Yes, you will likely need a barcode. Most retailers, both online and offline, rely on barcodes for pricing, ordering, sales tracking, and inventory management. Since their introduction in 1974, unique barcode numbers have become essential for retailers worldwide. To maximize your product’s market reach, purchasing a barcode is highly recommended.
You will need an EAN-13 or UPC-A number for each unique product you sell. Additionally, variations of a product—such as different sizes and colors—require their own unique barcodes. For instance, if you offer clothing in sizes Small, Medium, and Large, as well as colors Red, Blue, and Green, each variation will need a separate barcode.
It’s advisable to purchase more barcodes than you currently need to accommodate your existing and future product range. This approach not only reduces the cost per code but also keeps your numbering system consistent. Any unused barcodes can be assigned later as needed.
When you use a barcode, simply include the provided digital barcode image on your product’s packaging or label. This unique number is recorded by retailers in their databases along with pricing and product information during the onboarding process. When the barcode is scanned at checkout, it retrieves the relevant product details.
It’s important to note that we provide you with a globally unique barcode number and image, and you do not need to supply any product information to us. Additionally, there is no centralized database for barcode registration; each retailer maintains its own independent database. This means that barcodes sourced from us, GS1, or any other provider operate in the same way. Barcodes function as unique identifiers, but they must be registered with each retailer individually. There is no universal system to return product details across all platforms; for example, your local IGA will not use the same database as Coles, even though your barcode is the same in each store.
1. No Annual Fees. With Oz Barcodes, you pay a one-time fee to purchase retail barcodes. GS1 requires annual membership fees, which can be costly, especially for small or new businesses. Our service allows you to buy barcodes outright without ongoing costs.
2. Direct and Immediate Ownership. Unlike GS1, where barcodes are issued through membership, we offer immediate ownership. You buy the barcode, and it’s yours to use as needed. This provides a straightforward, no-hassle solution for businesses.
3. Quick, Easy, and Independent Process. GS1’s process involves setting up a membership, filling out forms, and providing company details like annual revenue. Oz Barcodes simplifies this with a fast, non-intrusive process. As an independent reseller, we offer UCC-origin barcodes without GS1 membership or fees, providing full usability without the hassle.
All barcodes sold by Oz Barcodes are guaranteed to be unique, originate with the UCC (now known as GS1) and will be accepted by a vast majority of retail stores within Australia and throughout the world. We always encourage you to contact retailers you intend to supply and enquire about their barcode policies before making a purchase with us. You can obtain a vendor agreement or application from most retailers upon request.
While the barcodes we supply are accepted by most retailers in Australia there are a couple of retailers who’s policy requires direct GS1 membership from vendors. Meaning they will only accept barcodes issued to you directly from GS1. Particularly:
Woolworths – Woolworths’ vendor agreement states: “The Vendor must be a member of GS1” and “A new Vendor must supply Woolworths with a letter from GS1 confirming they are a current member.”
Super Retail Group (Super Cheap Auto, BCF, A-Mart & Rebel Sports) require proof of GS1 membership.
Other retailers such as Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Metcash and others accept our barcodes but may require a barcode verification report (testing the barcode on the product packaging). You can arrange a verification report from SKU Vantage or GS1 even if you have obtained numbers though a third party such as us.
https://www.skuvantage.com.au/barcode-verification-reports-alternative-to-gs1/
Customers using our barcodes have supplied their products to Coles Supermarkets, IGA, Super IGA, Foodworks, Dan Murphy’s, PetBarn, Catch and many other independent retailers.
*We’re aware that Woolworths have sometimes accepted third party barcodes and no longer require verification reports to come directly from GS1. While third party barcodes would technically work in their system, the aforementioned advice is based upon Woolworths’ vendor agreement policies. See our Barcode Acceptance page for more information.
Many sellers successfully use re-seller barcodes like the ones we supply on Amazon to list their products. However, we cannot guarantee that our barcodes will always be accepted on the platform. This is because Amazon may use GS1’s GEPIR website as part of its brand verification process. For more detailed information and known limitations regarding Amazon’s acceptance of barcodes, please refer to our Amazon Acceptance information page.
Purchasing barcodes from GS1 Australia can be prohibitively expensive for many small businesses, with initial membership fees and ongoing subscription charges totaling hundreds of dollars, even for a single barcode. In contrast, our barcodes originate from the UCC (now GS1) and come with no additional fees, subscriptions, or hidden costs.
Yes, each barcode provided by Oz Barcodes is globally unique and, once assigned by you, is specifically linked to your product. All codes originate from GS1 (formerly UCC) and are guaranteed to be unique. Additionally, you will receive a certificate of authenticity with your barcode.
We strongly advise against reusing barcodes, even if you no longer sell the product. Previously, GS1 had procedures for reusing codes once a product was out of circulation; however, with the rise of online marketplaces, this practice has become increasingly difficult to implement. As of December 2018, GS1 has updated their guidelines regarding barcode reuse. For more information, please visit gs1us.org.
