Neutral and non-profit, the global standardization organization (GS1) is created by companies to facilitate trade and information exchange. It is a collaborative space providing businesses with barcodes that allow for unique and international identification of their products. This article provides information on the steps to follow to obtain barcodes through GS1 France.
What is the purpose of barcodes?
Barcodes are found on food products, books, and medications. A barcode allows for the unique identification of each product with great ease. A multitude of related data is hidden behind the black and white sequences of the barcode. In short, barcodes ensure efficient inventory management. This facilitates inventory taking and accounting management. It should also be noted that barcodes ensure product traceability. They allow for the detection of spoiled items that end up on the market. With a barcode generator, it is easy to obtain your barcodes.
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Additionally, they provide a clear idea of the origin, location, and exact quantity of the item. In other words, the use of barcodes increases the productivity of businesses and helps reduce production costs. Finally, this sequence of numbers ensures a considerable time saving.
How are barcodes composed?
To understand the composition of barcodes, one must consider the 13-digit GS1 codes. These are currently the most used in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. It should be remembered that there are various types of barcodes. Based on the 13-digit barcodes, the breakdown is as follows:
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- The country prefix of the product: represented by the first 2 or 3 characters (300 to 379 for France);
- The company prefix: represented by the next 3 or 4 digits, which are assigned by GS1.
- The item: 6 digits, assigned by the company itself.
- The key used to verify the validity of the code based on the previous 12 digits.
How to obtain barcodes?
The reference organization that issues barcodes in France is GS1. The procedure for obtaining barcodes takes place in three stages.
Registration
First and foremost, it is essential for formal businesses to register with the global standardization organization. To do this, companies must provide a number of details. These include:
- The Siren number (KBIS of the company);
- The VAT number;
- The NAF Code;
- The total turnover excluding tax of the company.
- An estimate of the turnover in the case of starting a new business.
The contribution
After registering the company’s information with GS1 France, the company must finalize its membership. In this sense, it is necessary for the promoter of the company to go through the payment step. Thus, a fee is paid annually to GS1 France to maintain membership. The amount of the contribution will depend on the turnover reported by the company. Generally, this ranges from €85 for a small structure to €4,500 for a large company.
The generation of barcodes by the company itself.
Barcodes are generated by the company itself. Thus, following the payment of the subscription to GS1, a prefix is assigned to the company. It is with this prefix that the barcodes will be created. It should be remembered that the main role of GS1 is to assign prefixes to companies.
Moreover, before creating the barcodes, it is essential to have a code generator. This allows for the correct assembly of all required identifiers in the right order. To start, you need to define the type of barcode you need and then fill in the information requested. After this step, you will need to download the newly created code to associate it with the relevant product.
Additionally, the manufacturer must comply with certain standards, particularly regarding the size of the code and the printing color. GS1 France provides a guide on barcodes in general for better understanding.