A UPC code costs $30 from GS1 US as a single GTIN, or $250 up front plus $50 a year for a 10-code company prefix. Three well-known resellers we checked in October 2026 charged $5 to $12 for one code with no renewal, and we charge $4.59. The gap comes down to one thing: whether your company’s name is on the GS1 record.
We’re a reseller, so keep that in mind as you read. The GS1 numbers come from GS1 US’s own page, and we say below when GS1 is worth the extra money.
UPC code prices at a glance
| Codes | GS1 US single GTIN | GS1 US company prefix | Other resellers | GetUPCCode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $30 | Not sold | $5 to $12 | $4.59 |
| 10 | $300 | $250 + $50 a year | $15 to $30 | $15 |
| 100 | $3,000 | $750 + $150 a year | $45 to $90 | $44 |
| 1,000 | $30,000 | $2,500 + $500 a year | $140 to $350 | $225 |
GS1 prices are from GS1 US, which says it can change them. The reseller ranges come from three public price lists, checked on October 30, 2026, before any coupons. One of those sellers beats us at 1,000 codes, so compare at the quantity you actually need. Our current packages are on the UPC code price list.
Work out your own cost
Enter how many products need a code, how long you’ll keep selling them and where. The calculator totals all three options and says which one fits your channel, including when that’s GS1 and not us.
Your numbers
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GetUPCCode
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GS1 US single GTINs
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GS1 US company prefix
Prices from GS1 US, checked October 30, 2026, and our current packs before coupons. A prefix shows a range because the last renewal may fall outside your years.
What GS1 US charges
GS1 US sells two products, and picking the wrong one is the easiest way to overpay.
The single GTIN is one code for $30 with no renewal fee. It includes a free lifetime subscription to GS1 US Data Hub, where you assign the number to your product and create a barcode. You can’t use it for pharmaceuticals, variable measure products, mixed cases or coupons.
The company prefix is a block of numbers licensed to your business. You pay once to start, then every year to keep it:
| Products | Initial fee | Annual renewal |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $250 | $50 |
| 100 | $750 | $150 |
| 1,000 | $2,500 | $500 |
| 10,000 | $6,500 | $1,300 |
| 100,000 | $10,500 | $2,100 |
Here’s how to choose. With eight products or fewer, single GTINs win outright: eight cost $240 once, and the smallest prefix costs $250 before any renewal. At ten products the prefix is cheaper on day one, but it reaches $300 at its first renewal and keeps climbing, while ten single GTINs stay at $300. Pick the prefix when you expect to keep adding products, and single GTINs when your line is small and stable.
What resellers charge, and why it’s so much less
A reseller sells you finished numbers from company prefixes licensed before August 28, 2002. Under a 2004 class action settlement, companies that joined before that date are “not obligated to pay membership renewal dues,” as Supermarket News reported. No yearly fee is owed, so none gets passed on to you.
What you give up is the GS1 record. Look up a resold code and you’ll see the company that first licensed the prefix, not yours. Channels that compare that record with your brand can reject the code. That’s the real reason for the price gap, and it matters more than the dollars.
Here are our packages with the price per code:
| Package | Total | Per code |
|---|---|---|
| 1 code | $4.59 | $4.59 |
| 5 codes | $9.99 | $2.00 |
| 10 codes | $15 | $1.50 |
| 25 codes | $24.75 | $0.99 |
| 50 codes | $33.49 | $0.67 |
| 100 codes | $44 | $0.44 |
| 500 codes | $123 | $0.25 |
| 1,000 codes | $225 | $0.23 |
| 10,000 codes | $775 | $0.08 |
The coupon SPECIAL takes 10% off orders of 25 codes or more.
Check the next pack up before you buy
Pack pricing means the exact number you need isn’t always the cheapest buy. Two examples:
- A candle in 3 scents and 2 sizes needs 6 codes. A 5-pack plus one single costs $14.58. A 10-pack costs $15, so for 42 cents you get four spare codes for your next scent.
- A T-shirt in 3 colors and 4 sizes needs 12 codes. A 10-pack plus two singles costs $24.18. A 25-pack is $24.75, or about $22.28 with SPECIAL, which is cheaper and leaves you 13 spare.
