A ‘barcode picture’ is a machine-readable image consisting of vertical black bars and spaces of variable widths. When scanned, the black bars and white spaces decode to reveal a specific 12- or 13-digit long sequence of numbers (the ‘barcode number’).

The 12-digit UPC barcode system was designed in the early 1970s by George J. Laurer in the USA (when working as an IBM engineer). A few years later, he developed a 13-digit version of this code – the EAN-13 code – for use internationally (outside the USA).

EAN-13 barcode numbers are 13 digits long. They are the most common barcode type for retail products in Singapore (and worldwide). In the USA, the 12-digit UPC is preferred. Almost all barcode scanners can read both types of code.

Most retail stores use a barcode system (and many more will implement a barcode system soon). Therefore we recommend getting a barcode if you want to sell your product in retail stores. You may also need a barcode if you’re going to sell your product online (stores such as Amazon and CD Baby require your product to have a barcode).

UPC barcodes are 12 digits long and are used mainly in the USA. EAN barcodes are usually 13 digits long, and they are used all over the world. Most barcode scanners can read both types of barcodes.

It is usually necessary to have a different EAN-13 barcode for each product variation, ‘SKU’, (each different size, flavour, colour etc.). For example if you sell tea in 5 flavours and each flavour comes in 2 sizes say 250g and 500g, then you would need 5×2=10 barcodes. Please watch our short video.

Barcode packages ordered through our website are sent to you via email automatically. The guarantee and images are sent as attached files (in different formats (jpeg, png, SVG & pdf). The idea is then to incorporate whichever image format you like best into your product packaging. This can be done yourself, or your graphic designer can do it. Take a look at the barcode specifications before doing this.

Another option is to arrange for stick barcode labels to be printed and manually stuck onto your product. Talk to label printers in your area to arrange this.

The barcodes that we supply are GS1-origin barcodes that are unique worldwide. They are suitable for use on any retail product (although if you have a book or magazine, you might want to get an ISBN or ISSN number instead).

To our knowledge, every retailer in Singapore accepts the barcodes we sell. Suppose you are planning to export your product overseas. In that case, there are a few retailers that won’t accept our barcodes because they have a specific requirement that you must be a member of GS1 (these stores are Kroger’s and Walmart in the USA, Woolworths in Australia, and Super Retail Group in Australia and New Zealand). Please see Barcode acceptance for the most up-to-date information.

Yes. The barcodes we sell are international codes. They can be used in any country in the world. We have been in business since 2007 and have customers using our barcodes in Asia, Europe, America, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands.

Yes. Our barcodes come from UCC (now called GS1-US), which is the official barcode body. UCC (the Uniform Code Council) first allocated our barcodes to a company in the USA (before UCC started charging annual membership fees). This company then on-sold a large block of numbers they didn’t need, and we purchased some.

Here is a more detailed explanation: Our barcode numbers were assigned by UCC (now called GS1-US) to manufacturers in the USA in the early 1990s before GS1-US had started charging membership fees. When GS1-US introduced annual membership fees in the early 2000s, these manufacturers refused to pay & took GS1 to Court. The manufacturers succeeded, winning an out-of-court settlement of about USD 4,000,000. Under the settlement terms, these manufacturers owned their barcode numbers & did not have to pay any membership fees to GS1. Some of these manufacturers had large quantities of unneeded barcode numbers, so they sold some of them to other companies. This is where our barcode numbers come from.

Our barcodes are legal for use in Singapore (and worldwide) because they originally came from UCC (since renamed GS1-US). They are used in over 120 countries worldwide without issue.

Your barcode will not have your company prefix. The only way to get a barcode with a company prefix is to purchase many barcodes from a global standards body (100+) and pay their expensive annual membership fees. It is not possible to buy a single barcode number that has your company prefix. HOWEVER, most retailers (99.95%) don’t care about the ‘company prefix’. They want a legitimate barcode that works.

No product (or company) information is contained in a barcode. A barcode is a unique sequence of digits (encoded into vertical black bars and spaces). Your barcode will only connect to your product when put into a database or a retailer’s inventory system.

To purchase a barcode from our company, please go to the Barcode Shop page, enter the number of items you want, click “Add to Cart”, and then click “Go to Checkout”. You can then review your order and make the payment (by credit card or PayPal). After the payment has been made, you will receive an email confirming your order. We will then process your order (usually within the next 1 – 12 hours) and email your barcode order. If you want to pay by Western Union instead, please email us.

