Globally recognised barcodes for your clothing
GS1 UK provides the only globally recognised barcodes accepted by leading fashion retailers, online marketplaces and supply‑chain partners. Whether you sell online, in store, in the UK or worldwide, GS1 standards ensure your apparel products can be uniquely identified, accurately scanned and consistently tracked across their entire journey.
From individual garments and size variations to outer cartons and logistics units, GS1 standards support efficient stock management, smooth checkout experiences and reliable product data throughout the apparel lifecycle.
Joining GS1 UK gives your clothing brand trusted identifiers, expert support and a strong foundation for scalable growth.
Get a barcode for apparel in three simple steps
Sign up
Activate your membership
Log in to My GS1 & start selling
Benefits of barcodes in clothing
Accurate product identification
Uniquely identify every item of clothing by style, size, colour, and variation for consistent data across retailers, marketplaces, warehouses and systems. Eliminate duplication, mismatches and confusion throughout the supply chain.
Faster checkout and stock handling
Improve scanning accuracy and speed at POS, in stockrooms and distribution centres. Reducing manual handling, minimising delays and enabling smoother customer experiences in store and across omnichannel retail operations.
Improved inventory visibility
Track stock levels accurately across stores, warehouses and online channels. Enabling better forecasting, faster replenishment and clearer insight into granular product performance.
Reduced errors and returns
Ensure the correct product information is shared with retailers, logistics partners, and marketplaces, reducing picking errors, incorrect listings, shipment issues that lead to costly customer returns caused by inconsistent or unreliable product data.
Better traceability
Support sustainability, provenance tracking, recalls, and regulatory compliance by maintaining clear, standardised identification of clothing products throughout their lifecycle, from manufacture and distribution to sale and beyond.
Future-ready operations
Prepare your clothing business for emerging technologies by enabling RFID, QR codes powered by GS1 and digital product passports. Supporting greater transparency, automation and better product information for both consumers and supply chains.
Transform standards worldwide
GS1 delivers the traceability and data sharing infrastructure that allows business and consumers to make sustainable and safe choices. For more than 50 years we have helped our members to adapt, thrive and make ambitious improvements.
To this day, our globally recognised standards remain essential for powering the ability to identify, capture and share interoperable data.
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scans of GS1 barcodes every day
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Membership plans
GS1 UK membership is flexible and based on your annual turnover, making it suitable for independent designers through to established fashion brands.
Pricing starts from £50 per year, with scalable packages to support growing product ranges and expanding collections.
| Turnover | Number of GTINs & barcodes | Price (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £99,999 | 10 | £50/year |
| £100,000 - £499,999 | 100 | £100/year |
| £500,000 - £999,999 | 1,000 | £130/year |
| £1,000,000 - £9,999,999 | 1,000 | £200/year |
| £10,000,000 - £49,999,999 | 10,000 | £450/year |
| £50,000,000 - £249,999,999 | 10,000 | £1,750/year |
| £250,000,000 - £999,999,999 | 100,000 | £3,250/year |
| Over £1,000,000,000 | 100,000 | £4,250/year |
Select your annual turnover
Your membership plan will include:
- GTINs & barcodes
- 1 GS1 Company Prefix (GCP)
- Access to GS1 standards
- Access to partner networks
- Free support and training
Types of barcodes used in clothing
Different barcode types support different use cases, depending on where products are scanned and how they move through the supply chain.
EAN-13
The most widely used retail barcode worldwide; typically applied to individual garments, enabling fast, accurate POS scanning and linking each item to trusted product data.
QR codes powered by GS1
Support next‑generation needs including sustainability data, item‑level tracking and digital product passports.
EAN-8
Designed for very small labels - ideal for accessories or compact items where standard retail barcodes cannot comfortably fit.
ITF-14
Used on outer cases and cartons - they support warehouse scanning, bulk handling, and distribution, helping logistics teams identify grouped clothing items efficiently.
GS1-128
Primarily for logistics - can carry additional data such as batch numbers or shipment references, improving traceability and stock control.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
These tags are increasingly used in apparel to support item‑level tracking, inventory automation and future regulatory requirements.
Benefits of choosing GS1 UK for your clothing & apparel barcodes
Globally recognised standards
Official GTINs and barcodes accepted by fashion retailers, marketplaces and supply‑chain partners worldwide.
Retailer and marketplace acceptance
Trusted by leading retailers, online marketplaces and logistics partners. Reducing listing rejections, data conflicts and delays when bringing clothing products to market.
Future-ready identification
Supports emerging technologies such as RFID, QR codes powered by GS1 and digital product passports, helping you to prepare for increased transparency, automation and sustainability requirements.
Easy-to-use management tools
Manage your growing clothing range with intuitive online tools that allow you to create, assign, and track GTINs across styles, sizes, colours and collections as your business scales.
Expert UK-based support
Access knowledgeable, UK-based experts who understand the industry and can provide support with barcode allocation, compliance questions and best practices as your operations evolve.
Industry insight and guidance
Access clothing-specific resources, insights, and industry collaborations to stay aligned with retail standards, regulatory changes and innovations shaping the future of fashion.
See how GS1 standards are helping apparel brands grow
Get a barcode for clothing today
Join GS1 UK to give your clothing products globally trusted identifiers recognised by retailers, marketplaces, and supply-chain partners worldwide. GS1 barcodes ensure that independent designers and established fashion brands alike can list, scan and sell with complete confidence across every channel.
With a seamless sign-up process, flexible membership pricing based on turnover, and access to expert UK-based support, getting started is simple. You’ll receive official GTINs, easy-to-use tools to manage your product range and a future-ready foundation for growth.