If you’re not sure of your count, our guide to how many UPC codes you need covers bundles and multipacks.
What the code price doesn’t include
The number is only part of getting a barcode onto a product. Budget for these too:
- The barcode image. Our orders include image files, and GS1 US Data Hub creates them for GS1 codes. Some cheap sellers send only the number, so ask first. If you end up with a number and no image, our free barcode generator makes one.
- Printing. No code price covers this. It’s part of your packaging run, or you print labels yourself. Our guide to buying barcodes goes through the printing options.
- Fixing a wrong choice. If a channel rejects your code, you pay for the new code, a new listing and possibly relabeled stock. This cost doesn’t show up on any price list.
What it costs over five years
The initial fee makes a prefix look cheaper than it is. Here are the five-year totals. The prefix shows a range because a fifth renewal may or may not fall inside the five years:
| Option | 10 products | 100 products |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 US single GTINs | $300 | $3,000 |
| GS1 US company prefix | $450 to $500 | $1,350 to $1,500 |
| GetUPCCode | $15 | $44 |
The prefix keeps costing money for as long as you keep it. A single GTIN and a reseller code don’t.
Which price is worth paying
Your sales channel decides this, not your budget. If you sell in several places, the strictest one wins.
| Where you sell | Pay for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart Marketplace | GS1 | Walmart cross-checks IDs with GS1 and recommends getting them directly from GS1 |
| Amazon, your own brand as the main channel | GS1 | Amazon checks product IDs against GS1 data |
| Retail chains | GS1, in your company name | Ask the buyer before you buy anything |
| eBay, Etsy, Shopify, your own site | A reseller code, if a code is needed | These channels need a valid number, and don’t ask who licensed it |
| Your own stock control | A reseller code | Nobody outside your business reads it |
A $4.59 code that Amazon blocks isn’t cheaper than a $30 GS1 code. You end up paying the $4.59, the relisting and then the $30 anyway. Walmart’s rules go further: listings with invalid product IDs “will be removed and may lead to suspension or termination of your Marketplace account.” If either of those channels is where your money is, go to GS1, even though we sell the cheaper option. The where to buy UPC codes guide walks through each case.
When you don’t have to pay anything
Three situations cost nothing:
- You resell another brand’s product. Use the barcode already on the package.
- Your own-brand product has no barcode and you sell on Amazon. You can apply for a GTIN exemption. It only works on Amazon.
- eBay asks for an identifier your item doesn’t have. eBay lets you choose “Does not apply.”
A free online generator doesn’t count. It can make a number that passes a format check, but the number isn’t licensed to you and may belong to someone else’s product. Google’s advice for its merchants is plain: “don’t guess or make up a value” (Google Merchant Center help).
Frequently asked questions
How much does one UPC code cost?
One UPC code costs $30 from GS1 US, with no renewal fee. Resellers charge less: the three we checked in October 2026 ranged from $5 to $12, and ours is $4.59. Only the GS1 code is registered to your company.
Do UPC codes have a yearly fee?
Only some do. A GS1 US company prefix renews every year, from $50 to $2,100 depending on its size. A GS1 US single GTIN has no renewal fee, and neither do reseller codes from pre-2002 prefixes.
Why are some UPC codes under $1?
Resellers cut the price per code as the pack gets bigger. Ours drops to $0.99 each at 25 codes and $0.44 each at 100. Those are real codes from older prefixes with no yearly fee, but they aren’t registered to your company. Be more careful with unnamed sellers on auction sites, where you can’t tell where the codes came from.
How much does a UPC cost for Amazon?
The safer route is a $30 GS1 US single GTIN, because Amazon checks codes against GS1 data. Reseller codes cost far less but can be blocked. Our UPC codes for Amazon guide explains who should buy which.
Can I get a refund on UPC codes?
Not from us. Once an order is placed we assign those codes to you and never sell them again, so orders can’t be cancelled or refunded. A faulty code gets replaced. Check your retailer’s rules before you buy, and ask us if you’re unsure.
