How to Get EAN Codes: GS1 Membership vs Buying from a Reseller

There are three ways to get EAN codes: join your national GS1 organisation and license your own numbers, buy individual codes from a reseller, or, where a channel allows it, sell without an EAN at all. GS1 is the right choice for branded products on Amazon and bol.com, for Zalando and for supermarkets and retail chains, while a registered reseller code can work well for unbranded products, your own webshop and marketplaces that only ask for a valid, unique EAN.

This guide compares those routes honestly. It covers what GS1 membership costs in 2026 in the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, what happens when you stop paying, where reseller numbers come from, what they show in GS1's own database, and which marketplaces accept which kind of code as of October 2026. If you first want to understand what the 13 digits actually mean, start with our guide what an EAN code is and how it is built.

A quick note on who is writing this. We sell EAN-13 codes that do not come from a GS1 membership held by the buyer. That gives us an obvious interest, so every claim below has a source, and we say plainly where GS1 is the better choice. A wrong decision here is expensive to undo, especially on Amazon, so it is worth ten minutes to get it right.

The three ways to get EAN codes at a glance

Before going into detail, it helps to see the three options side by side. The right one depends far more on where you sell and whether your product carries a brand than on price.

The rest of this article explains each row, with the numbers and the rules behind it.

Option 1: how do you get EAN codes from GS1?

GS1 is the not-for-profit standards body behind the EAN/UPC system. It describes itself as the only official provider: "GS1 is the only official provider of GS1 GTINs and EAN/UPC barcodes globally" (GS1, Get barcodes). It works through national member organisations. You cannot buy GS1 numbers from GS1 global; you join the office in the country where your business is based, such as GS1 Nederland, GS1 UK, GS1 Germany, GS1 France, AECOC (GS1 Spain) or GS1 Italy.

What you actually receive

You do not buy numbers from GS1. You receive a licence to use them. Depending on the country and package, that licence covers either a handful of individual GTINs or a GS1 Company Prefix: a 7 to 10 digit block that starts with the issuing office's prefix and leaves room for your own item numbers. The shorter your company prefix, the more numbers it holds. GS1 Germany, for example, issues a 9-digit base number for 1,000 GTINs, an 8-digit one for 10,000 and a 7-digit one for 100,000.

As the brand owner you then allocate the numbers yourself: one for each product, each variant and each pack size. GS1 says the brand owner is "normally responsible for the allocation of the GTIN". You also enter basic product data (brand, product description, net content and so on) in your GS1 portal, and that data is what appears in GS1's global lookup, Verified by GS1.

Step by step

1. Count the codes you need. Every sellable variant needs its own number. GS1 Nederland's own example: black and white socks in three sizes is six codes, and three-packs of those are six more. Our article on when variants, bundles and product changes need a new EAN has a fuller method.
2. Check your turnover bracket. Most GS1 offices price by annual turnover, by number of codes, or both.
3. Apply online with your national GS1 office, using your company registration details. New companies usually give an estimated turnover.
4. Pay the first invoice: an entry fee where one applies, plus the first annual fee.
5. Allocate numbers and enter product data in the GS1 portal, so that each GTIN is linked to your brand and product in Verified by GS1.
6. Generate the barcode image from the number. The number is what you license; the barcode is just a drawing of it, and you can produce that with any decent barcode software.
7. Renew every year. GS1 UK states that GTINs "are licensed annually" and sends a renewal invoice each year.

What GS1 membership gives you that nothing else does

The real value of GS1 is not the digits themselves. Any valid 13-digit number with a correct check digit scans the same way at a till. The value is that GS1's registry names your company as the licence holder. Amazon compares the brand you enter with GS1's data, bol.com requires a GS1-registered EAN for branded items, Zalando reportedly asks for a GS1-registered EAN-13, and retail chains check that the GTIN is registered to the supplier. If any of those channels is in your plans, this registry entry is what you are paying for.

