BUYING BARCODES
Whether you are looking to buy a barcode for your company or buy batches of barcodes, South Africa has two options...
1.) Buying barcodes through THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION
The GS1 orgnisation is the official, world-wide barcode provider, and is the sole supplier of all barcode numbers. Each country has their own division (for example, GS1 South Africa) for buyers to easily operate from.
Discouragingly, purchasing through GS1 is not just a matter of buying a barcode and then being on your way. You will need to become a member of the organisation, go for training, sign paperwork, submit essential documents, pay an annual registration fee, and then pay a renewal fee every year for each barcode number assigned to you.
This system will make plenty of financial sense for large companies who are buying hundreds or thousands of barcodes at once. Being a registered member of the GS1 also entitles you to add a company prefix to your barcode number.
For smaller businesses however, the hassle is not worth the time for the simple purpose of efficiently getting your products into retail.
As luck would have it, due to a court case involving GS1 in 2002, there is an alternative…
Discouragingly, purchasing through GS1 is not just a matter of buying a barcode and then being on your way. You will need to become a member of the organisation, go for training, sign paperwork, submit essential documents, pay an annual registration fee, and then pay a renewal fee every year for each barcode number assigned to you.
This system will make plenty of financial sense for large companies who are buying hundreds or thousands of barcodes at once. Being a registered member of the GS1 also entitles you to add a company prefix to your barcode number.
For smaller businesses however, the hassle is not worth the time for the simple purpose of efficiently getting your products into retail.
As luck would have it, due to a court case involving GS1 in 2002, there is an alternative…
2.) Buying barcodes through a BARCODE reseller
Barcode resellers are companies who have bought large quantities of previously owned, yet unused barcodes. Their legitimacy lies in the fact that the barcode numbers originate and are registered on the international barcode database. It is vital to go through reputable barcode resellers who have been around for a long time.
Using barcode resellers as your route to get barcodes is a fast and uncomplicated process. Once your payment is sent through, the company can send you your barcode numbers immediately. There is no paperwork, no additional registration, and no renewal fees to pay – once purchased, the barcode will belong to you and your company for life.
This method is greatly beneficial to smaller companies needing to get their products onto shelves as soon as possible, and as affordable as possible.
Using barcode resellers as your route to get barcodes is a fast and uncomplicated process. Once your payment is sent through, the company can send you your barcode numbers immediately. There is no paperwork, no additional registration, and no renewal fees to pay – once purchased, the barcode will belong to you and your company for life.
This method is greatly beneficial to smaller companies needing to get their products onto shelves as soon as possible, and as affordable as possible.