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 (eg ASDA) or GLNs (Global Location numbers) (eg Tesco). 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.

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) Barcode1
(that’s us)		 Other Barcode
Resellers		 GS1
Require GS1 membership

Australia


Super Cheap Retail Group[ref]Super Cheap Retail Group (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 – hence they will effectively only accept barcode numbers that have come directly from GS1.[/ref]
Woolworths Australia central branches[ref]Woolworths Australia central branches – require all products to have a verification report done by GS1-Australia – and GS1-Australia require you to prove that you are a current member of GS1 – hence Woolworths Australia effectively only accepts products with GS1-membership barcodes on them.[/ref]

USA


Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, Kroger/Fred Meyers, Macy’s & J.C. Penney’s[ref]Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, Kroger/Fred Meyers, Macy’s/Bloomingdales, & J.C. Penney’s in the USA apparently require you to be a current member of GS1 – you should check with these stores directly if you intend to sell to them[/ref]

NZ


Super Cheap Retail Group[ref]Super Cheap Retail Group (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 – hence they will effectively only accept barcode numbers that have come directly from GS1.[/ref]

China

Some distributors mistakenly believe that the barcode shows the country of origin of the product. Hence, they prefer or require barcodes that come directly from GS1.
Require verification reports &/or GLN numbers

UK

ASDA [ref]ASDA – All ITF-14 Barcodes must pass ISO/IEC Verification. Any printed stickers must achieve a minimum ‘C’ grade [/ref]
Tesco [ref]Tesco – Require GLNs (Global Location Numbers) for their suppliers [/ref]

Australia

Coles[ref]Coles suppliers are required to “submit the Bar Code Verification Report” – see here[/ref]
Metcash[ref]Metcash – require verification report (for each level of packaging, i.e. retail unit, Inner and Outer) – see page 7 here[/ref]
Myers[ref]Myers – require barcode verification[/ref]
IGA (some stores)[ref]IGA – some stores require barcode verification[/ref]
Bunnings[ref]Bunnings Australia – require all new lines to have a ‘Barcode Testing Report’ ie a verification report[/ref]

USA

Some major retailers – reference

NZ

Foodstuffs NZ[ref]Foodstuffs NZ require barcode verification reports for all products entering their stores[/ref]
Foodstuffs Note – There may be some restrictions on food and drink products going into Foodstuffs Auckland and Wellington branches only. This doesn’t restrict our barcodes entirely, but makes the process more complicated. Please contact us for the latest information.
Progressive Enterprises NZ?[ref]Progressive Enterprises – require adherence to barcode specifications, and possibly require barcode verification[/ref]
Bunnings[ref]At times we are asked for verification reports for products going in to Bunnings NZ[/ref]
Placemakers[ref]Placemakers NZ – require barcode verification – see section 8.3.e[/ref]

Europe

Some major retailers in Europe- reference

Rest of World

Some major retailers in Japan & Korea- reference
No specific barcode restrictions  Most retailers in the world

 

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

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

NOTE – 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 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).

 

“Thank you so much for the quick service – what a great business you have. I’m putting this DVD together on my own as an independent producer and editor of a new DVD. I’ll be directing other people to your site as I have already done. Many thanks again for being so prompt, efficient and personal. And lets not forget the help with all the bar-code images you gave me. Some of my friends in the UK spend a bomb and have to buy loads of codes they do not need by using the big rip off companies. Why they do not use you I don’t know. “They will now if I have anything to do with it”.” Steve H (authorised version)