The only barcodes Amazon and every major retailer will accept
GS1 is the only authorised source of Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) and barcodes — required to list products on Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's and every major retailer and marketplace. Your numbers are unique to you, permanently registered in the global GS1 database and verifiable by any retailer worldwide.
Get your EAN, UPC, GTIN or QR code — all included in a GS1 UK membership from £50 per year, just over £4 a month.
Get your barcode and start selling in three steps
Sign up
Activate your membership
Log into my GS1 & start selling
More than a barcode — membership that works for your business
License GS1 barcodes and receive so much more. When you sign up to your GS1 barcodes, GTINs, UPCs or EANs you’ll get all the additional benefits of being a GS1 UK member. Each of our membership plans carries a wealth of extras that your business can benefit from.
Globally recognised
GS1 is the only place to get authentic GTINs that are recognised and accepted globally by all retailers and marketplaces.
40% more impressions on Google
Adding a GS1 GTIN to your Google Shopping listing increases impressions by 40% and conversions by 20%.
Required for Amazon
Amazon won't accept product listings without a GS1 GTIN. If you want to sell on Amazon, this is the only route.
Boost efficiency
Streamline your supply chain with accurate data by using other GS1 standards like Global Location Numbers (GLNs).
Free expert support
Phone and online access to GS1 UK's technical team, plus training and a partner network to help you grow.
Unlimited team access
Share exclusive membership benefits with an unlimited number of users across your organisation.
Central barcode management
You’ll get access to My Numberbank to assign and manage your barcodes, QR codes and product data.
Access to networks, communities and valuable insights
Get support to meet business requirements and grow, with access to GS1 UK communities, our partner network, exclusive insights and events.
Next-gen QR codes included
Create QR codes powered by GS1 alongside your barcodes — ready for retail, regulatory and consumer requirements ahead.
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.
members in the UK
countries
scans of GS1 barcodes every day
members globally
Trusted by
Membership plans
Our membership plans are based on annual turnover, making the sign up process simple.
Once you have become a GS1 UK member you will be able to license additional GTINs and barcodes, should you require more and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits.
Membership packages are available from £50 per year (excl. VAT) which works out at just over £4 per month.
| 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, GLNs and QR codes
- 1 GS1 Company Prefix (GCP)
- Access to GS1 standards
- Access to partner networks
- Free support and training
FAQs
A barcode is the image you’ll recognise from most products that you see every day. It is the machine readable version of a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) - the number that sits underneath the barcode - formed of black and white lines that allows lasers to read the number and automatically identify a product.
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) – The name given to the number that uniquely identifies a product and is mostly commonly seen sitting underneath the black and white lines of a barcode. Is 12 digits in North America, but it’s usually 13 digits long in the rest of the world, or occasionally 8 digits (for very small products).
European Article Number (EAN) – The name given to the standard barcode image that represents the 13 digit GTIN on most products you buy in shops in the UK and globally, except for North America.
Universal Product Code (UPC) - The name given to the standard barcode image of a 12 digit GTIN that is commonly used in North America.
A UPC is usually a 12-digit barcode used in North America to identify most products. The rest of the world uses 13-digit EAN barcodes to identify products. However, both types of numbers and barcodes are part of the GS1 System of international standards, so both are accepted globally.
A product identifier is simply a number that allows you to uniquely identify your product.
The GS1 System of product identification ensures that the number you have given your product is unique. Retailers have been using GS1 product identifiers – GTINs - to manage their inventories for over 50 years.
Today, with 100s of millions of products now listed online on websites and marketplaces this is more vital than ever. Marketplaces use product identifiers to manage their product catalogues, so if your product is mis-numbered and has the same identifier as another product it causes a data conflict.
Standards and services included:
- Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)
- Global Location Numbers (GLNs)
- Barcode images
- QR codes powered by GS1
- Logistics labels and Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCC) through GS1 print
- Access to our partner network
- Training and support
- Share your products to Verified by GS1
- Central management of your numbers through My Numberbank
What is not included:
- LocationManager
- GTIN check via API
- TrueSource
- productDNA
- Money off coupons
GS1 standards are designed to work worldwide, so the identifiers and barcodes you obtain from GS1 UK will work in any market. As a global standard, retailers and online marketplaces all over the world accept our GTINs.
Please note that membership support is only available in English and our office operates according to British holiday dates and GMT business hours.
The EAN/UPC barcodes you see on products today aren’t disappearing any time soon. Instead, a transition is underway. Traditional barcodes and QR codes powered by GS1 will coexist for as long as there’s a need for them.
Introducing QR codes now helps future‑proof your products and prepares you for new retail, regulatory and consumer requirements, while existing barcodes continue to support core scanning at the checkout.
