Barcodes FAQ
If you can't find the answer to your question below, email us, we are happy to help.
Please read our ordering help page if you need help deciding what to order. Go to our ordering process flowchart to be taken through the steps from placing an order to receiving your barcodes.
What is a Barcode?
Where did the barcode system come from?
What are the EAN-13 numbers that you provide?
Do I need to buy a barcode?
What are the EAN & UPC barcode systems?
How many barcodes do I need?
Will my barcode work for any retail product?
Will my barcode work in all retail stores?
Will my barcode work in a country other than Hong Kong?
Are your barcodes issued by an official barcode body?
Are your barcodes legal for use in the Hong Kong?
Can you guarantee that all retailers will accept your barcodes?
How do I purchase a barcode from you? How and when do I receive them?
Is there anything that I need to do after I receive the barcode number from you?
What if I have more than one product, or some variations of my product?
Do I have to be a registered company to purchase a barcode number?
My business is located outside of Hong Kong. Can I still purchase a barcode number from you?
Why should I purchase a barcode number from you?
Will the barcode number I receive be unique?
Will my barcode ever expire?
Will I ever have to pay Renewal Fees?
What are acceptable dimensions for EAN-13 barcode printing?
Will the barcode I buy be registered in a Central Database?
How can you sell me a single barcode number?
Who invented barcodes?
Why was Barcodes Limited formed?
Do I have to print my barcode in black on white?
Can I see some sample barcode graphics?
What numbers are required for books and magazines?
What is a Barcode?
A barcode (also bar code) is a
machine-readable
representation of information (usually dark ink on a light
background to create high and low reflectance which is converted to
1s and 0s.
Also known as a UPC (Universal Product Code),
barcodes are a unique number that allows retailers to track sales of
your product within their inventory system. The barcode numbers can
be of different lengths - 12 or 13 digits is most common.
Where did the barcode system come from?
The UPC numbering system and bar symbols were designed in
the early 1970’s by
George J. Laurer on behalf of IBM. He
presented them to the grocery and food industries as a universal way
to keep track of inventories, prices and manufacturers. It was
chosen ahead of many other options, and has since been accepted
and adopted worldwide as a unified product tracking method.
What are the EAN-13 numbers that you provide?
EAN-13
barcodes represent unique EAN numbers which can be used for your
products. The barcodes are lines (or bars) of different widths that
represent the unique sequence of numbers shown below the lines.
Barcode scanners can tell what the barcode number is when they scan
the bars. The retailers computer system will then find the
corresponding product name & price (you need to supply this product
information to your retailers when you give them your product &
barcode).
Do I need to buy a barcode?
The use of barcode numbers is a voluntary system. Retailers use it
as the basis for their pricing, inventory and ordering systems. It
is increasingly common for retailers, both large and small, to
require all products they sell to display a unique product barcode
for this purpose.
Hence, if you want to keep selling your product through reputable
retailers, it is sensible to put a barcode on it.
What are the EAN & UPC barcode systems?
Most
barcode numbers
consist of 12 or 13 numbers. EAN-13 is the European standard, which
is used in Hong Kong and has 13 numbers.
The
UPC barcode system is typically used in the
The EAN-13 code is used
internationally. Scanners can typically read both EAN-13 and UPC
codes.
How
many barcodes do I need?
You
need a unique barcode for each unique
product that you sell.
Retailers use barcodes in their computer systems to record product
information & track products. If you are selling a hat that comes in
2 different colours (yellow & green) and 2 different sizes (small &
medium), you will need to buy 4 barcodes. With a unique barcode on
each size & colour, if the small green hat is selling faster than
the other hats, your retailers can easily find out & order more
small green hats.
Will
my Barcode work for any retail product?
Yes.
All retail products in
For further information about restrictions
(affecting NZ, Australia & the US) regarding the barcodes
you purchase from us, please read here.
Will
my Barcode work in all retail stores?
As far as we are aware, our barcodes are acceptable for all Hong Kong stores (please let us know if you find any restrictions, so we can
inform other customers)
The only stores that we are aware of that might have problems with barcodes purchased from resellers like ourselves are in Australia, NZ & the US. Some large chains, such as Woolworths Australia apparently the product manufacturer (you) to be a member of a specific barcode organisation and require verification of your barcodes by this organisation.