How much does GS1 membership cost in 2026? Fees by country

GS1 offices set their own prices, so costs differ a lot between countries. All amounts below are excluding VAT and come from each office's own published fee pages. Some lists were set in 2025 and still apply in 2026; the validity date is noted. Always re-check before you sign up, because fees change.

In short: in 2026 a micro-business pays roughly €60 to €130 a year for 10 to 100 GS1 codes in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, and roughly €220 to €410 in the first year in France, Spain and Italy, where there is an entry fee but the number of codes is effectively unlimited. In every case the codes stay usable only while you keep paying.

Netherlands: packages plus a turnover contribution

GS1 Nederland sells annual code packages: 10 codes €61, 100 codes €92, 1,000 codes €189, 10,000 codes €269 and 100,000 codes €483. On top comes the annual GS1 Contribution, which starts at €28 for turnover up to €1 million and rises to €3,279 for turnover above €1 billion. For very small ranges there is also the one-off "GS1 artikelcode 1": individual GTINs at €37 each, up to a maximum of five, without the annual contribution. As we read the chart, three products would cost €111 once; confirm the exact terms with GS1 Nederland before relying on that. A GTIN-8 for a very small pack costs €53 one-off. Different rules apply to companies based outside the Netherlands.

Some commercial blogs quote other 2026 package prices for GS1 Nederland. Use the official fee chart, not a third party's summary.

United Kingdom: one fee by turnover or allocation

Since renewals on or after 1 April 2025, GS1 UK charges one annual fee based on turnover or on the number of GTINs you need, whichever is higher. The bands start at £50 a year with 10 GTIN-13s (turnover up to £99,999), then £100 with 100 GTINs (£100,000 to £499,999), £130 with 1,000 (£500,000 to £999,999) and £200 with 1,000 (£1 million to £9.99 million), rising to £4,250 with 100,000 GTINs above £1 billion. Extra numbers can be added each year: 10 for £25, 100 for £50, 1,000 for £102.

Germany: SmartStarter10 or GS1 Complete

Small sellers with turnover under €250,000 can take SmartStarter10: 10 GTINs and one GLN (a location number) for €60 a year. An optional certificate subscription costs €22 to €33 a year. Anyone who needs more numbers moves to GS1 Complete: a one-off provision fee of €250 (1,000 GTINs), €360 (10,000) or €580 (100,000), plus an annual usage price by turnover that starts at €160 for turnover under €5 million.

France: turnover only, tacit renewal

GS1 France charges an entry fee in the first year plus an annual fee that depends on total turnover and not on the number of codes. Up to €50,000 that is €120 plus €104 a year; from €50,001 to €500,000 it is €130 plus €108; and the scale climbs to €10,000 plus €4,930 above €1 billion. Membership renews tacitly each year, and new companies use their expected turnover for the next 12 months.

Spain: low entry fee for small companies

AECOC charges a registration fee of €100 if last year's turnover was under €100,000 (normally €600), €300 between €100,000 and €500,000, and €600 above that. The annual fees it lists are €216, €357, €446, €601, €782, €1,215 and €1,829, but the page shows nine turnover brackets and only seven amounts, so it is not clear which fee belongs to which bracket. The smallest band is most likely €216 a year; check with AECOC before you budget. Membership includes your own company prefix with unlimited GTINs, and a new prefix is free if you run out.

Italy: entry fee plus a turnover-based annual fee

GS1 Italy charges €300 in the first year plus €110 a year for turnover up to €500,000, €500 plus €130 up to €1 million, and €1,400 plus €190 up to €5 million, rising from there. Fees are not prorated, and they cover use of the company prefix regardless of how many codes you create. GS1 Italy's platform publishes your product data to the GS1 registry.

For comparison: the United States

GS1 US sells a single GTIN for $30 with no renewal fee. Company prefixes range from 10 items ($250 plus $50 a year) to 100,000 items ($10,500 plus $2,100 a year). A European seller normally joins the GS1 office in its own country rather than GS1 US.

What happens if you stop paying GS1?

This is the part of GS1 membership that surprises people most. Because you hold a licence rather than owning the numbers, the right to use them ends when the licence ends.

