Blog.

Where to start

We write these guides for US sellers who need a straight answer about UPC codes and don't want to read a sales pitch first. We sell reseller UPC codes, and we say so in every guide where it matters. We also say when GS1 is the better buy. If you're new here, start with the question closest to yours.

New to UPC codes

If you've just been told you need a barcode, read what a UPC code is first. It explains the 12 digits, who issues them and what a code does and doesn't do. Then read how barcodes work for the scanning side, including why some barcodes fail at the register.

Ready to buy

The biggest question is where to buy. Where to buy UPC codes compares GS1 US and resellers for each sales channel. How much a UPC code costs has the prices at every quantity, yearly fees and a calculator for your own product count. If you want a head-to-head view, we've published a comparison with another well-known reseller, including the points where they beat us.

If you still need to work out your count, the calculator on our homepage does the sums for you. You need one code for each size, color, flavor and pack size. It's easy to get wrong, and it decides what you pay, so count before you buy. Bundles and multipacks need their own codes too.

Selling on Amazon

Amazon is where most of our customers sell. Start with UPC codes for Amazon, which explains how UPCs work on Amazon, GTIN exemptions, Brand Registry and FNSKU labels.

New to Amazon altogether? How to start selling on Amazon covers registration and fees, and how to list products on Amazon walks through the listing form. Once you're live, our ten tips for more sales and our guide to listing content show what to fix first. If you're still weighing it up, how to make money selling on Amazon compares the main business models with real fee math.

Selling in stores or on other marketplaces

Taking a product to retail raises different questions, such as whose name is on the code and how to print it. Buying barcodes for retail products walks through the steps from no barcode to on the shelf, and where to buy barcodes separates the number, the image and the printing. eBay sellers should read UPC codes for eBay, because many of them don't need to buy a code at all.

Three things to know before you buy any code

• Your strictest channel decides. If Amazon or Walmart is your main channel, or a retail chain is your goal, GS1 is usually the right buy. For eBay, Etsy, Shopify and your own site, a reseller code is usually enough.
• You need one code per variation, not per unit. Each size, color, flavor and pack size gets its own number, and every unit of that version shares it.
• A code stays with its product. Don't reuse a number on something new, and keep a list of what's assigned where. That simple spreadsheet will save you trouble for years.

If you're not sure which of these applies to you, send us your product list and where you plan to sell it. We'll tell you what we'd do, even if the answer is to buy from GS1.

Free tools

You don't need to buy anything to use these. The UPC check digit calculator tests a number, the barcode generator turns a list of codes into print-ready images, the label generator lays out label sheets and the SKU generator builds a tidy stock-keeping system. They all run in your browser.

How we write these guides

Our guides are written by people who work in marketing and Amazon product listings. We check prices and rules against primary sources, such as GS1 US, Amazon, Walmart and eBay, and we link to them so you can check for yourself. Prices carry the date we checked them, because they change. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.