Choosing International Barcodes

Explanation of International Barcodes

Retail barcodes come in either EAN-13 or UPC-A format. UPC-A are common in Canada and the USA and EAN-13 are common everywhere else. The international barcoding system is set up to ensure that each number is only allocated once. A number issued twice and used on two different products could cause problems. GS1 also supplies barcode numbers, however GS1 charge various different fees in order to license the numbers which makes the process expensive. Alternatively there are some barcode resellers who sell both EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes for a one-off cost. These numbers are part of the GS1 system, but are now outside of GS1’s control, which means they can be sold without the associated fees and that they are generally much cheaper than GS1 barcodes.

Where to get barcodes?

After you have decided whether to get EAN-13 or UPC-A Barcodes, the next step is where to buy them. You can purchase international barcodes from GS1, or from a barcode reseller (where you will save a lot of money). Reseller barcodes are generally just as good as GS1 barcodes and work in the same way. However there are one or two restrictions overseas. Please see barcode acceptance for more details.

Please see why buy from us for a comparison of different barcode suppliers.

Barcodes in either EAN-13 format of UPC-A format as well as any other type of barcode you may require can be bought here.