• GS1 Germany's terms grant "a simple right of use for the duration of this Contract", forbid transferring it to third parties, and oblige the customer on termination to stop using the numbers.
• GS1 UK says that if you cancel, "you will no longer have access to your GS1 GTINs".
• Sellers on Amazon's forums report that listings can be removed after a licence lapses, because Amazon re-checks codes periodically. These are anecdotal reports and the timing is unclear, but the risk is real.

Two clarifications keep this fair. First, the numbers do not "expire" in any technical sense; a lapsed number still scans, and GS1 does not re-issue it to someone else. What ends is your right to use it and your entry as its licence holder. Second, the cost is predictable. For most micro-businesses in the Netherlands, Germany or the UK it is less than €10 a month, which is a small price for a product line that depends on Amazon or retail.

The practical lesson: if you go with GS1, treat the annual fee as a fixed cost of the product line for as long as those products are on sale, including old stock still in shops.

Option 2: can you buy EAN codes from a reseller?

Yes. Many companies sell individual EAN or UPC numbers outside GS1 membership, usually for a one-off price. It is legal to buy and use them: there is no law that says a product must carry an EAN, and a GTIN is neither a trademark nor protected by copyright. The requirements come from contracts and platform rules: the GS1 licence terms, marketplace policies and retailer specifications. That is exactly why the question "are barcode resellers legit?" has a two-part answer. The numbers work; whether a particular channel accepts them is a separate matter.

Where reseller numbers come from: the 2002 history

The reseller market goes back to the United States. The Uniform Code Council (UCC, now GS1 US) originally sold company prefixes for a one-off fee, and its certificates did not restrict transfers. When annual fees were introduced, a class action followed and was settled. In August 2002 the UCC changed its membership contract to forbid "selling, sharing, leasing, sub-dividing, or re-selling" a prefix. Prefixes issued before then did not carry that clause, and many resellers sell numbers from those older prefixes. Some say so openly; one US reseller advertises codes "originally issued by GS1 before the 2002 UCC settlement". This history comes mainly from commercial sources and some details are disputed, so treat the specifics with care.

Other resellers say they work entirely outside GS1. A Dutch competitor, for example, states that it does not work with GS1 and avoids the 87 prefix, and that its codes are only for unbranded or generic listings on bol.com. The point for you as a buyer: ask any reseller where its numbers come from, and be wary of one that cannot or will not explain.

What GS1 says about resellers

GS1 is clear that it does not support this market:

• GS1 Australia: "GS1 has no relationship with these resellers… If you buy barcode numbers from a reseller you do so at your own risk… there is no guarantee that the number will remain unique within the GS1 System."
• GS1 Nederland: providers of "(often cheap) EAN codes" use numbers improperly, and such codes "cannot be registered in the global register".
• GS1 UK: reseller numbers "won't be correctly linked to your brand", and in retail your products "will be rejected" if the GTIN is not registered to you.
• GS1 India warns of "non-compliance issues, duplicate codes, and a lack of traceability".

The duplicate-code warning deserves attention, because it is the risk that actually hurts sellers. Some sellers who bought cheap codes on auction sites found the same numbers had been sold to others, and their listings were hijacked as a result. A reseller that keeps a register and never sells a number twice removes that particular risk. It does not remove the others.

What a reseller code shows in GS1's database

Verified by GS1 (the old GEPIR lookup now redirects to it) shows the company that licensed a number from GS1. GS1 France explains that codes from other parties "may not be in the GS1 system, or may be transferred or resold GS1 codes that will show the original owner's data". So if you buy a reseller code and someone looks it up in Verified by GS1, they will see either the original prefix holder or no product data at all. They will not see your company. Any check built on GS1 data, such as Amazon's brand check, will therefore not link the number to you.

A related myth: the first digits of an EAN do not show the country of origin, and with a reseller code they do not show your country either. The prefix only tells you which GS1 office originally issued it.

