GS1 & Barcodes

GS1 New Zealand

Established in 1979 and owned and governed by it's members, GS1 NZ monitors and controls the use of barcodes in New Zealand. GS1 NZ (previously known as EAN New Zealand) is the local affiliate of the worldwide organisation GS1. They are a not-for-profit organisation and all services are provided on a cost recovery basis.

Anyone who wishes to print a barcode on their product must first apply to GS1 for the barcode type and number. The barcode must be accredited after print by GS1 to ensure it meets their formal criteria.

We have barcode generation software in our MCC Albany Studio so if you have the barcode number, we can show you what the barcode will look like. We'll proof that to you in your label proof.

MCC Albany is also an accredited GS1 partner which means we verify the printed label on press, ensuring that it will meet the GS1 standards. That way, you can be sure the labels that you have printed will meet the requirements, rather than being left with a batch that cannot be used.

There are a couple of traps to be aware of though.

MCC Albany can't verify the barcode on the finished product. One of the GS1 regulations is that the barcode cannot be placed around a corner on the product as it will not scan - we can't check that for you.

Often the label has limited space and the barcode size is reduced more than the GS1 recommended range. We're happy to print the reduced size for you but we'll ask you sign a barcode disclaimer form. That ensures we're doing all that is required in our role as an Accredited Partner of GS1.

Our Accreditation number is 942100000000000613.

For information on how to get a barcode number and the barcode type you should use, refer to the GS1 website www.gs1nz.org