodes have 12 digits, and EAN-13 barcodes have 13 digits. Furthermore, the displacement of the numbers below the barcodes differs. Both EAN and UPC are for international use. UPC-A barcodes are common in Canada and the USA. EAN-13 barcodes are more common everywhere else.

You can use either format these days. Otherwise, international trade would be difficult. The actual bars of the UPC-A format barcode and the EAN-13 format barcode (with a leading ‘0’) are identical. This means that they will scan in the same way regardless of which country they are in. If a retailer’s system does not allow 13-digit numbers, ignore the lead 0 when typing the number into the system. The barcode will work in the same way as if it were a UPC-A format barcode. Similarly, if 13 digits are required, a ‘0’ can be added to the beginning of the UPC-A barcode to turn it into an EAN-13. Either way, the barcode will be globally unique and legal for use internationally. Please see here for an example image.

The first few digits of a barcode number show the country of origin of the BARCODE NUMBER. There is a common misconception that these digits show the country of origin of the product. This is incorrect. Australian food product labels show how much of the product is of Australian origin. These digits ONLY show where the barcode number has come from and say NOTHING about the product’s country of origin. If you wish to see the country of origin of a product, read the other information on the product. Please note that the barcode numbers we sell start with “06” or “07”. They originally come from the USA. However, this only indicates where the barcode numbers come from. They say nothing about where the product comes from.

Most barcode numbers consist of 12 or 13 numbers. EAN-13 is the most common barcode format in Australia. It has 13 digits. The UPC format is more common in the USA and is 12 digits long. “The EAN was developed as a superset of UPC, adding an extra digit to the beginning so that there would be plenty of numbers for the entire world.”. The EAN-13 code is used internationally. Scanners can typically read both EAN-13 and UPCs.

Our website will email the barcodes to you straight away. You will also receive a guarantee and images in 4 different formats (jpeg, png, SVG & pdf). These then need to be incorporated onto your product packaging in an easily visible flat location either by you or by your graphic designer. Please keep in mind the barcode specifications when doing this. Alternatively, we can send you adhesive barcode labels to apply to your products.

Yes. All retail products in Australia (except for magazines and books) can use 13-digit EAN barcodes. Hence, whether you need a barcode for your widget, t-shirt, CD or tractor, Barcodes Limited can provide a barcode for you. For further information about restrictions regarding the barcodes you purchase from us, read here.

The only retail chain that we are aware of in Australia and New Zealand that might have problems with barcodes purchased from resellers like ourselves is the Super Retail Group and Foodstuffs New Zealand. The Super Retail Group apparently require the product manufacturer (you) to be a member of GS1. They also require GS1 verification certificates. (Super Retail Group stores are Amart All Sports, BCF Boating Camping Fishing, Goldcross Cycles, FCO Fishing Camping Outdoors, Ray’s Outdoors, Rebel Sport, Supercheap Auto and Super Retail Commercial). As far as we know, our barcodes work for all other retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

Some retailers in Australia and New Zealand require barcode verification reports (e.g. Woolworths, Coles, Bunnings, Foodstuffs, Progressive & other retail chains). We can provide these for our barcode numbers. We are the only barcode reseller that we know of who can do this. Hence, our barcodes are accepted in MORE retail stores worldwide than any other barcode reseller.

So, if you need a barcode for your product, we can help you and save you $$$$$. Products using our barcodes are stocked across Australia in the big chains, e.g. Woolworths, Bunnings, Coles, Foodworks, IGA, Harris Farm Markets,  Coles, Dan Murphy’s and smaller retailers. Foodstuffs NZ, however, have been changing their requirements, so we advise that you contact Foodstuffs and check their requirements before purchasing barcodes.

Note – the barcode images we supply for magazines, newspapers and books are based on ISBN or ISSN numbers and have worldwide acceptance.

Yes. Our barcodes work internationally. We sell them in almost every country actually. At the last count, we supply barcodes in over 120 countries. This includes Australia, the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. The only limitation that we know of outside of Australia is a couple of stores in the United States (Kroger’s & Wal-Mart). They require you to be a GS1 member. If you do manage to sell your product to these chains, you will be pleased and have enough money to pay the GS1 annual fees. See here for further information.