You can begin using your barcode immediately – attach it to your product and then give it to your retailers. They will enter your barcode number & product information into their system. After that, when your retailers scan your barcode, the product information will appear on their screen. Please watch our short video.

No, you do not have to be a registered company to purchase a barcode. Individuals, organisations, or groups can buy a barcode from our company.

Yes, you can. We sell barcodes to customers worldwide (including customers in Europe, America, Africa etc.).

Our business can offer you:

1. Low-cost
2. No ongoing annual fees
3. FREE barcode graphic
4. No membership requirements
5. Fast turn-around (usually between 1-12 hours).

For more information, please read Why Buy From Us?

YES. We guarantee that the barcode number you will receive will be unique worldwide. No one else in the world will be allowed to use your barcode number. We will also give you a certificate of authenticity.

No, your barcode will never expire – you have it for life, and you can continue using it for as long as you need to.

No, you will never have to pay any renewal or membership fees. All of our prices are simple one-off payments.

The standard size for an EAN-13 barcode is about 38mm wide, but anything within 80% – 200% of the standard size is okay. The smallest recommended width for an EAN-13 barcode is 30mm. For more information, see the official standards for barcode size.

No. If you buy a barcode from our company, it will not be registered in a central database, as there is no central database for barcode numbers. After you receive a barcode number from us, you can begin using it however you want to – you do not have to register it first. It is your responsibility to monitor the use of your barcode number (i.e. to ensure that it is only assigned to one product at a time). Our company offers an optional barcode registration service (this is not compulsory). If you purchase barcode registration from us, we will register your barcode & product on the major internet databases.

Printing your barcode in black on white is the safest thing to do. However, printing the barcode in some other colours is also okay. If you are adding colour to the barcode, the barcode background needs to be a warm colour (e.g. red, yellow, or orange), and the bars need to be a cool colour (e.g. green or blue). You cannot use metallic colours on any part of the barcode. If you print your barcode in colours other than black and white, we recommend thoroughly testing it to ensure that it scans well before using it. For more information, please read our information on Barcode Colour and our Barcode Colour Guide PDF.

We have some sample barcode pictures on our website – see the sample images here. If you have difficulty viewing or downloading these, send us an email & we will send you some sample barcode images.

Books need an ISBN. You need to get one of these numbers assigned to your publication (Please see here for details on obtaining an ISBN), and then come back to us and order the barcode images for your number online. We will then email your barcode images to you & you can start using them in your book.

Magazines need an ISSN number. You need to get one of these numbers assigned to your publication (please see Magazine Barcodes for info on obtaining an ISSN), and then come back to us and order the barcode images for your number online. We will then email your barcode images to you & you can start using them in your magazine.

A GLN is a globally unique number that some retailers use as a location identifier for suppliers. If you require one of these, it can be purchased here.

UPC-A and EAN-13 numbers are used as retail barcodes for scanning at the checkout to obtain the price and other product information. The main differences are that UPC-A Barcodes only have 12 digits, and EAN-13 barcodes have 13 digits. Furthermore, the displacement of the numbers below the barcodes differs.

Both versions are designed for international use and can, therefore, in theory, be used throughout the world. However, UPC-A Barcodes are far more common in the USA, and EAN-13 Barcodes are far more common everywhere else. This means some retailers may be unfamiliar with one format or have their system set up not to accept 13-digit or 12-digit numbers. Regardless of this, either format can be used.

As shown in the image below, the actual bars of the UPC-A format barcode and the EAN-13 format barcode (with a leading ‘0’) are identical. This means that they will scan in the same way regardless of which country they are in. If a retailer’s system does not allow 13-digit numbers, the leading ‘0’ can be ignored when typing the number into the system, and the barcode will work in the same way as if it were a UPC-A format barcode. Similarly, if 13 digits are required, a ‘0’ can be added to the beginning of the UPC-A barcode to turn it into an EAN-13. Either way round, the barcode will be globally unique and legal for use internationally.

Our barcodes begin with a ’07’. This means that the barcodes themselves originally came from the USA. However, this says nothing about the origin of the products themselves. Products from any country can use barcodes from the USA and vice versa.