From farm to fork – GS1 barcodes support the foodservice supply chain
GS1 barcodes are used by all leading foodservice operators and distributors in the UK – reducing food waste, increasing efficiency and cutting costs
Retailers have been using our Global Trade Item Numbers or GTINs to identify their products for 40 years - they’re the numbers you see under a barcode.
You see barcodes on almost every product you buy in shops. And you need these same barcodes to sell your products in the foodservice industry too - because barcodes enable you to uniquely identify your products, from manufacture to delivery and through to the final point of purchase.
Over two million companies globally use our barcodes, including all leading foodservice operators and distributors in the UK – which is why our barcodes help you trade with confidence and convenience, and save money through supply chain efficiencies.
What you need to do
To start assigning GS1 numbers and barcodes to your products, you’ll need a GS1 Company Prefix.
Follow the three easy steps to get started
Receive your own unique GS1 Company Prefix
Start assigning GS1 numbers and barcodes to your products
Join now to start assigning your GS1 numbers and barcodes
Once you’ve got your GS1 Company Prefix, you’ll be able to login to our member portal, which has tools and services to help you to manage all your GS1 barcode numbers and grow your business.
- My Numberbank – helping you to store and manage all the GS1 numbers you assign to your products - these are called Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)
- Barcode image generator – create barcode images quickly and easily – and we’ll give you three free credits to get you started
- Support and guidance – we’re here to help you so if you need any help with implementing our standards, or how they can help your business grow – get in touch
Why get your numbers and barcodes from GS1 UK?
Here's just some of the benefits of getting your barcode numbers from us.
Authentic source
You’ll receive an official GS1 certificate, giving you the peace of mind that your numbers are uniquely yours
Get up and running in minutes
Sign up online and you’ll be able to start assigning your GTINs in minutes
Training and education
Get access to our Academy - webinars, online training resources and classroom sessions to suit your needs
Over 40 years’ experience
We’ve been helping companies identify their products since the very first barcode was used back in 1973
Use them on Amazon, eBay, Google and other marketplaces
Your GS1 barcode numbers (GTINs) will be valid for all the major marketplaces
Free support by phone or online
Our support team is here to help you on your journey as your business grows
Manage your numbers online
Use My Numberbank to help you create, store and manage all of your GS1 numbers (GTINs) – for all of your products
Allow you to trade globally
We’re part of the global GS1 organisation that ensure our barcodes work everywhere, in every supply chain in every country
Working for your benefit
As a not-for-profit organisation, we work with our members to continually develop our standards – so they keep pace with the changing business landscape
How much does it cost?
| Turnover | Annual licence fee | Allocation |
| up to £0.50m | £119 | Up to 1,000 numbers |
| £0.5m to £1m | £131 | Up to 1,000 numbers |
| £1m to £10m | £203 | Up to 1,000 numbers |
| £10m to £50m | £318 | Up to 10,000 numbers |
| £50m to £100m | £1,300 | Up to 10,000 numbers |
| £100m to £250m | £1,700 | Up to 10,000 numbers |
| £250m to £500m | £2,200 | Up to 100,000 numbers |
| £500m to £1bn | £2,700 | Up to 100,000 numbers |
| Over £1bn | £3,200 | Up to 100,000 numbers |
All prices exclude VAT
Frequently asked questions
A GLN, or Global Location Number, is used to identify your business as a legal entity, often via the use of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). It can also be used to identify different offices, warehouses or even specific shelves within a warehouse. If you’re selling to major retailers they’ll often ask for your GLN. You can create your own GLNs once you’re a member of GS1 UK – from the unique company prefix we licence to you.
A Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is a number that uniquely identifies a product. You see them beneath the barcodes on almost every product in the world. Which is why they’re often called ‘barcode numbers’. In the UK and Europe they’re usually 13 digits long, in the US 12. You might see shorter 8 digit numbers, used on smaller products. There are even 14 digit versions, to identify cases of products. The same numbers are used to identify products sold online too. The important thing to know is that they are all licensed from GS1 organisations around the world – to guarantee their uniqueness. When you join GS1 UK you can create all the GTINs you need.
