GS1 Company Prefix
A GS1 Company Prefix is the unique number block a company licenses from GS1, from which it builds its GTINs, GLNs, SSCCs, and every other GS1 identifier it issues.
What You Need to Know
GS1 identifiers are globally unique by construction, not by registration of each finished number: the company prefix (assigned to you alone) is combined with an item reference you choose and a check digit. A prefix of 7-10 digits lets a company build millions of GTINs for its products; shorter prefixes leave more digits for the item part. Prefixes are leased annually — if the license lapses, the block returns to the pool after a grace period.
The prefix is why you cannot simply invent an EAN-13 for a new product: the first 7-12 digits must trace to your licensed prefix or a GS1-assigned single GTIN, or your barcode will collide with another company's range and be rejected by retailers. Reputable retailers verify prefixes against the GS1 database at onboarding, and a mismatched prefix is one of the most common reasons small brands are asked to relabel.
Where GS1 Company Prefix Applies
The 13-digit retail point-of-sale barcode used on consumer products worldwide outside North America.
Generate EAN-13 →The original 12-digit retail barcode of the United States and Canada, and direct ancestor of EAN-13.
Generate UPC-A →Code 128 carrying GS1 Application Identifier element strings — the standard barcode of global logistics.
Generate GS1-128 →The book trade's EAN-13 — an ISBN-13 product number, usually with a 5-digit price add-on.
Generate ISBN →The 14-digit Global Trade Item Number for cases and inner packs, carried by GS1-128 or ITF-14 symbols.
Generate GS1-14 (GTIN-14) →