Choosing International Barcodes

Explanation of International Barcodes

International Barcodes are either EAN-13, or UPC-A Barcodes used internationally in retail stores to bring up the price of retail products at the checkout. The International Barcodes system is administered by GS1 who ensure that each number only corresponds to a single product. GS1 also license barcode numbers to individuals themselves by charging annual membership fees and joining fees for the right to use the barcodes. Various independent bodies also allocate barcode numbers. These numbers come from the same original system as GS1’s numbers as they were initially sold outright by the predecessor of GS1-US (Uniform Code Council). However, these numbers are outside of GS1’s control and therefore not subject to any ongoing fees. This means these numbers are much cheaper than other barcode numbers.

What to choose?

More detail on the difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A codes can be seen here. Generally, if you are selling in the USA, however, you should use UPC-A Barcodes. If you are selling predominantly outside of the USA, you should use EAN-13 barcodes.

A Barcode Reseller can often provide you with either UPC-A or EAN-13 format. As discussed previously, these numbers tend to be considerably cheaper and generally work just as well as other numbers. There are a few restrictions on these numbers; however, please see barcode acceptance before buying to ensure there will be no problems for you.

Reseller barcodes in either EAN-13 format or UPC-A format can be purchased here. Please see why to buy from us for details on what makes us your preferred barcode supplier.

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EAN13 Barcode packages
Magazine barcodes