GS1 barcodes in Australia: costs, printing rules and retailer requirements

If you sell through retailers, your product needs a barcode, and in Australia that means a barcode number from GS1. GS1 is the global organisation behind the barcode numbers retailers scan; GS1 Australia issues them here. This guide covers what the number is, what it costs according to GS1 Australia's own fee schedule, the printing rules and what retailers ask for.

What a GS1 barcode number is

• The number is a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). GS1's General Specifications give four formats: GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 and GTIN-14.
• Retail products in Australia usually carry a GTIN-13, shown as an EAN-13 barcode. GS1 Australia numbers start with the 93 prefix.
• Each different product needs its own GTIN: a different size, colour, pack count or set is a different product. One product, one number.
• The barcode is just that number drawn as bars. The number is what retailers load into their systems.

Buy from GS1, not a reseller

GS1 Australia says it is the only place to buy unique and authentic barcodes in Australia, and warns that buying from a non-GS1 source carries the risk that the number has been used before. Its barcode integrity page says unauthorised sellers undermine the system, and that you may lose money relabelling or repackaging, or have products rejected by a retail customer.

What it costs

GS1 Australia publishes its fees. These figures are from its 2026 to 2027 fee schedule, effective 1 July 2026, as we read it on 2 Nov 2026. All fees exclude GST (add 10%), and annual fees are pro-rated by month. Check the current schedule before you buy, because fees change.

Individual barcode numbers (businesses with annual turnover under A$1 million):

• Joining fee: A$0.
• Annual fee: A$79 for 1 GTIN, A$158 for 2, A$237 for 3, A$316 for 4, A$395 for 5, A$474 for 6, or A$485 for a pack of 10.

Full membership (a range of numbers under your own company prefix):

• Joining fee: A$225.
• Small business, a range of 100 numbers, turnover under A$1 million: A$675 a year.
• Medium business, a range of 10,000 numbers: A$855 a year with turnover under A$1 million, and A$1,210 with turnover from A$1 million to A$10 million. Larger businesses pay more.

GS1 Australia's "Get GS1 barcodes" page shows "from" prices that do not match the schedule and do not say whether GST is included, so we quote the dated schedule. If they differ when you check, the schedule linked from GS1 Australia's application forms and fees page is the one to go by.

How many numbers do you need?

Count every product variant you will sell through a retailer, then add the ones you plan in the next year or two. A set of 6 skewers and a set of 8 are two numbers. A single basket and a 2 pack are two numbers. If the count is small and will stay small, individual numbers may do; if your range will grow, a full membership range is usually simpler to manage.

Printing rules that make it scan

From the GS1 General Specifications and GS1 Australia's printing guide:

• Size: for an EAN-13 at a retail checkout, the X-dimension (the width of the narrowest bar) is 0.330 mm at the target size, with a minimum of 0.264 mm and a maximum of 0.660 mm. GS1 Canada's symbol reference gives this as 80% to 200% of nominal size.
• Quiet zones: a clear margin on each side with nothing printed in it, at least 11 times the X-dimension on the left and 7 times on the right. GS1 Australia suggests allowing a little more than the minimum.
• Height: do not shorten the bars (truncation). GS1 says a truncated barcode should only be used when there is absolutely no way to print a full size one, because it stops the barcode scanning from every angle.
• Colour: dark bars on a solid, light background. Avoid red bars: GS1 Canada notes that scanners read with red light, so red bars disappear.
• Placement: on the back, lower right, away from folds, seams and edges; GS1 New Zealand's fact sheet sets this out. The packaging options compared guide covers placement for each pack type.

Get it checked

GS1 Australia's Barcode Check service tests barcodes for scan rate, size, position and duplication against ISO 15416, the verification method major retailers use. You can send artwork for an interim report before printing, then a printed sample for the full report.

What retailers ask for

Each retailer sets its own rules, and GS1 Australia publishes a guide to the major retailers' packaging and barcode requirements. In general:

• A GS1 GTIN on every consumer unit, usually a GTIN-13 (EAN-13).
• Some retailers require a GS1 Barcode Check verification report before they list a product.
• Barcodes on outer cartons and product data loaded through the retailer's system may also be required.
• Always ask the retailer's buyer for their current requirements, in writing, before you print.

Decision rules

• If you sell only through your own website or market stall, you may not need GS1 numbers yet. The moment a retailer or marketplace asks, you do.
• If a retailer is in sight, get the numbers before the packaging artwork is finished, not after.
• If you are unsure how many you need, count variants, not products.
• If a printer or factory offers to supply barcode numbers, decline. Use your own GS1 numbers.

Common mistakes

• Buying cheap numbers from a reseller, then a retailer rejects them.
• Using one number for two pack sizes.
• Shrinking or shortening the barcode to fit the artwork.
• Printing the bars in red or on a dark or patterned background.
• Not testing until the packaging is printed and shipped.
• Barcodes from two different numbers visible on one item, such as an inner pack showing through an outer.

Next step

Put the barcode on your artwork with the artwork checklist for private label packaging, and choose where it sits for your pack type in packaging options compared.

Common questions