The official way
Contact the GS1 member organisation in your country (GS1 US, GS1 UK, GS1 Germany, GS1 France and so on; the list is on gs1.org). You license a company prefix, or a single GTIN for very small catalogues, and pay a yearly fee set by that office.
With a company prefix you assign the item numbers yourself: prefix + item reference + check digit. Record each number against its product in your GS1 account, because retailers and marketplaces look it up there.
- Global directory of GS1 offices: www.gs1.org/contact
- GS1 US (UPC numbers): www.gs1us.org
- Check who owns a number: www.gs1.org/services/verified-by-gs1
Why not random or resold numbers
A random 12 or 13-digit number with a correct check digit scans, but it can belong to another company's product. Marketplaces such as Amazon compare the number with the brand owner in the GS1 database and remove or block listings that do not match. Numbers resold by third parties carry the same risk, because the prefix stays registered to the company that first licensed it.
That is why this site has no “random barcode” button for UPC or EAN.
When you do not need GS1
For codes that only your own business reads (stock bins, internal SKUs, assets, order slips, event tickets), any number or text works. Use Code 128, QR or Data Matrix with your own SKU and skip GS1 entirely. Prefixes 20–29 are also reserved for in-store use, for example variable-weight goods priced at your own counter.
Questions
- Can I make up my own UPC?
- You can make a barcode of any number, but a made-up UPC is not registered to you. Retailers and marketplaces reject it, and it may clash with a real product.
- How much do GS1 numbers cost?
- It depends on the country and how many numbers you need; each GS1 office publishes its own fees. Check the office for the country where your business is registered.
- Do I need a new number for each size and colour?
- Yes. Each variant a customer can buy separately needs its own GTIN.