Thousands of happy British customers | 3m+ Barcodes in circulation | 10,000+ scans each day

Where are barcodes accepted?

What restrictions do retailers place on barcodes?

These are common and important questions about the use of barcodes.

Broadly speaking, there are three main groups of retailers, as outlined below –

  1. One small group of retailers effectively require you to be a member of GS1 (& hence pay GS1’s joining fees and annual fees).
  2. Another larger group of retailers require barcode verification reports (e.g. ASDA) or GLNs (Global Location numbers) (e.g. Tesco, Homebase). We can supply these for you if needed. We are the only barcode reseller (that we know of) who can provide barcode verification reports and GLN numbers for you.
  3. The majority of retailers worldwide will accept any legal and legitimate barcode.

Barcode Acceptance

NOTE – While this list is as good as possible, thousands of retailers are in the UK and millions worldwide. Retailers choose their own barcode policy (whether or not it makes sense). Hence it is impossible for us to be certain of all the barcode restrictions worldwide. Please contact your retailer before buying barcodes, or contact us with any questions.

NOTE – we often get customers saying, “I want to sell my product to XYZ – yet when they realise that barcodes for this will cost them hundreds of dollars more each year, they often decide to purchase our barcodes and accept that if they ever receive an order from XYZ, it will be wonderful, and hopefully large, and they will happily get a barcode from GS1 then.

 

Barcode Restrictions
Retail Category
(see details below)		 Specific Retailers (see details below) Barcodes Ltd
(that’s us).		 Other Barcode
Resellers		 GS1
The places that FORCE you to become a member of GS1 (very expensive)

Australia

Super Retail Group & Costco (Amart Sports, BCF Boating Camping Fishing, Goldcross Cycles, FCO Fishing Camping Outdoors, Ray’s Outdoors, Rebel, Supercheap Auto and Super Retail Commercial) – requires their suppliers to prove that they are a current member of GS1.

Canada & USA

Amazon, Costco, Home Depot, Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, Kroger/Fred Meyers, Macy’s/Bloomingdales, J.C. Penney’s, WholeFoods Market and some EDI systems require you to be a current member of GS1. Check with these stores directly if you intend to sell to them.

NZ

Foodstuffs NZ
There are products using our barcodes in Foodstuffs NZ stores. Foodstuffs NI & SI have different policies. FSSI accepts barcodes for retailers outside GS1. FSNI only accepts barcodes directly from GS1. Please check their current requirements before purchasing barcodes.

Many of our customers hope to get their products into major retail chains but realise that they have a low chance of success and that it may take many years, so they start with our barcodes, realising they MIGHT need to switch to GS1 barcodes if they somehow manage to get an order from a large retail chain – and that order should be large enough to justify the additional expense of GS1’s costly joining fee and annual fees. Please see https://barcodes.co.nz/foodstuffs-nz-barcode-requirements-for-suppliers/

Super Retail Group, which runs the Supercheap Auto stores in NZ, requires their suppliers to prove that they are a current member of GS1. Hence, they will effectively only accept barcode numbers that have come directly from GS1. NOTE that Super Retail Group also owns Rebel Sports in NZ.

Amazon & Costco requires current member of GS1

China

Some distributors mistakenly believe that the barcode shows the product’s country of origin. Hence, they prefer or require barcodes that come directly from GS1.

 Barcodes Cross Barcodes Cross Barcodes Tick
Our barcodes work but they prefer GS1

Amazon

Our barcodes work on Amazon. Many of our client’s products are listed on Amazon. Amazon is increasingly pro-GS1. Our clients list unbranded. If you wish to list on Amazon as a brand, you must supply your trademark and get your barcodes from GS1.  For some restricted categories such as food, Amazon might also insist that you obtain barcodes directly from GS1. If in doubt, check with Amazon before purchasing barcodes.

List products that do not have a Product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN or ISBN)

This exemption is for brand owners who do not have a GTIN (barcode), sellers of generic products, or those selling bundled packs where the manufacturer does not provide a GTIN. Please read this page.

