Where Can I Obtain a Cheap Barcode for My Product for a Small Business?

BruceJack on 10/01/2025 - 15:56
Last edited 12/01/2025 - 10:55 by 1 other user

Hey fellow OzBs,

An uncommon question: how does the barcode system works in Australia?

Is there any sort of regulation to obtain a product bar code?

If so, where should I get one?

If not, can I just randomly generate a bar code?

Background: I am thinking of selling my products to local grocery stores (not nationally), and I am in the last step of product label design which is the barcode. Everything online seems quite expensive for such a simple thing. Just looking for economical yet legal practices to do this.

Thank you!!

Computing Barcode

Comments

  • Hybroid on 10/01/2025 - 16:03
    +3

    First search result is the GS1 system standard: https://www.gs1au.org/how-to-get-a-barcode

    There are third party services to help simplify things too: https://ozbarcodes.com.au/buy-barcodes/

    • BruceJack on 10/01/2025 - 18:02
      -2

      Thanks, cheapest I see is $30 and i guess that's the lowest it can go with such service?

  • stuffandthat on 10/01/2025 - 16:05
    +1

    At our work we generate our own barcodes for our products out in the warehouse. The data in our barcodes is just a product number that's assigned in our sales software. I'm thinking you could do the same thing but on the sellers end they would need to associate that product number in their system.

    • BruceJack on 10/01/2025 - 18:03

      That's what i'm thinking too: as long as it doesn't collide with other barcodes the store currently have? Is there some kind of free data base to check this?

    • BruceJack on 10/01/2025 - 18:04

      Thanks Google.

  • pegaxs on 10/01/2025 - 19:44
    +2

    Internal systems, such as inventory tracking, just make your own or use QR codes.

    If you want a barcode that will be public and used by retailers to sell your product, you will need to register it. We have done this at work (not me personally, but one of the IT/accounts team did it) and they went through GS1. They apparently have a database of EAN/UPC codes and retailers can pull the data about your product from their website.

    If you make your own that looks legit, it wont show up in back end retail systems as there would be no data to pull, OR, worst case, it pulls a code for a totally different product. You are selling coffee, and your made up barcode just happens to come back in their system as a laxative…

  • holdenmg on 11/01/2025 - 01:08

    Hi,

    I saw a program on TV the other day about Barcodes.

    This article The humble barcode turns 50 and the next generation is on the way
    https://www.smartcompany.com.au/technology/barcodes-next-gen… probably is closest to what they were on about.

    You may have already seen QR codes used instead of Barcodes, particularly on Food items like Meat or Poultry in Supermarkets.

    From a design layout perspective a QR code will offer more information to the consumer about the product as the standard rolls out…

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join