Yes. Our barcodes were issued by UCC, the Uniform Code Council (now renamed GS1-US). UCC first issued our barcodes in bulk to a company in the United States. We purchased a large amount of these barcode numbers and are now on-selling them to people who want barcodes without the annual fees.

Yes. As our barcodes originate from the UCC, the Uniform Code Council (now renamed GS1-US), they are legal for use in Australia, New Zealand & anywhere in the world.

No. No barcode supplier or issuing organisation can guarantee that every retailer in the world will accept their barcodes. Retailers have the right to refuse specific barcodes (or products) for various reasons or make specific requirements for the labelling & packaging of goods they stock. Hence, no organisation can guarantee universal acceptance. It is your obligation to find out the specific barcode & packaging requirements of your particular retailers BEFORE purchasing barcodes. Do not print your packaging until your retailers have expressed full acceptance of your barcodes & packaging. Please read our Terms and Conditions before purchasing barcodes from us.

We offer a company prefix to customers who buy 10, 100 or 1,000 barcodes at once- the length of the prefix is determined by the number of codes bought. Read more about how this works on our Company Prefix page.

A barcode is purely a unique number. No specific product information is encoded within the bars. The barcode has no real meaning until the details of the product are typed into a retailer’s software application. When you supply your product to a retailer, they will put your product information into their software system (product name, barcode number, price, & reordering info). After this is complete, your product details appear in the store checkout database. A barcode is purely a connection between your product and the product details stored in the computer system.

Purchasing a barcode from us is simple & easy. Simply go to the Barcode Shop page and enter the number of barcodes you want. Click “Add to Cart”, and then click “Go to Checkout”. You will be asked to review your order and provide your contact details (if you need to provide us with further details, i.e. your ISSN, ISBN or barcode number, please enter them into the “further instructions” section or else email them to us). We accept payment by credit card, PayPal or bank transfer. After receiving your order, we will assign your EAN-13 barcode number(s) to you from our database and email your barcode(s) to you normally within 10 minutes. If you have specific completion time requirements, please call or email to check the current schedule.

Once you receive your unique barcode number, you can begin using it on your product straight away. Attach it to your product packaging and give the product to your retailer. When you supply your product to your retailer, you usually need to provide them with the barcode number and the product name, description, price, etc. They will input this information into their inventory system.

Each product variation (SKU) requires its own barcode number. This is how retailers identify your different products in their inventory system properly. For example, if you sell ice cream in five flavours and two sizes, then you need ten barcodes.

No. Any individual, business, or organisation can purchase and use our barcode numbers.

Yes, you can purchase your EAN-13 barcodes from us. EAN-13 codes are used throughout the world.

If your business only has a relatively small number of products or only needs new barcode numbers occasionally, then we are the best option (in our opinion) for purchasing barcode numbers and MUCH CHEAPER than alternatives. Our main advantages are:

1. Low cost: one barcode number is $75
2. No hefty ongoing annual fees. We provide EAN-13 barcodes for a simple one-off fee.
3. FREE barcode graphic. Many other barcode providers don’t provide you with the graphic barcode image or charge an extra fee for it.
4. No membership requirements, no complicated forms to complete, and no restrictions on using your barcode numbers. Once you have purchased your barcodes, they are permanently yours.
5. Instant delivery of EAN, UPC, ITF, QR codes and ISBN barcodes (not ISSN or custom designs).

YES. We guarantee that the barcode number you receive is unique. It has not been issued by us to anyone else anywhere in the world. We also provide a Guarantee Certificate by email. The Guarantee Certificate covers all the numbers you purchase at that time.

Our Guarantee Certificate guarantees that we won’t issue your barcode number(s) to anyone else. (We guarantee this for all our numbers, whether or not you have a Guarantee Certificate). A written Guarantee backs this we have from the US company we purchase our bulk barcode numbers from, in which they guarantee that they won’t issue our numbers (the numbers they have issued to us) to anyone else. In addition, the US company we purchase our barcode numbers from is recommended by George J. Laurer (inventor of UPCs).

There is sometimes a fear of the duplication of barcode numbers. No retailer wants two different products on their shelf with the same barcode number. Barcode number duplication can occasionally occur through manufacturers allocating the same number to two different products, businesses making up their own barcode numbers or buying barcodes from a company that generates numbers randomly.

