Step 1: Decide where you'll sell
| You sell on / in… | Do you need a GS1 UPC/EAN? |
|---|---|
| Retail stores (Walmart, Target, grocery, pharmacies) | Yes, from GS1 |
| Amazon (most categories) | Yes, from GS1, or apply for a GTIN exemption |
| Walmart Marketplace, Google Shopping, distributors | Yes (Google can work without one, but GTINs improve listings) |
| Etsy, your own Shopify store, markets | No. Use your own SKUs (Code 128) if you want barcodes |
| Internal stock, bins, assets | No. Use Code 128 or Data Matrix with your own numbers |
| Books | An ISBN (Bowker in the US), not a UPC |
Can I use cheap UPC codes?
Websites that sell UPCs for a few dollars are reselling numbers that were originally licensed to other companies. The barcode will scan, but when Amazon or a retailer looks the number up in the GS1 registry, it points to someone else's company, not your brand. Since 2016 Amazon has checked UPCs against GS1 data, and sellers using resold codes report listings being suppressed or rejected. Retailers that require GS1 membership will reject them outright.
A barcode image is not a product ID. Amazon and Walmart check each GTIN against the GS1 database. Get your numbers from GS1, then use this tool to make the barcode image.
Resold codes can be fine for purely internal use, but so are free SKUs you make up yourself.
Step 2: Get your numbers
- Go to your country's GS1 office (GS1 US in the United States).
- Count how many products and variants you'll need. Each size, colour and pack needs its own number.
- Buy a single GTIN (if offered) for one or two products, or a Company Prefix for more.
- Assign a number to each product in GS1's online tool and fill in the product details.
Step 3: Make and print the barcode
- Enter each number in the UPC or EAN-13 generator. We calculate or verify the check digit.
- Download the SVG or PDF for your packaging designer, or print labels directly.
- Test-scan a printed sample before ordering packaging.
Selling on Amazon FBA?
You'll use your GS1 UPC to create the listing, then usually cover it with an Amazon FNSKU label when shipping to the warehouse.