What a registered code from GTINcodes.com is, and what it is not

Since this is our own product, here is the plain version. GTINcodes.com supplies valid EAN-13 numbers from its stock, each issued once and registered to the buyer in the GTINcodes register. Anyone can check a code on our public check page. The codes are a one-off purchase. An optional protection subscription adds more: with protection, the check page shows your company name and you can download a registration certificate.

What the certificate proves, and its limits

The registration certificate is evidence that you bought specific codes from GTINcodes.com and when they were registered to you. That is useful when another seller lists a different product on your code, when you need to show good faith to a marketplace that does not check GS1 data, or as part of a file of evidence alongside invoices, dated product photos and a trademark registration. It is not a GS1 registration, and a marketplace that checks GS1 data will not treat it as one. Our guide to proving EAN ownership and handling listing disputes explains how to build that evidence file.

The protection plans differ in what they add. Premium shows product name and brand per code on the check page and sends a monthly report of checks; Business supports several brands, CSV import or an API, and includes a dispute letter. Yearly plans include free extra codes. Details are on the protection plans page. Unlike the codes, protection is a recurring subscription, so compare like with like when you weigh it against a GS1 fee.

Option 3: can you sell without an EAN code?

Sometimes you need no code at all, and it is worth checking this before you spend anything. Whether this route is open depends on the channel.

Amazon: GTIN exemption and Brand Registry

Amazon requires a product identifier in most categories, but offers a GTIN exemption for private-label, generic or unbranded and handmade products, parts without a GTIN, and bundles. You apply per brand and category in Seller Central (up to ten combinations at once) and upload at least two real photos of the product and packaging that show the brand and that no barcode is present. A response usually comes within 48 hours, and approval covers future products of that brand in that category. Brands on Amazon's "GTIN required" list cannot get an exemption. If you have a registered or pending trademark, Brand Registry lets you list your brand without a GTIN and gives you the main tools against hijackers. Our guide to EAN codes on Amazon walks through both routes and the error codes you may meet.

Google Shopping: identifier_exists

Google recommends a GTIN for products that have a manufacturer-assigned one, but says "products without a GTIN don't need one". For shop brands and private-label goods it expects brand and MPN instead. You set identifier_exists to no only when a product genuinely has no GTIN, MPN or brand, such as custom-made goods or antiques. Google also says plainly: do not make up GTINs. The details are in our article on GTINs for Google Shopping.

eBay, Etsy and your own webshop

• eBay asks for a product identifier in many categories but accepts a localised "Does not apply" value (for example "niet van toepassing" in the Netherlands or "nicht zutreffend" in Germany), and "Unbranded/Generic" as a brand where there is none.
• Etsy does not appear to require a GTIN for handmade or vintage items; GTINs mainly matter for its Google Shopping ads feed. Check the current listing form, as we could not confirm this on Etsy's own help pages.
• Your own webshop on Shopify, WooCommerce or Wix needs no GTIN to sell. You may still want one for Google Shopping, warehouse scanning or future marketplace listings.

Channels where "no EAN" is not an option

bol.com needs a valid EAN or ISBN for every item. Kaufland lists EAN among the attributes every product must have. Cdiscount has required a GTIN for every new product since 1 February 2021. Zalando needs a valid EAN-13 for every size and colour. Supermarkets and chains need GS1 GTINs. For these channels the question is not whether to get codes but which kind.

Which marketplaces accept which EAN codes? (as of October 2026)

This matrix summarises the published rules and the best available evidence. Marketplace policies change, so check the channel's own help pages before listing. Where a marketplace has not published a GS1 rule, "not documented" means exactly that: no rule was found, not that a check definitely does not exist.

The bol.com rule, word for word

Because bol.com is the channel where this question comes up most in the Netherlands and Belgium, here is its own wording (fetched October 2026): "For branded items, it is mandatory to use an EAN registered with GS1", and "Currently, we do not yet enforce unregistered EANs for unbranded items" (bol.com partner platform). bol.com also advises sellers who use an intermediary to check whether the codes are registered with GS1, and recommends buying from GS1 directly.

