How to Get a Barcode for Your Product

The short answer

1. Get a product number (GTIN) from GS1, the not-for-profit organisation that runs the barcode numbering system, through the GS1 office in your country.
2. Give each product variant its own number: every size, colour, flavour and pack count.
3. Make the barcode: EAN-13 for a 13-digit number, UPC-A for a 12-digit number (US and Canada). Our generator adds the check digit for you.
4. Print it at the right size and test-scan a printed proof before a full print run.

If the barcode is only for your own stock room or shelves, you don't need GS1 at all. See barcodes for internal use.

GTIN, EAN-13 and UPC-A: what's the difference?

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the product number. EAN-13 and UPC-A are the barcodes that carry it at the checkout.

Put a 0 in front of a 12-digit UPC-A number and you have the same product's 13-digit number. Checkout scanners around the world read both barcodes, so a UPC-A product can be sold in Europe and an EAN-13 product in the US. Some US retailers still ask suppliers for UPC-A, so check what your buyer wants. More: UPC vs EAN-13: which barcode do you need?

Step 1: Decide whether you need a GS1 number

You need a GS1 number if the product will be sold through someone else's system: supermarkets and chain stores, Amazon, Walmart and most other marketplaces, and distributors. They look the number up in the GS1 database to see which company owns it.

Amazon checks product UPCs against the GS1 database and recommends getting them directly from GS1. If your product has no GTIN at all (for example a private-label or handmade item), you can apply for a GTIN exemption in Seller Central; it isn't available for products that already carry a GS1 barcode. The FNSKU label Amazon asks for on FBA stock is a separate, Amazon-only code. Amazon's rules in detail (US and India, 2026): Do I need a barcode to sell on Amazon?

You don't need GS1 for barcodes that never leave your business: stock-room bins, asset tags, your own shop's shelf labels. GS1 reserves number ranges for this kind of use (EAN-13 numbers starting 20–29, UPC-A numbers starting 2 or 4; your local GS1 office sets how they are used), or you can simply use Code 128 with your own SKUs.

Step 2: Get your numbers from GS1

• Go to gs1.org and choose your country, or go straight to your national office, for example GS1 US, GS1 UK or GS1 India.
• Most offices license a company prefix: a block of numbers sized to how many products you plan to sell. GS1 US also sells single GTINs for sellers with only a few products.
• Fees depend on the country and the number of products. A company prefix usually has a yearly renewal fee; GS1 US single GTINs are a one-time purchase. Check your office's current price list.

Step 3: Give every product variant its own number

• Each item sold separately needs its own GTIN: 250 ml and 500 ml are two numbers; red and blue are two numbers; a single bar and a 6-pack are two numbers.
• Keep a simple spreadsheet: number, product name, size or variant, and the date you assigned it.
• Never reuse a number for a different product. Shops and marketplaces may still have the old product on file.

Step 4: The check digit (done for you)

The last digit of every EAN-13 and UPC-A is a check digit. It lets the scanner catch a misread. Our generator calculates it when you type 12 digits (EAN-13) or 11 digits (UPC-A), and checks it if you type the full number. Here is how it works, using the example number 590123412345:

1. Starting from the rightmost digit, multiply the digits alternately by 3 and 1: 5×3, 4×1, 3×3, 2×1, 1×3, 4×1, 3×3, 2×1, 1×3, 0×1, 9×3, 5×1.
2. Add the results: 15 + 4 + 9 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 9 + 2 + 3 + 0 + 27 + 5 = 83.
3. The check digit is what you add to reach the next multiple of 10: 90 − 83 = 7.

So the full EAN-13 is 5901234123457. The same rule works for UPC-A: 03600029145 gets check digit 2.

Step 5: Make the barcode

1. Open the EAN-13 generator for a 13-digit number or the UPC-A generator for a 12-digit number.
2. Type your number. Leave the human-readable digits under the bars switched on; retail packaging needs them.
3. Download SVG for packaging artwork, since it stays sharp at any size and your designer can place it exactly. Use PNG at 4× for documents and labels.
4. For sticker labels, use the label maker with Avery 5160 and similar sheets, or a thermal roll. To make many at once, use the batch generator.

Everything runs in your browser, and your product numbers are never uploaded.

Step 6: Print it at the right size

• Don't shorten the bars to fit a small pack. Use a smaller size within the allowed range instead.
• Dark bars on a light background. Black on white is best. Red bars don't scan, because checkout scanners use red light.
• Matte surfaces scan better than glossy ones, and the barcode shouldn't wrap around a tight curve.

Step 7: Test before you print in volume

• Print one proof at the final size and scan it with a phone, a handheld scanner, or our free barcode scanner (upload a photo of the proof).
• Check that it reads back exactly your number, including the check digit.
• Some large retailers ask for a verification report (print quality grading under ISO/IEC 15416). Your printer or GS1 office can arrange one.

What about 2D barcodes? (GS1 Sunrise 2027)

EAN-13 and UPC-A are still the checkout standard. Under GS1's Sunrise 2027 goal, retailers are preparing their tills to also read 2D codes (QR codes that use GS1 Digital Link, and GS1 DataMatrix) by the end of 2027.

• It's a voluntary industry target, not a law.
• Your EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode stays on the pack. Brands that add a 2D code put it alongside, carrying the same GTIN.
• If you're designing new packaging, ask your GS1 office whether your retailers want a 2D code yet.