The first, and most important, step in obtaining a UPC bar code for your product is to apply for membership and receive a company prefix from GS1. Your company prefix is a unique string of digits assigned to your company, identifying you as the manufacturer throughout the entire product supply-chain.

The number of digits in a Company Prefix can vary between 6 – 10 characters, depending on the number of products a manufacturer needs to identify. A small company, who only needs to identify a single product, would receive a 10-digit number. The membership fee for GS1 is primarily based on the number of products which require identification, number of locations,  and a company’s annual revenue.  Despite being a “not-for-profit” organization, GS1 US’s membership fee is rather expensive for small companies, and the starting fee is $750.

6-digit company prefix	9-digit company prefix

Please be advised that there are third-party companies on the internet who offer to sell single UPC bar codes. We strongly encourage you to research the limitations of exactly what they're offering, and how they match with your business goals. Please call us at 800-662-0701 x240 for assistance.