Obtaining a Barcode

For a modern manufacturer, importer, supplier, wholesaler, or retailer, barcode identification is an important tool for automated accounting, product identification, and movement of goods throughout the supply chain.

A barcode may be required for cooperation with retail chains, marketplaces, logistics operators, warehouse systems, and electronic data interchange. For certain categories of goods, labelling or identification requirements may arise directly from legislation or from practical market requirements.

VINCO’S Legal Company helps businesses go through the procedure for obtaining barcodes, prepare the necessary documents, avoid mistakes in applications, and ensure correct identification of trade items under GS1 standards.

A barcode is a machine-readable graphic symbol used for automatic identification of a product, logistics unit, or another object of accounting.

Most often, consumer products use a barcode that encodes a Global Trade Item Number, or GTIN. The GTIN allows a product to be uniquely identified in accounting, sales, supply, and electronic data exchange systems.

It is important to understand that a barcode itself does not contain information about the product’s composition, price, manufacturer, or country of origin. It is a unique identifier that is linked to product information in relevant databases and accounting systems.

GS1 is an international system of standards for automatic identification, barcoding, and electronic data exchange.

In Ukraine, GS1 standards are administered by the Association of Commodity Numbering of Ukraine “GS1 Ukraine”. Through this organization, Ukrainian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs may obtain GS1 numbers for product identification.

The first digits in a barcode do not indicate the country where the goods were manufactured. They indicate the GS1 Member Organisation through which the company obtained the relevant number. The GS1 prefix used for Ukraine is 482.

Obtaining a barcode may be necessary or practically advisable for:

• product manufacturers;
• importers of goods;
• suppliers to retail chains;
• companies working with marketplaces;
• wholesalers and retailers;
• private label manufacturers;
• companies implementing warehouse accounting or electronic data interchange;
• businesses planning to enter national or international markets.

In practice, most major retail chains and marketplaces require suppliers to have valid and correctly assigned GS1 barcodes.

Depending on the company’s needs, different GS1 identifiers may be used.

• GTIN — a Global Trade Item Number used to identify a product;
• GLN — a Global Location Number used to identify a company, its departments, warehouses, stores, or other locations;
• GS1 Company Prefix — a unique number assigned to a GS1 system participant and used to generate identification numbers;
• GS1 restricted circulation numbers — may be used in specific cases, including variable-measure goods for retail sale within Ukraine.

The correct choice of identifier depends on the type of product, sales model, requirements of the retail chain, and the company’s accounting processes.

To obtain a barcode under GS1 standards, a business entity usually needs to complete the following steps:

1. Determine which GS1 numbers are required for the business: GTIN, GLN, GS1 Company Prefix, or other identifiers.
2. Prepare information about the legal entity or individual entrepreneur.
3. Register associated membership in the Association “GS1 Ukraine”.
4. Submit registration documents and required information.
5. Execute the contractual documents required for participation in the GS1 System.
6. Pay the applicable membership fees.
7. Submit an application for assignment of a GTIN or another required GS1 number.
8. Receive a certificate or confirmation of the right to use the relevant GS1 number.

Applications may be submitted electronically through the interactive system of the Association “GS1 Ukraine” or by another permitted method.

For correct barcode assignment, it is necessary to prepare information that allows the trade item to be clearly identified.

• type and category of the product;
• trade name;
• article number or internal product code;
• trademark, if used;
• product description and consumer characteristics;
• composition or main product characteristics, if relevant for identification;
• type, material, size, and format of packaging;
• quantity of goods in the package, net weight, or volume;
• information about the applicable technical or regulatory document, if any;
• information about the manufacturer, importer, or brand owner;
• data required for inclusion of the product in an electronic catalogue.

A separate GTIN may be required for each materially different trade item. For example, a change in volume, quantity per package, flavour, format, configuration, or packaging type may require a separate barcode.

Mistakes in barcode registration may create practical problems for a business.

The most common risks include:

• incorrect product identification;
• refusal by a retail chain to accept the products;
• scanning problems at the checkout or warehouse;
• duplication or misuse of numbers;
• errors in electronic catalogues and documents;
• failure to meet the requirements of partners or distributors;
• delays in bringing products to market.

Proper preparation of the application and product description helps avoid errors and ensures stable use of the barcode in the company’s further operations.

VINCO’S Legal Company provides comprehensive support in obtaining barcodes for products.

We can assist with:

• consultation on the need to obtain a barcode;
• determining the required GS1 identifiers;
• preparing documents for membership in “GS1 Ukraine”;
• completing applications for GTIN, GLN, or other GS1 numbers;
• checking the correctness of product information;
• communication with the Association “GS1 Ukraine”;
• monitoring deadlines and payments;
• obtaining confirmation or a certificate of the right to use the relevant GS1 number;
• advice on practical use of barcodes when working with retail chains and marketplaces.

If you plan to bring a product to market, cooperate with retail chains, or implement a systematic product accounting process, the VINCO’S team will help you obtain a barcode efficiently, correctly, and without unnecessary mistakes.