Some commercial sites claim that bol.com has started removing unbranded items without GS1 codes as well, linked to stricter manufacturer data checks from April 2026. bol.com's own page did not say that when we checked in October 2026, but the word "yet" is a signal. If unbranded bol.com sales are central to your business, weigh the chance that this rule tightens. Our article on EAN codes for bol.com covers shared product pages, "EAN already in use" errors and how to protect a listing.

GS1 Nederland goes further and says that the major stores and webshops "such as bol.com and amazon only accept GS1 article codes". That is broader than bol.com's own current rule for unbranded items, but it is a fair description of where the large channels are heading for branded goods.

GS1 or a reseller: which should you choose?

Work through these questions in order. The first "yes" decides it.

1. Will you sell to supermarkets, retail chains or other physical shops, now or within a year or two? Choose GS1. Retail buyers check that the GTIN is registered to the supplier, and many also want product data in a GS1 data pool.
2. Will you sell on Zalando? Choose GS1.
3. Will you sell a branded product on Amazon? Choose GS1, or use the GTIN exemption or Brand Registry and list without a code. Do not use a reseller code: it will fail the brand check against GS1 data.
4. Will you sell a branded product on bol.com? Choose GS1. It is mandatory.
5. Do you need your company to appear in GS1's registry, for example because a B2B customer, distributor or platform asks for it? Choose GS1.
6. Are your products unbranded or generic, sold in your own webshop, on eBay, Kaufland or as unbranded items on bol.com? A registered reseller code can work well here, at a one-off cost.
7. Is it a one-off, handmade or custom product sold on Etsy, eBay or your own site? Check whether you need a code at all before buying anything.

Three worked examples

A candle seller with an own webshop and eBay. She makes 12 scented candles in two sizes, sells mainly through Shopify and eBay, and has no plans for retail. That is 24 codes. GS1 would work, but she does not need her company in GS1's registry. A one-off set of registered reseller codes covers her needs, and she can add GTINs to her Google Shopping feed. If a gift-shop chain later asks to stock the candles, she should move to GS1 at that point, and for retail she will need to.

Brand X socks on Amazon and bol.com. The socks carry a brand name on the packaging, and the owner has filed a trademark. On both marketplaces a branded product needs either a GS1 code that matches the brand or, on Amazon only, a GTIN exemption or Brand Registry. With 6 colour and size combinations plus 6 three-packs (the GS1 Nederland example), 12 codes are needed. A 100-code package from GS1 Nederland costs about €120 a year including the contribution, and leaves room for growth. A reseller code is the wrong choice here.

A small food producer. The goal is a regional supermarket chain. Retail chains require GS1 GTINs registered to the supplier, and food suppliers in particular are often asked to provide data through GS1's data services. GS1 from day one; there is no realistic alternative.

Can you start with reseller codes and switch to GS1 later?

You can, but switching is easier in some places than others. On eBay you can update the GTIN at any time. On Amazon the product ID of an existing listing is often locked, and sellers report having to delete and recreate listings, losing reviews in the process; Brand Registry makes updating easier. On bol.com and Kaufland, a new EAN generally means a new product page. So decide early. If there is a realistic chance your product becomes a brand on Amazon or a retail line, starting with GS1 is usually cheaper than migrating later.

What do EAN codes cost over five years? A worked comparison

Comparing a one-off purchase with an annual licence only makes sense over a realistic period. The table below shows what GS1 membership costs over five years for a micro-business needing around 10 codes, using the 2026 fees above and assuming fees stay the same (they rarely do). Figures exclude VAT.

Three things stand out. First, for a small seller in the Netherlands, Germany or the UK, GS1 is not expensive: around €5 to €8 a month for a starter package. If any of your channels requires GS1, the fee is not a reason to avoid it. Second, in France, Spain and Italy the first year costs more, but you get effectively unlimited codes, so a seller with a large or fast-changing range may pay less per code than with a small package elsewhere. Third, the GS1 cost never stops while the products are on sale, whereas a reseller code is paid once.

