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~ Lorna Leaver ~

Can I use the same product number anywhere in the world? products sold domestically. In Brazil, manufacturers are
If we are talking about the unique number underneath a required to use GS1 GTINs on their invoices to enable the
barcode, then yes you can – that is the beauty of a global government to validate tax and import charges.
standard.
Can I reuse my numbers?
There are still a small number of retailers that have yet to up- GTIN reuse ended on 31 December 2018. This was due to
grade their systems to hold a 13-digit GTIN, and, therefore, the rise of e-commerce, which has meant that products now
require a 12-digit UPC. However, you should speak to us stay around for a lot longer than the manufacturer originally
directly to double-check if a 12-digit UPC is actually needed produced them for.
before you license these numbers.
Think about eBay and all the other C2C platforms you can
It’s the barcode image that you need to be more cautious sell on. If you reuse the same numbers over and over again,
with, as this will depend on what you’re using it for. eventually there will be number clashes, leading to a poor
experience for both you and your customers.
I’ve seen barcode numbers for sale online, are they legiti-
mate? For other forms of identification, like Serial Shipping
If you find a barcode number online, it is likely that it is Container Codes, which are used for tracking cartons and
not linked to GS1, meaning it sits outside of the globally pallets, reuse can begin a year after issuance, since they are
maintained GS1 System. This means we cannot guarantee the not usually retained. ••
uniqueness of the number, which can result in clashes with
other products in a retailer’s database.

This can have consequences for both putting products on
sale, and what a customer sees and receives. In addition, these
stray barcodes will not be registered to your company, but the
original licensee instead. None of this is good for business.

Is there legislation in place that requires sellers to have
barcodes on their products?
Here in the UK, it is voluntary to use B2B standards – and
the barcode is just one of these. However, in some countries,
If you want to find out more about GS1 standards, visit our
it is part of government legislation. For example, in China,
website at www.gs1uk.org
a manufacturer is required to use a GS1 GTIN for any

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