 Barcodes Question Barcodes Question Barcodes Tick
Our Barcodes Work Here
These companies have accepted our barcodes – but often require Barcode Verification Reports &/or GLN numbers (PLEASE COME TO US FOR VERIFICATION)

UK

ASDA – All ITF-14 Barcodes must pass ISO/IEC Barcode Verification Reports. Any printed stickers must achieve a minimum ‘C’ grade.
Tesco – Require GLNs (Global Location Numbers) for their suppliers
Homebase – Require GLNs (Global Location Numbers) for their suppliers
Costco requires current membership of GS1

Ireland

Musgraves – Require barcodes from us to be listed on their buyer form as UPC and entered without the leading ‘0’. If this is done, they have no problem with our barcodes.
SuperValu – Is part of the Musgrave group – see note about Musgraves above.
SuperValu appears to be requesting barcodes that are ‘authorised’ by GS1 or for a GLN (Global Location Number) issued directly by GS1. This might be part of their implementation of an EDI system. However, SuperValu is part of the Musgrave Group, and Musgraves has informed our customers that they will accept our barcodes (entered as UPC without leading 0). A customer recently contacted SuperValu to ask about barcoding requirements but could get no definitive answer from them. Due to the connection with Musgraves, SuperValu should accept our barcodes.

Australia

Coles suppliers are required to “submit the Bar Code Verification Report” – see here i.e. require Barcode Verification Reports.
Metcash – requires Barcode Verification Reports (for each level of packaging, i.e. retail unit, Inner and Outer)
Myers – require Barcode Verification Reports
IGA (some stores) – some stores require Barcode Verification Reports
Bunnings Australia – requires all new lines to have a Barcode Verification Report, which we can provide.
Mitre 10 – requires Barcode Verification Reports for products going into their stores.
The Good Guys – are implementing an EDI system, so they might require a GLN (Global Location Number) for their suppliers – if so, we can supply them (our customers report that The Good Guys have accepted products with our barcode numbers on them, and using a GLN supplied by us.
Woolworths Australia  – require all products to have a Barcode Verification Report. Woolworths accepts our Barcode Verification Reports. You must provide the verification reports for both the retail products and any cartons (ITF-14 barcodes). We have customers using our barcodes in Woolworths Australia, for example, Bennett St. Dairy Cookie Dough and Jimoto Foods

NZ

Woolworths NZ – requires Barcode Verification Reports for all retail products and cartons. We can provide these.

Bunnings NZ – requires Barcode Verification Reports, which we can provide.

Foodstuffs NZ – may require Barcode Verification Reports, which we can provide, for all products entering their stores. There may also be some additional barcode restrictions on products going into Foodstuffs NI but not Foodstuffs SI(including into New World and Pak n’ Save). Please contact Foodstuffs directly what their barcode requirements are and whether they will accept products with our barcodes on them. See the note about Foodstuffs NZ at the top of this page and https://barcodes.co.nz/foodstuffs-nz-barcode-requirements-for-suppliers/.

Placemakers NZ – requires Barcode Verification Reports, which we can provide.
Four Square NZ – (part of Foodstuffs Group). Some Four Square stores are now (from August 2016) requiring Barcode Verification Reports, which we can provide.

All other stores, including Animates, Bin Inn, Bottle-O, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, Farro, Fresh Choice, Kings Plant Barn, Liquorland, Mitre10, Petstock, Woolworths etc, accept our barcodes.

 Barcodes Tick Barcodes Cross Barcodes Tick
Pharmaceuticals The FDA have indicated companies who manufacture drugs must be a member of GS1. Barcodes Cross Barcodes Cross Barcodes Tick
No specific barcode restrictions Most retailers in the world. Barcodes Tick Barcodes Tick Barcodes Tick

 

If you have any questions about this, please contact us.

We endeavour to make this as accurate as possible – however, there are tens of thousands of retailers in the UK and millions worldwide who can each impose any restriction they wish. Please let us know if you are aware of any other restrictions.

This is the most comprehensive list of restrictions we know of on the internet (please tell us if you find a more accurate one). Other barcode resellers give no warnings or are vague – so don’t trust them. We put a lot of time and effort into making this as accurate as possible – we doubt that you will find a more accurate list of restrictions on the internet (let us know if you do).

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