As far as we
know, this barcode verification is NOT a requirement in Hong Kong. Our barcodes
should be accepted by retailers in Hong Kong (except for magazines and books which
require an ISBN or ISSN number - see below). Hence, if you
need a barcode for your product, Barcodes limited can help you, and
save you $$$.
Will my barcode work in a country other than Hong Kong?
Yes.
Our barcodes will work anywhere that either UPC or EAN barcodes are
scanned - which is most of the modern world. This includes
Are your barcodes issued by
an official barcode body?
Yes -
Our barcodes were issued by UCC - the
Uniform Code Council (since renamed GS1-US). UCC first issued our
barcodes in bulk to a company in the United States- we purchased a
large amount of these barcode numbers and are now on-selling them to
people who want barcodes without the annual fees.
Are your barcodes
legal for use in Hong Kong?
Yes.
As our barcodes were originally
issued by UCC - the Uniform Code Council (now renamed GS1-US), they are
legal for use in Hong Kong, New Zealand & anywhere in the world.
Can you guarantee that all retailers will accept your
barcodes?
No. No barcode supplier or issuing
organisation can guarantee that every retailer in the world will
accept their barcodes. Retailers have the right to refuse specific
barcodes (or products) for a variety of reasons, or to make specific
requirements for the labelling & packaging of good they stock -
hence it is impossible for any organisation to guarantee universal
acceptance.
It is your obligation to find out the specific barcode
& packaging requirements of your particular retailers
before
purchasing barcodes from us. Do not print your packaging until your
retailers have expressed full acceptance of your barcodes &
packaging.
For further information about restrictions regarding the barcodes
you purchase from us, read here.
How do I purchase a barcode from you?
Please read our Barcode Ordering Process page for more detailed information on how to order & receive your barcodes.
To order a barcode from us, all you need to do is click the "Order Now" button on the home page, then complete the required information and press "Submit." You then pay for your purchases via Visa or Master Card. Upon successful credit card verification you will receive an email confirming your barcode purchase.
When
we receive your order, we assign your EAN-13 barcode number(s) from
our database. If all you want is the number, this is emailed to you.
If you require a graphic image of your barcodes, our Graphic
Design department convert your numbers into barcode images and email
them to you.
The time it takes us to process & send your order is often only a few
hours. On infrequent occasions it can take us one to three business
days.
(If you have specific
completion time requirements, please call or
email to check on the current schedule).
Is there anything that I need to do after I receive the barcode
number from you?
Once you receive your unique barcode number, you can begin using it
on your product. When you supply your products to your retailer, you
usually need to provide them with the barcode number, as well as the
product name, description, price etc. They will input this
information into their inventory system.
What if I have more than one product, or some variations of my
product?
A unique EAN number is required for each different product in order
for your retailer to properly identify your products in their
inventory system.
Do I have to be a registered company to purchase a barcode number from you?
No. Any person, organisation or business can purchase & use our
barcode numbers. You do not need to be registered as a company.
My business is located outside of Hong Kong. Can I still purchase a barcode number from you?
Yes, you can purchase your EAN-13 barcodes from us.
EAN-13 codes are used throughout the world.
Why should I purchase a barcode number from you?
If your business only has a relatively small number of
products or only needs new barcode numbers occasionally, then we
are the best option (in our opinion) for purchasing barcode numbers and
MUCH CHEAPER than alternatives.
Our Main Advantages are:
1.
Low initial cost - you can start with one barcode number from
$20
2.
We
do not charge any ongoing annual fees. Our EAN barcode numbers are
sold for a simple one-off fee. This can be a
significant cost saving.
3.
We
provide the barcode graphic - many other barcode providers
don't provide you with a graphic barcode image, or charge a
large
fee for it.
4.
We
have no
5.
We are fast – we can usually complete your order within hours
Will the barcode number I receive be unique?
YES. We guarantee that the barcode number you receive is
unique and has not been issued by us to anyone else anywhere in the world.
We can also provide a Guarantee Certificate
by email (or post for a small fee). The Guarantee Certificate covers
all the numbers you purchase at that time.
