What is a barcode?

A barcode is a technology that represents data in a visual, machine-readable form.  1D Retail barcodes use alternating black and white bars to represent an encoded string of unique numbers.  This can be read and decoded using an optical scanner to return information about a specific product such as the price, product name and brand.

The most common barcode type used in retail are the 13 digit EAN-13 (International article Number) or 12 digit UPC-A (Universal product Code). Barcode Savers supplies both these formats with every standard barcode package order.

Do I need to get a barcode?

Almost every retailer today requires barcodes on stocked items in order to organise their ordering, pricing, sales figures, point of sale and inventory. An EAN 13 or UPC-A barcode is a common requirement on all products in a retailer’s inventory. To make sure your products can reach the widest market possible it is strongly recommended you acquire barcodes for your products.

I have a few different products, how many barcodes should I get?

A unique EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode is required for every unique item that you intend to sell. Product variations such as size and colour also each require a unique barcode e.g. if you are selling socks in different colours and sizes then a separate barcode would be required for each variant of those socks.

How do barcodes work?

When you supply your product/s to a retailer, you will be required to complete a product information form which links your product and company details to that product’s unique barcode number. The store will transfer this information into their sales and inventory systems allowing your product to be scanned at point of sale and monitored by stock tracking software.

Will all retail stores accept my barcode?

Barcodes Savers NZ’s codes are genuine GTINs originating with the Uniform Code Council (now known as GS1), and will be accepted by a vast majority of retail stores within New Zealand and around the globe. Some larger big box retailers however may require direct GS1 membership from vendors. We therefore encourage you to contact retailers you intend to stock directly and make enquires about their barcode policies before making a purchase with us. Vendor agreement documents or supplier guidelines can be obtained from most retailers upon request.

In particular there are two retailers in New Zealand who require direct GS1 membership, these are;

1. Super Retail Group (BCF, Macpac, Rebel & Super Cheap Auto) – Requires proof of GS1 membership from suppliers/vendors.

2. Foodstuffs NZ – Foodstuffs South Island (FSSI) Supplier Guidelines require “all products to be allocated barcode numbers from a GS1 member organisation, not from any third party. ” See their supplier guideline document here.

Most other retailers such as Farro Fresh, Nosh, Huckleberry, Progressive Enterprises NZ, Bunnings Warehouse, Mitre 10, Placemakers and Four Square NZ and other independent retailers accept our barcodes but may require a Barcode Verification Report to ensure your product will scan correctly at POS. You can arrange a verification report through a third party or GS1 NZ even if you have obtained numbers though a re-seller such as us. Our barcodes will pass a Barcode Verification report given they are printed correctly within the 80% – 200% magnification range and are not significantly altered at the graphic design stage.

See our latest retailer requirements lists here.

Are your codes suitable for Amazon listings?

For individual seller plan listings and FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) our barcodes are suitable for Amazon listings. Amazon Seller Support have informed our customers that their barcodes can be obtained from “any external or third party supplier and use them to list your products, however the barcode must be valid”. Amazon submits the following validators to confirm the supplied barcodes work. Because our barcodes originate with the UCC (the same system as GS1) and have correctly calculated check digits, they will pass Amazon’s integrated validators and can be used for standard Amazon listings.

http://formvalidation.io/validators/ean/

Please note for Amazon Brand Registry there are a number of methods used by Amazon to verify brand ownership. One such verification method is checking your barcodes against GS1’s GEPIR database for your brand name. Although our barcodes originate from the Uniform Code Council (now known as GS1) we cannot list your brand or company information on the GEPIR database. No reseller can offer GEPIR registration. The only way to have your brand appear on GS1’s GEPIR is by joining GS1 directly and paying an annual license fee to keep your codes registered with GS1. Therefore if you intend to apply for Amazon Brand Registry platform you will need to obtain your numbers through GS1. For all other Amazon listings our barcodes are suitable and we have supplied tens of thousands barcode numbers to many satisfied Amazon Sellers.

Amazon’s Brand Registry platform is selective and reserved for larger companies. In addition to Amazon requiring direct GS1 membership of vendors they also require your brand to have a registered trademark in the country you intend to sell. For more information about Amazon’s Brand Registry platform and eligibility requirements please see https://brandservices.amazon.com/eligibility

Does Barcode Savers upload my product or company data to GS1’s GEPIR?

No.  There are no barcode re-sellers who can upload your product or company information to GS1’s GEPIR database. The numbers Barcode Savers supply pre-date the GS1 subscription model and are no longer manged by GS1.  GS1 does not update their database to reflect the current owners of pre subscription model barcodes.

It is commonly misunderstood that the GEPIR database links barcode numbers to products.  However the GEPIR database only gives information about the original holder of the prefix and has no role in linking your product to your barcode. No product data is shown on GEPIR.

Does Barcode Savers supply Company Prefixes?

Our packages of 10, 100 and 1000 barcodes will include a globally unique company prefix with a product allocation range of 0 – 9, 00 – 99, and 000 – 999 respectively. All other packages do not include this feature, however all barcodes we supply are globally unique. Please see our Company Prefixes support article for further information.

Why buy from Barcode Savers?

Buying a barcode and registering membership with GS1 NZ is overwhelmingly expensive for most small businesses and traders. GS1 requires the payment of initial membership costs in addition to yearly subscription fees that can total thousands of dollars – even when you are simply purchasing a single barcode.

Our barcodes originate with the Uniform Code Council, the global body now known as GS1, but do not incur any hidden fees, subscription fees or additional costs of any kind and are valid in perpetuity.

While we believe the world needs a standards body, we don’t believe barcoding your product requires a training seminar or a 488 page manual. We believe obtaining a barcode for your product should be a simple and straightforward process.

Barcode Savers lowers the entry cost and complexity of barcoding for small businesses, many of whom simply need a number of barcodes for their products. We simplify the process of product identification while eliminating the expense of GS1’s annual fees and the hassles of complicated sign up forms & dealing with GS1 Alliance partners.

Will my barcode be unique to my product?

Your barcode number is totally unique and linked only to the product you assign it to. All barcodes sold by Barcode Savers originate from GS1 (formerly the Uniform Code Council) are guaranteed to be globally unique and are supplied with a pdf certificate of authenticity.

Is any information stored in my barcode?

No information is actually stored in the barcode itself. The barcode is simply a unique number identifier that is recorded in a retailers sales/inventory system and assigned to your item.

Will my barcode expire?

Barcodes supplied by Barcode Savers pre-date GS1’s subscription model and are not subject to expiry. When you purchase your barcodes from us they are yours for life.

Does Barcode Savers charge an annual fee?

When purchasing barcodes from The Global Standards Body (GS1) you’re required to pay upfront charges and additional yearly fees. So if you’re only looking for barcodes for a small quantity of products the costs associated with GS1 membership can be staggering. Barcode Savers have secured bulk quantities of genuine GTIN numbers and charge a once off fee when you buy.  Our numbers pre-date GS1’s subscription model and do not carry any annual fees.  You remain the sole owner of your numbers and your barcodes do not carry annual fees or hidden costs at all.

Do you provide ITF-14 carton codes?

Yes, we offer ITF-14 barcodes as part of our Special Orders service. Please feel free to contact us if you require carton codes to accompany your product codes.  Visit our support article for more information about ITF 14 Carton Codes

How do I get a Barcode?

Visit our purchase page to select your barcode package to get started. Please ensure you have read our conditions of sale before making a purchase with us.

Need more info?

Visit our support section for more in depth information, or feel free to email us at contact@barcodesavers.co.nz