How to Get a Barcode for Your Product (Without Buying One)

You're ready to sell and someone — a retailer, Amazon, Walmart — asks for your barcode. Here is the short version, because the whole process really is this short: the barcode image is free; what you obtain is the number behind it, a GTIN you license from GS1, the global body that issues them (a GTIN uniquely identifies each of your trade items). For retail, that license comes from the GS1 organization in your country. For internal use, you don't need anything at all.

The 10-second verdict:

• Selling in stores or on marketplaces → license a GTIN from GS1 (a single GTIN costs $30 in the US, with no annual renewal)
• Growing catalogue → a GS1 company prefix, your own block of numbers with an annual renewal
• Labels that never leave your warehouse → Code 128 with your own numbers, free, no GS1 needed
• "Cheap UPC numbers" on reseller sites → skip them; they trace back to someone else's company prefix

Step 1: Work out what you actually need

A marketplace or retail listing needs a GS1-issued GTIN. Your own website doesn't — SKUs you invent yourself are enough until a marketplace or retailer requires a GTIN. Internal labels (bins, shelves, asset tags) don't need one either; Code 128 with your own numbering does the job and costs nothing. If you haven't decided between UPC and EAN yet, read our UPC vs EAN decision guide for sellers first — the number you get determines the format, not the other way round.

Step 2: Join GS1 in your country

Every country has its own GS1 organization — GS1 US, GS1 UK, and so on — and you register with the one where your company is based. Signup happens online: business details, then you choose between a single GTIN and a company prefix. Once you're a member you get access to the member portal, where you register each product and assign GTINs from your prefix.

Step 3: Single GTIN or company prefix?

If you have one product and plan to stay that way, a single GTIN is the cheapest route — in the US it's $30 each with no annual fee. A company prefix is your own block of numbers: it suits a growing catalogue and is priced by capacity (US published GS1 US pricing starts at $250 for ten GTINs, plus a $50 annual renewal). Prices vary by country, so check your own national GS1 organization rather than a reseller site.

Step 4: Assign your numbers

Inside the member portal you register each product: name, brand, description and packaging levels. The portal then issues GTINs from your prefix. One rule matters here: every variant gets its own GTIN — each size, color and pack quantity is a separate trade item. Don't invent numbers yourself for retail products: a made-up GTIN will collide with a real one belonging to someone else, and marketplaces verify against the registry.

Your options, compared

Why resold "cheap UPC" numbers get listings rejected

Marketplaces check your GTIN against the GS1 registry, and a resold number carries the company prefix of whoever originally bought it — not you. The listing gets flagged or rejected, and you can't fix it without a number of your own. This myth is already dead: we covered exactly how it fails in our UPC vs EAN post, and the GS1 barcode standards exist precisely so every number maps to one accountable company.

Special cases

Books. You need an ISBN, not a GS1 prefix — ISBNs come from your national ISBN agency and convert directly into a scannable barcode.

Handmade and small-scale sellers. Marketplaces like Etsy don't require GTINs at all, so if you only sell there you can skip GS1 entirely until you expand.

Amazon private label. If you're brand-registered with Amazon, you can apply for a GTIN exemption instead of supplying GTINs — you provide brand and category details and Amazon approves the listings without them.

Once you have the number: make the barcode image free

The hard part is over. Enter your GTIN into a free barcode generator, pick UPC-A or EAN-13, and the check digit is calculated automatically — the generated image is yours to print at no cost. Export as SVG for print artwork, print one test label at actual size, and scan it with a phone before committing to a full run. For printing specs and label quality, our in-depth guide to UPC, EAN and Code 128 has the details.

FAQ

Do I actually need to buy a barcode for my product?
No — the image is free, and if you only sell on your own website you need nothing at all. You license the GTIN (the number) from GS1 only when a retailer or marketplace requires one.

Can I use the same barcode on Amazon and Walmart?
Yes. Both check the same GS1 registry, so a GTIN you licensed yourself works everywhere — that's the whole point of the system.

Do I need one barcode per product variant?
Yes. Each size, color and pack quantity is a separate trade item and needs its own GTIN — one number per variant, not one per product line.

Can I just make a barcode number up?
For internal labels, yes. For retail, no — a made-up number will collide with a real GTIN belonging to someone else, and registry checks will reject it.

What if I only sell on my own website?
Then you don't need a GTIN. SKUs you invent are enough; get a barcode only when a marketplace, retailer or distributor asks for one.

Can I print the barcode labels myself?
Yes. Generate the image with a free tool, print it on label stock, and scan one test label at actual size with a phone. If it scans cleanly, the print run is safe.