Our
-
manufacturers allocating the same number to two different products
-
businesses making up their own barcode number
-
buying a number from a company that generates numbers randomly.
Barcode number duplication can
also occur through companies like ours selling the same number to
more than one purchaser. We are aware of this potential danger, and
have accurate systems in place to avoid duplication of numbers – we
guarantee that we will not sell the same number to
more than one client.
(This is also a reason why we cannot offer
refunds for any barcode numbers purchased – we cannot resell any
numbers ‘returned’ to us because of the danger of duplication).
We purchase our barcode numbers from a reputable source in the
Will
my barcode ever expire?
No.
Once we have assigned a barcode number to you, you have the right to
use it for life (with no ongoing annual fees) and it will never
expire.
Will I ever have to pay
Renewal Fees?
Absolutely
not. All of our charges are one-off payments. We will never ask you
for any renewal or licence fees. Because these barcode numbers come
from a company which joined the UCC in the 1990’s, before they
started charging renewal fees (August, 2002), we don't need to pay
any renewal fees. This saving is passed on to you - we do not (and
will not) ever charge you any renewal fees.
What are acceptable dimensions for EAN-13 barcode printing?
The
standard size of an EAN-13 image is 37.3mm wide x 25.9mm high. The
smallest size recommended is 80% of the standard size (ie. 30mm
wide). The largest recommended size is 200% of the standard size (ie.
74.6mm wide). Width is more crucial than height, because when you
reduce the width you reduces the gaps between the bars, and this
makes the barcode very difficult for scanning machines to read. It
is wise to do a test scan for any barcode image before the
production of your final product & packaging.
Will the barcode I buy be registered in a Central Database?
No. Individual barcode numbers are often not registered in a
Central Database.
There is no centralised international database of individual barcode
numbers and products. It is up to the owner of the barcode number to ensure it is not used
in duplicate situations, and to keep track of how the number is
used.
When
you receive your barcode number from Barcodes Limited, you control
that specific number. If you discontinue one product, you may re-use
that barcode number on another product - BUT you must pass on this
information to the retailer, and ensure that both products are not
being supplied at the same time. (It is wise to allow some time
between the end of one product’s life, and the reuse of that number
on another product). Hence, you become the registrar of that unique
barcode number and are responsible to ensure it is used properly.
How Can You Sell Me a Single Number?
In
the
1990’s, some manufacturers in the
Who invented barcodes?
George Joseph Laurer (born September 23, 1925 in
Why was Barcodes Limited formed?
We
were involved with another business, which developed a small number
of successful retail products for Australia and NZ. As these products became more successful, we found
that some stores required a barcode number on the products. Our
initial investigations led to only one major source for barcode
numbers, and horror when we saw the
cost of obtaining the few barcodes we required. No-one else in NZ
seemed able to provide us with a barcode. This got us asking
questions - we thought there should be a way to purchase one (or a
few) barcode numbers without paying large joining fees or annual
fees for membership.
After lots more research, investigation & ingenuity, we
obtained our barcode. Then we got calls from other companies asking
how they could obtain a barcode number. So, not wanting others to
waste their time and money unnecessarily, we decided to help other
people obtain barcode numbers and graphics easily
à
hence Barcodes Limited was formed.
Do I
have to print my barcode in black on white?
No.
Black bars on a white background is the normal colouring for
barcodes, and provides good contrast for scanning. However, you can
print your barcode in other colours, but it is very important that
you always maintain a high degree of contrast between your barcode
and its background. If you plan to print your barcode in other
colours, get expert help and also undertake rigorous test scanning.
Can I see some sample graphics?
You can
see sample images here. If you have trouble with these, just send us an
email & we can email you samples of barcodes in various graphic
formats - so you can see which format you prefer.
What numbers are required for books and magazines?
ISBN (International Standard Book Numbers) and ISSN (International
Standard Serial Number) are a unique identifier assigned to each
edition of every published book, book-like product, magazine and
serial.
You can get an ISBN number in Hong Kong from the National Library
. For ISSN numbers, visit the international ISSN centre. (There is no specific ISSN agency for Hong Kong).Once you have the number, contact us or order online and we can provide the correct artwork to print on your magazine or book.
Can't find an answer to your question? Please email us
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