What GS1 is
GS1 is a global non-profit standards organisation with member offices in over 100 countries (GS1 US, GS1 UK, GS1 Germany and so on). It manages the numbers inside UPC and EAN barcodes so that no two products in the world share an ID. When a store or marketplace scans your barcode, it trusts that the number belongs to you because GS1 says so.
What you're paying for
The barcode image is free. Anyone can draw one, including this site. What GS1 sells is the right to use numbers and a record linking those numbers to your company:
- A GS1 Company Prefix: a block of numbers for your brand (for example 10, 100 or 1,000 products), with an annual renewal.
- A single GTIN (offered by GS1 US and some others): one number for one product, for brands with very few items.
Your numbers appear in GS1's "Verified by GS1" registry, which Amazon and retailers check. Prices vary by country and change over time, so check your local GS1 website.
The GS1 family of numbers and barcodes
| Number | Barcode | Use |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN-12 | UPC-A | Retail items, US & Canada |
| GTIN-13 | EAN-13 | Retail items worldwide |
| GTIN-8 | EAN-8 | Very small items |
| GTIN-14 | ITF-14 or GS1-128 | Cases and cartons |
| SSCC | GS1-128 | Pallets and shipments |
| GTIN + batch, expiry, serial | GS1 DataMatrix, GS1 QR | Healthcare, fresh food, 2D at checkout |
Where ISBNs fit
Books use ISBNs from national ISBN agencies (Bowker in the US), not GS1 Company Prefixes. The ISBN becomes an EAN-13 starting 978 or 979. See the ISBN barcode generator.
Do you need GS1 at all?
Only if your product needs a globally unique retail ID: selling in stores, on Amazon (in most categories), Walmart Marketplace, or through distributors. For Etsy, your own Shopify store, or internal inventory, you can use your own SKUs with Code 128. The full decision guide is here: how to get a barcode for your product.