Books use the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) format, while magazines use the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) format. These identifiers are specifically reserved for printed publications.
The EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes supplied by Oz Barcodes are suitable for all retail items except books, magazines, and pharmaceuticals. To obtain an ISBN for your publication, please visit Thorpe Bowker. For an ISSN for your magazine, visit The Australian ISSN Agency. If you need a barcode image for your ISBN or ISSN, you can request one through our Barcode Image service. For more information about ISBN and ISSN numbers, please see our support articles.
Yes. The our barcodes can be used on products sold through Shopify. Simply enter the barcode number in Shopify’s product barcode field and use the barcode image we provide on your product’s physical packaging or labels.
No, the barcode itself does not store any information. It is simply a globally unique number that is recorded in a retailer’s sales and inventory system and assigned to your product.
No, the barcodes we supply are not subject to GS1 annual fees. Once you’ve purchased your EAN/UPC numbers from us, they belong to you and the product you assign them to for life.
Yes, we offer ITF-14 Carton Code images for your existing EAN/UPC numbers as part of our Special Orders service. For more information about Carton Codes or to request a quote for your specific order, please contact us.
When you purchase barcodes from GS1, you must pay annual fees to maintain your codes. For small businesses or those needing barcodes for only a few items, these costs can add up over time. In contrast, Oz Barcodes has purchased large quantities of EAN/UPC numbers in bulk and charges a one-time fee. You retain sole ownership of the numbers issued to you, and they do not incur any annual fees.
No, no third-party supplier can do this. Once codes issued by the UCC/GS1 are on-sold, GS1 no longer manages these numbers and does not update their records beyond the original holder. Oz Barcodes ensures that the codes we sell are globally unique and not assigned to a product prior to being issued to our customers. It is the responsibility of product owners to manage their numbers and avoid duplicate assignments. Additionally, GS1 only displays company details on GEPIR/Verified by GS1 for its current members. Please note that GS1’s website serves as a lookup tool and is not integrated with retail stores.
There are popular alternatives to the GS1 database where you can register your product and barcode information at no cost:
gtinlookup.org
upcdatabase.org
GS1 doesn’t manage UCC-era barcodes like ours in their GEPIR/Verified by GS1 website, so no re-seller including us who can add company details there. Most Australian and global retailers accept our barcodes, but some large retailers, like Woolworths, Super Retail Group and Amazon Brand Registry, may require direct GS1 membership. For a full list of stores and acceptance policies, please see our Store Acceptance page.
Yes, you can resize your barcode. Our barcode images are supplied at 100% GS1 specification size SC2 (37.29mm x 25.93mm) in EPS, JPEG, and TIFF formats. GS1 recommends maintaining a minimum size of 80% of the standard dimensions, so we suggest sticking to the 80% – 200% magnification range whenever possible. However, many products in the supply chain do not adhere to this guideline; for example, a pen may have a barcode label affixed along its side.
Please note that reducing your barcode size beyond the recommended range may lead to scanning issues, depending on the scanner used. The smaller or more truncated the barcode, the less likely it will scan correctly on the first attempt. If you decide to resize below the 80% guideline, we recommend using the 2540 DPI EPS file and the highest resolution printing option available. The EPS file supplied with every order can be adjusted in size by you or your graphic designer without any loss of image quality.
Our EAN-13 barcodes are prefixed in the 060 – 089 number range. This prefix indicates that our numbers were issued by the Uniform Code Council (UCC, now GS1-US) before the shift to the current subscription model used by GS1. The numbers we provide come from the same original numbering system as GS1’s barcodes and are suitable for use on products in Australia and globally. Purchasing from us is a cost-effective way to obtain authentic, globally unique retail barcodes without incurring annual GS1 fees. Since 2012, over 10,000 Australian businesses have successfully used our barcode numbers.
EAN-13 numbers prefixed with 930 – 939 are issued by the Australian branch of GS1 on a subscription basis, meaning “93” numbers are rented, not owned. Each global branch of GS1 has a country code to prevent duplicate numbers among member organizations; this has nothing to do with a product’s country of origin. Therefore, “93” does not indicate that a product is “Made in Australia.” This misconception is confirmed by GS1’s own documentation. For more information, please visit this page.
The font located below the vertical bars, known as the “human-readable font,” is used to input the barcode number at the point of sale if the barcode fails to scan correctly. The industry standard font commonly used is OCRB; however, any legible font can serve this purpose. We include the open-source OCRB human-readable font with every order, which is embedded in the EPS version of the barcode image. While this specific font is not critical for scanning or mandated, using it enhances the professional appearance of your product.
In addition to EAN/UPC numbers, Oz Barcodes offers Code 128 ‘Subset A’ numbers and images, as well as GS1 Data Bar numbers and images. We also provide QR Codes for various applications across a range of products. If you have specific needs or inquiries, please feel free to contact us.
Getting a barcode is simple. Just visit our purchase page to select your package and begin the process. We recommend reading the conditions of sale before completing your purchase.