To compare with a reseller, take the price for the number of codes you need from the shop, add any optional subscription you would actually use, and set that against the five-year figure for your country. Our current code packs are listed in our EAN code shops. Then ask the more important question: does the cheaper route actually work in every channel you plan to sell in? A code that is rejected costs far more than the difference in price.

Red flags when buying EAN codes, and how to check a code first

Whichever route you choose, these warning signs suggest a supplier or a batch of codes is a problem.

• "Official GS1 codes" or "GS1 approved" from a reseller. Only your national GS1 office issues GS1 licences, and GS1 says it has no relationship with resellers. A reseller that claims otherwise is misleading you about the single most important fact.
• A guarantee of Amazon acceptance for any product. Amazon checks codes against GS1 data. No reseller can guarantee acceptance for a branded product. Some resellers state honestly that they cannot guarantee Amazon acceptance; others offer a refund if a store rejects a code. Read those terms before you buy.
• No register and no check page. If the supplier cannot show you that a number was assigned to you and to no one else, you cannot rule out that the same numbers were sold twice. Duplicates are what lead to "EAN already in use" errors and hijacked listings.
• Codes from auction sites or bulk lists of unknown origin. Sellers who bought this way have reported finding the same codes on other people's products.
• Restricted prefixes. Numbers starting with 02, 04 or 2 (in-store and company-internal use), 977 to 979 (magazines and books), or 98 and 99 (refunds and coupons) are not valid for normal products, and Google Merchant Center rejects them.
• Claims that the prefix shows your country. GS1 states that prefixes "do not identify the country of origin for a given product". A supplier who sells "Dutch codes" to make your product look Dutch is selling a myth.
• EANs for books. Books need an ISBN from your national ISBN agency, and bol.com requires a separate ISBN per edition. An EAN from a barcode shop is the wrong identifier.
• Codes priced suspiciously far below the market with no explanation of where they come from. Ask. A trustworthy supplier can tell you how its numbers are managed.

Check every code before you print it

Before you put a code on packaging or in a listing, run four quick checks:

1. Length and check digit. An EAN-13 has 13 digits, and the last one must match the calculation over the first 12. Our EAN check digit calculator does this in a second. Remember that a valid check digit only proves the number is well-formed, not that it is registered to anyone.
2. Prefix. Make sure it is not one of the restricted ranges listed above.
3. Verified by GS1. Look the number up. For a GS1 code, you should see your own company. For a reseller code, you will see the original licence holder or no product data, which is expected, but it should not show a product that is clearly someone else's.
4. The marketplace itself. Search the number on the marketplaces you plan to use. If it already belongs to another product page, do not use it.

For codes bought from us, you can also check who a code is registered to in our register:

Checklist: getting EAN codes the right way

• List every channel you sell on now and plan to sell on in the next two years, including physical retail.
• Decide whether each product is branded or unbranded on those channels.
• If any channel is Zalando, retail, or branded Amazon or bol.com: join GS1 in your country (or, for Amazon, use the GTIN exemption or Brand Registry).
• If your products are unbranded or sold in your own webshop, on eBay or Kaufland: a registered reseller code is a reasonable, one-off option. Check bol.com's unbranded rule again before you rely on it.
• For handmade, custom or one-off items: check whether you need a code at all.
• Count codes per variant and pack size, plus spares for new products. Never reuse a code for a different product.
• Budget the real cost: for GS1, five years of fees; for a reseller, the codes plus any subscription you will actually use.
• Avoid suppliers that promise "official GS1" codes, guaranteed Amazon acceptance or a country of origin through the prefix.
• Check each code's length, check digit, prefix and existing use before printing.
• Keep your evidence: invoices, certificates, dated product photos and, ideally, a trademark registration.
• If your plans change towards retail or a branded Amazon listing, move to GS1 early, before your listings collect reviews.

Still unsure which route fits? Start from the basics on our homepage, or read the related guides above for the channel you sell on most.