No, since GS1 user companies can manufacture products anywhere in the world, GS1 Prefixes do not identify the country of origin for a given product. Each country has its own GS1 Prefixes (in Greece we use 520 and 521), not necessarily meaning that the product is produced or circulated at the country to which the Prefix corresponds. The country Prefix only determines the GS1 organisation that issued the company prefix.

The Brand Owner, the organisation that owns the specifications of the trade item regardless of where and by whom it is manufactured, is normally responsible for the allocation of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).

The Brand Owner can therefore be:

• The manufacturer or supplier 
• The importer or wholesaler
• The retailer

In general no. A barcode is linked to a number that describes an item in a unique way. All product information is stored in a data base. The barcode is the key for your search. Information such as description and retail price are recovered from the data base by decoding the barcode with a scanner. The only exceptions are specialized coding structures that are used for variable measure items and coupons. These codes include information about weight or price of the product or respectively the value of the coupon.

It depends from the company prefix you will be issued according to the range of products you wish to encode. The range may vary from 10 to 100.000 different codes.

Not always. If your internal codes have more digits that your Product Number, then this is not an option. In this case a translation/matching chart may be needed. In any case, this kind of practice is not advised. The issuing of numbers is best to be done by ascending numbering. This way it is easier for you to manage the range of available codes.

You can't in any instance, re-use numbers. Each individual item should have their own unique number. Once a product is in the market it keeps its number, regardless of if the product is still available or not. So make sure to place the details on your numbers carefully, as once you create a barcode for a product, you can't change it.

Yes, as the benefits of a unique and unambiguous identification system through the use of GS1 standards apply to both open and closed environments. The GS1 System also provides options for companies to use internal, restricted circulation numbers when these are required.

No, they are different depending on the business requirements. Barcodes can depict various information, from the unique GTIN of a product to the exclusive serial code SSCC of a palette, also additional data such as lot number, expiration date and more. The barcodes that are used by GS1 are EAN/UPC, GS1 DataBar, GS1-128, ITF-14, GS1 DataMatrix and Composite Component.

No. Scanners work by measuring reflectivity, which is why there must be good contrast between the dark coloured bars and light background. So, barcodes can be printed in different colours as long as you follow a general rule.

Light colours, including red and orange are suitable for the background and Quiet Zones. Dark colours, including black, blue and green are suitable for the bars. Complex colours are not suggested for printing barcodes. This is why it is we advise the use of solid colours. 

Barcodes are symbols that can be scanned electronically using laser or image-based technology. All applications rely on data structures by which all relevant items and their data can be identified. All related information to describe a product or a service and its characteristics, are to be found in databases.

The GS1 system has different areas of application, including applications for trade items, logistic units, assets and locations. The most advanced barcodes GS1-128, GS1 DataBar and GS1 DataMatrix, in combination with GS1 Application Identifiers are used to include additional attributes about an object in a barcode such as the best before data and lot numbers.

Yes. The GS1 system was designed based on the 12 digit UPC linear code, so the UPC-A and UPC-E symbols are 100% compatible with all GS1 systems. Companies that use UPC codes may trade their products all around the world, without any difficulty of identification.

However this is an outdated practice, considering that since the 1st of January of 2005 all points of retail in the USA and Canada owe to be able to manage 13 digit codes (EAN-13), as to eliminate the of existence of UPC codes (12 digits) especially it these two coutries. Since then, this practise has prooven that almost all big retailers have complied with the obligation above.

Since the 1st of January of 2005 all points of retail in the USA and Canada owe to be able to manage 13 digit codes (EAN-13), as to eliminate the of existence of UPC codes (12 digits) especially it these two coutries. Since then, this practise has prooven that almost all big retailers have complied with the obligation above. Specifically we can asure that Amazon accepts both kinds of code. In any case, if necessary, a special UPC prefix can be issued.