Retail Barcode Packages

Our EAN or UPC barcodes are suitable for use on any retail product worldwide (except for books & magazines).

The barcodes we supply are in either EAN-13 format or UPC-A –  UPC barcodes are most commonly used in North America, while the rest of the world primarily uses EAN-13 codes.

If you intend to list on Amazon, please see the latest information here.

Should I get a UPC or EAN barcode?

Within the USA, barcodes are usually in 12-digit UPC format – however, outside of the USA, the 13-digit EAN format is preferred.

If you plan to sell your product in the USA only, we recommend using a barcode in UPC-12 format. If you plan to sell your product in any other country in the world, it is best to get a barcode in EAN-13 format.

If you are selling your product in several different countries, including the USA, you choose whether to get a barcode in EAN-13 format or UPC-12 format. Most barcode scanners can read EAN and UPC barcodes, so if you want to use the same barcode on your product regardless of which country it is in, that is fine. It is perfectly acceptable to use an EAN (European standard) barcode within the USA or a UPC barcode outside the USA.

Using your barcode:

You will receive your unique EAN-13 or UPC-12 barcode number by email, along with a guarantee certificate (for proof of ownership) and your barcode images.

The barcode images will be sent in 4 different files (jpeg, png, SVG & pdf).  The size of the images will be about 38 mm x 25 mm (standard barcode size). If you need to reduce the size a bit, that is fine (the smallest recommended size is 80% of standard size, i.e. about 30 mm x 20 mm).

You can put your barcode onto your product label or packaging & start using it immediately. Your barcode will be a blank number (it will not contain any product or company details). After you give your product to your retailer, they will scan the barcode & type the product information into their system – this will connect your barcode to your product. After that, when they scan your barcode, the product name & details will appear on their checkout screen.

Need help?

Here are some common questions:

How many barcodes do I need?
It is best practice to get a different barcode for each product or product variation. This is because stores use barcodes for two primary purposes: 1. Barcodes are used for obtaining the price of the product when scanned at the checkout. 2. Barcodes are used for keeping track of stock and deciding when to reorder an item.

This means that if the retailers only use barcodes for option 1, you can get away with having the same barcode for 2 product variations (i.e. different colours of the same product). However, if the retailer uses barcodes for option 2, then a different barcode will be required for each product variation.

In general, retailers prefer to stock products that will be straightforward to manage. Some retailers may prefer not to stock products if they have to manually count how many are left of each size and reorder accordingly. Therefore it is recommended that you have a different barcode for each variation.

Will Your Barcodes Work Worldwide?
Yes, they will. We can supply EAN-13 Barcodes (which are used worldwide) and UPC-A Barcodes (the USA and Canada).

Do Your Barcodes Work in Every Shop?
Our barcodes are accepted in nearly all stores worldwide. However, there are a few exceptions. For further details, please see Barcode Acceptance.

What Type of Barcode Do I need? If you’re not sure which kind of barcode you need for your product, our quick rule of thumb is as follows:
Selling in the USA = UPC-A
Selling internationally = EAN-13

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Please take a look at our answers to common questions.