Barcodes

Barcodes

Please find below the most frequently asked questions about barcodes.

Is your question not there? Then look in the knowledge bank or contact us.

Barcodes

Frequently asked questions

EAN is an abbreviation of 'European Article Number'. Before GS1 Netherlands became part of the global GS1 organisation we were called EAN Netherlands. The name EAN still persists in the Netherlands but it is therefore the predecessor of GS1.

The GS1 article code is officially called 'Global Trade Item Number' in the worldwide standard, abbreviated to GTIN.

No. Online, products and corresponding product information can always be found, even if they have long expired and are no longer produced. Internationally, companies have insisted that GS1 calls on companies to stop reusing barcodes (GTIN).

This means that an assigned code is always linked to one product and cannot be assigned to another product. Not even if the old product is no longer on the market.
Check when the product needs a new code.

Send an email to bo@gs1.nl with your details and reason for cancellation. Your contract will be terminated at the end of your term. Please note your month's notice period. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from bo@gs1.nl

If you already have a code package, you do not need to order a separate GLN. A GTIN can be used as both an article code and a GLN at the same time. If you do not yet have codes, you can create an account and order a GS1 location code (GLN) or a code package.

No. The barcode providers who offer (often cheap) EAN codes use the numbers improperly and these cannot be registered in the global register.