Will My Barcode Work in Every Store?

  • UPC and EAN GTINs work in almost every store and website worldwide thanks to GS1’s universal POS standards.
  • A small number of large retailers require GTINs to be rented directly from GS1 rather than purchased.
  • Bar Codes Talk provides GS1-USA pre-2002 GTINs, which are legally ownable and recognized in nearly all POS systems.
  • Our barcodes are exempt from modern GS1 rental requirements and function in virtually all global retail environments.

Yes, almost every store and website on Earth in fact! This is because retailers worldwide adopted GS1’s POS standards in the 1970s, enabling universal product identification and barcode recognition across countries and systems.

However, there are a handful of retailers that require vendors to rent GTINs directly from GS1. GS1 is not a government agency; it is a nonprofit organization created in the 1970s and run by major retailers. Many of the companies that require GTIN rental are the same companies represented on GS1’s governing boards.

Which retailers require GTIN rental from GS1?

  • Walmart / Sam’s Club (not Walmart.com currently)
  • Kroger / Fred Meyers
  • Macy’s / Bloomingdale’s
  • Home Depot
  • Lowe’s
  • Costco
  • Nordstrom
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Wegmans
  • Sears
  • GS1 EDI system providers
  • Zappos
  • Global Fashion Group

Which retailers may require GS1-rented GTINs?

  • Amazon
  • Whole Foods
  • Walgreens
  • K-Mart
  • Publix
  • Target
  • QVC
  • JC Penney

*Amazon uses GS1’s GEPIR database for barcode ownership verification. This database does not include accurate ownership information for many GTINs issued by GS1-USA before 2002. For details on Amazon GTIN policies, see: HERE.

Where can I see GS1’s Board of Governors?

GS1 Board of Governors: https://www.gs1us.org/what-we-do/about-gs1-us/leadership-team-board-of-governors

Do all GS1 board-member stores require barcode rental?

No. Not every retailer associated with GS1 requires vendors to rent GTINs; only the retailers listed above do based on our experience. Many major retailers operate successfully without imposing GTIN rental requirements on vendors.

Will Bar Codes Talk GTINs work in most stores?

Yes. Bar Codes Talk provides an Authentic Certificate of Ownership confirming you legally own your numbers. While we cannot issue a GS1-US certificate, the GTINs we provide are the same identifiers GS1 provides. The difference is that our numbers come from GS1-USA before August 28th, 2002, and they are legally grandfathered under the UCC class-action settlement.

In short, our GTINs are exempt from rental or licensing requirements and work in nearly every POS system worldwide.

Who can I contact if I’m unsure?

If you have doubts about a specific retailer’s requirements, contact us and we will help confirm the most up-to-date information.

Phone: 1-877-263-1343 option 1