Barcode number duplication can also occur through companies like ours selling the same number to more than one purchaser. We are aware of this potential danger and have accurate systems to avoid duplication of numbers. We guarantee that we will not sell the same number to more than one client. (This is also why we cannot offer refunds for any barcode purchases. We cannot resell any numbers ‘returned’ to us because of the danger of duplication). We purchase our barcode numbers from a reputable source in the US, recommended by George J. Laurer, who guarantee that they have not sold our numbers to anyone else.  It isn’t difficult to ensure that a business like ours doesn’t sell duplicate numbers.

No. Your barcode will never expire. We will not issue the same number to anyone else. It is yours for life.

No, we do not charge renewal fees. All of our prices are one-off payments. We will never ask you for any future fees or license fees. Because these barcode numbers come from a company that joined the UCC in the 1990s, we don’t need to pay any renewal fees before they started charging renewal fees (August 2002). We do not and will not ever charge you any renewal fees.

The standard EAN-13 barcode image size is 37.3mm wide x 25.9mm high. The smallest recommended size is 80% of the standard size (i.e. 30mm wide). The largest recommended size is 200% of the standard size (i.e. 74.6mm wide). Width is more important than height because barcode scanners need to distinguish between the bars easily, and reducing the width reduces the distance between them. We recommend doing a test scan of any EAN image before mass producing your product with its barcode attached. See the official standards for barcode size (if you are getting your barcodes verified, you must comply with these barcode sizing standards).

No. Individual barcode numbers are not usually registered in a Central Database. It is up to the owner of the barcode number to ensure it is not used in duplicate situations and to keep track of how the number is used. When you receive your barcode number from Barcodes Limited, you control that specific number. Hence, you become the registrar of that unique barcode number and are responsible for ensuring it is used properly. Barcode registration (on the major internet databases) is an optional service that we provide. It is not compulsory (your barcode will work fine without it). However, registering your barcode can increase the exposure of your product on the internet.

In the 1990s, some manufacturers in the USA bought unique manufacturer ID numbers. These numbers were assigned to their companies and became their property. At the start of the 2000s, GS1-US (previously known as UCC) started requiring that all the manufacturer ID numbers they issued remain the property of GS1-US. They required the user to start paying annual fees to retain the use of their numbers. Several US manufacturers took UCC (GS1-US) to court over the new annual fee requirement. They succeeded and received a settlement of almost $4 million USD.

As a result of the settlement, any company that had paid a membership fee to UCC before August 28, 2002, was entitled to free, perpetual membership of UCC and continued use of its company prefix. A few of these companies had unused barcode numbers and sold these to other companies. We were able to purchase a large quantity of these unused numbers from a reputable company. This is why we can now offer you a single barcode number or a larger quantity of unique numbers from us for one simple one-off price (we don’t charge annual or renewal fees).

George J. Laurer designed the UPC numbering system and bar symbols in the early 1970s on behalf of IBM. He presented them to the food industries as a universal way to keep track of inventories, prices and manufacturers. The industry accepted Laurer’s system. Since then, the system has been adopted worldwide as a unified product tracking method.

George Joseph Laurer (born September 23, 1925, in New York) developed the Universal Product Code (UPC) in 1973. George was an engineer at IBM. Have a look at his website https://www.laurerupc.com. George shared his knowledge and expertise about the symbol he created and clarified many of its surrounding issues. He also expresses his frustration with the exorbitant fees charged by GS1-US. He recommended reputable companies like ours, which can provide small quantities of UPC (barcode) numbers at an affordable price. (Our barcode numbers come from a source recommended by George J Laurer).

We were involved with another business in which we developed a small number of successful retail products for Australia and NZ. As these products became more successful, some stores required our products to have barcodes. Our initial investigations led to only one major source for barcode numbers. We were shocked at the cost of obtaining the barcodes, especially for long-term use. No companies were able to provide us with just a few barcodes.

This got us asking thinking. After extensive research and design, we created a way to purchase one (or a few) barcode numbers without paying large joining fees or annual fees for membership. After lots more research, investigation & ingenuity, we obtained our barcode. Then we got calls from other companies asking how they could obtain a barcode number. So, not wanting others to waste their time and money unnecessarily, we decided to help other people obtain barcodes easily. We formed Barcodes Limited in 2007.