Do I Need a Barcode for My Product?
In today’s retail landscape, barcodes have become an essential requirement for both online and offline retailers. These unique barcode numbers play a crucial role in managing pricing, inventory systems, ordering, and sales figures. Since their introduction in 1974, barcodes have become a standard practice for retailers worldwide. To ensure that your product can reach a wide market, it is highly recommended to purchase a barcode.
How many barcode numbers should I purchase?
It is recommended to purchase more barcode numbers than you currently need. Buying in larger quantities reduces the price per barcode, and having extra barcodes on hand can be beneficial if you require additional ones in the future. This avoids paying higher prices for smaller quantities later on.
What is the rule of thumb for assigning barcode numbers to products?
Every unique product requires its own barcode number. Any time you make a change to your product that distinguishes it from others (such as color, size, scent, shape, quantity, etc.), it becomes a different product and needs its own barcode number. Creating a merchandise list for your retail stores or sources where you sell your products is recommended. You can use the included spreadsheet in the barcode package to personalize the list. It should include your company information, assigned barcode numbers, product descriptions, selling prices, suggested retail prices, and any other relevant information for wholesalers or retailers, such as colors and sizes.
How Do Barcodes Work?
When supplying your product to a retailer, you’ll need to complete a product information form that links your product and company details to the unique barcode number. This information is then entered into the retailer’s sales and inventory system, enabling your product to be scanned at the point of sale and tracked through stock tracking software.
Are there retailers that don’t accept barcode numbers from resellers like MiroSel
At MiroSel, we guarantee that the barcodes we provide are unique, originate with the UCC (now GS1), and are accepted by the majority of retail stores in USA and worldwide.
But some retailers require a certificate directly from GS1. It is your responsibility to check with your retailers or resellers to determine if they require a GS1 certificate. The majority of companies do not require it, but a few retailers, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger, Macy’s, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Fred Meyer, and Bloomingdale’s, may request a certificate from GS1. Additionally, if you are working with stores that participate in the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) program, you must buy your barcodes from GS1.
Regarding barcodes supplied by MiroSel, some retailers like Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Metcash, and others accept our barcodes but may require a barcode verification report (just to make sure codes are scanned properly on your product packages) . You can arrange a verification report from SKU Vantage or GS1, even if you obtained the numbers from a third party.
What is the format of the barcodes I receive, and can I get other format?
We send ordered codes directly to your Email, specified in order, in numeric xls format. If you need another format (pdf, jpg, csv, txt etc.) please contact us. If you don’t see ypur order i your email ibox, please check spam folder. If you need Certificate of ownership regarding your codes, please contact us.
To make scannable barcode images from each of UPC/EAN code, use free online software, such as https://barcode.tec-it.com/
Do I need to register my barcode numbers?
Once you purchase barcode numbers from MiroSel, there is no further registration process required. The numbers you receive are unique to you, and it is up to you to assign them to your products. There is no mandatory worldwide registration or additional steps to be taken.
Why doesn’t my company name appear when scanning the barcode with a smartphone?
To associate your barcode with your product, you need to list your product on platforms like Amazon or other online listing services. You can also contact the company that created the smartphone app and request to be listed in their database. Until this association happens, the app will retrieve information from GS1’s GEPIR Database, which may be outdated as GS1 does not update their database with current owner information for each barcode.
Does my barcode contain price or other information?
No, the barcode itself does not contain any information besides the visually readable number, known as the human-readable barcode. The UPC-A (12-digit) or EAN-13 (13-digit) number is entered into the resellers’ or retail stores’ computer systems (databases). In their computers, they associate the unique barcode with their retail price and product description if necessary. Each store will have their own price linked to the same barcode number in their computer system. The barcode does not hold price or any other information; it is in your customer’s computer, associated with your unique barcode number, that creates the price and other relevant information.
Will My Company Details Be Listed on GS1’s GEPIR?
No, as a third-party supplier, we cannot list your company details on GS1’s GEPIR database. Once the codes issued by the UCC/GS1 are resold, GS1 no longer manages these numbers. However, we ensure that the codes we sell are globally unique and not assigned to a product prior to being issued to our customers. You can register your product and barcode information free of charge on popular alternatives to the GEPIR database, such as gtinlookup.org, gtinsearch.org, or upcdatabase.org.
Will the Barcodes Work on Amazon?
Yes, our UPC/EAN codes are guaranteed to be unique and unused, and they will work seamlessly on Amazon without any issues. If you encounter any errors while listing your product on Amazon, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance.
Why Choose MiroSel Barcodes?
Purchasing barcodes directly from GS1 can be expensive for small business owners and independent traders. GS1 requires initial membership fees and ongoing yearly subscription charges that can amount to hundreds of dollars, even for a single barcode. At MiroSel.com, our barcodes originate from the UCC (now GS1) and carry no additional fees, subscription charges, or hidden costs.
Is My Barcode Unique to My Product?
Absolutely! Your barcode is globally unique and linked exclusively to your product. All codes provided by MiroSel originate from GS1 (formerly UCC) and can be sent with a certificate of authenticity upon request.
Can I Reuse My Barcode?
We strongly advise against reusing codes, even if you no longer sell the product. GS1’s guidelines no longer support code reuse, as it has become challenging to implement with online marketplaces. For more information, please visit gs1us.org/what-we-do/standards/gtin-no-reuse.
Is any Information Stored in My Barcode?
No, the barcode is simply a globally unique number that is recorded in a retailer’s sales and inventory system and assigned to your product. It does not contain any additional information.
Will My Barcode Expire?
No, once you’ve purchased your EAN/UPC numbers from us, they belong to you and your product for life. There are no expiration dates or time limits.
Do You Charge Annual Fees?
Unlike GS1, we do not charge annual fees. When you purchase barcodes from GS1, you are required to pay ongoing yearly subscription charges to maintain your codes. Our one-time fee allows you to retain sole ownership of the numbers without incurring any additional costs.
What are the Leading Digits of Your Barcode Numbers?
Our UPC/EAN barcodes start with 07. This prefix range indicates that our numbers were issued by the Uniform Code Council (UCC, now GS1-US) before GS1’s current subscription model. The numbers we supply are from the same system as GS1’s numbers and are suitable for use on products in US and globally. By purchasing from us, you can obtain authentic globally unique retail barcodes without the burden of annual GS1 fees. Over 5000 businesses have been using our barcode numbers since 2015.
Why do UPC/EAN codes cost less on MiroSel.com than GS1 and even other resellers offer?
Our prices are lower than GS1 prices and other resellers because we buy larger volumes of prefixes and give this advantage to our customers. We are committed to making the process of obtaining UPC/EAN codes more accessible to small and medium businesses by providing quality codes at a competitive price.
How Do I Get a Barcode?
Getting a barcode is simple. Just visit our Pricing page, choose your package and press Buy button to pay vis Visa/Mastercard worldwide. Please make sure to read our conditions of sale before making a purchase.
Have a good sales!