What is a GS1 Company Prefix and Why It Matters for Trade
TL;DR
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A GS1 Company Prefix (GCP) is a unique set of numbers assigned and licensed to a business by GS1.
It identifies the business and is used to create unique identification numbers for products, locations, and other items in the supply chain.
It is also the starting point for creating globally accepted barcodes.
A GCP is commonly needed to create global product codes ( like the GTIN) . These identify products sold through retail and e-commerce stores.
GS1 defines the prefix as 4 to 12 digits at the global standards level. However, most prefixes are in the 6- to 11-digit range in real-world practice.
Parts of a GCP
- GS1 Prefix – The digits that identify the GS1 Member Organization(GS1 US, GS1 UK, GS1 Singapore, etc.) that issued the prefix. Most of these are three digits long, with GS1 US being an exception.
- Company ID – The digits assigned to your business within that prefix.
How to Get a GS1 Company Prefix
To get a GCP, you apply through a Member Organization(MO). You will need to provide a set of requirements, like basic business information, Tax and company ID, and documents, and pay the applicable fees.
These requirements may vary, so visit the organization's website or contact them directly for the current details.
Once approved, it assigns and licenses a Company Prefix to your business.
The cost generally depends on the number of GTINs you need to create. More GTINs require greater numbering capacity and may cost more.
Can a Business Register with any GS1 MO?
Individual national offices set their own onboarding requirements:
Open MOs (No local presence needed): Some, like GS1 US, UK, Netherlands, and Australia allow international businesses to register using their home country's official business documents and tax IDs.
Restricted MOs (Local presence required): Offices like GS1 China and GS1 India generally require a domestic corporate entity or local tax registration.
What Do You Do With a GS1 Company Prefix?
A GCP is used to create GS1 Identification Keys, depending on what a business needs to identify.
Create a GTIN
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is used to identify products and other trade items.
For most GS1 Member Organizations, the Company Prefix license and its pricing are based on the number of GTINs the business needs to create. A shorter prefix allows for more GTINs to be created, while a longer one allows fewer.
For example, using the GTIN-12 (UPC) format:
Company Prefix Length | Capacity |
| 6 digits | 100,000 GTINs |
| 7 digits | 10,000 GTINs |
| 8 digits | 1,000 GTIN |
| 9 digits | 100 GTINs |
| 10 digits | 10 GTINs |
*For EAN-13, the GCP is typically 7 to 11 digits. The GTIN capacity follows the same pattern shown above, with a one-digit difference in prefix length compared with GTIN-12.
Once you use all the GTIN capacity available under your Company Prefix, you cannot create additional GTINs from that prefix. You must license a new one to create more.
For example, your business may start with 10 GTINs but grow to 50 within a few months if sales go well. Choosing a prefix with capacity for 100 GTINs could be more cost-effective than needing another prefix later, which may mean paying a higher annual fee.
If you are certain you will only need 10 GTINs, however, this is not an issue.
A GTIN can then be encoded into a 1D or 2D barcode, such as an EAN-13, UPC-A, or GS1 QR Code, so it can be scanned by businesses and trading partners.
Create Other GS1 Identifiers
A GCP forms part of several GS1 identifiers. In most cases, it is combined with another reference to create a unique identifier for a specific product, location, asset, shipment, or other entity.
GS1 Identifier | Used to identify | Length | Parts and Format |
Global Location Number (GLN) | Businesses, locations, and other parties | 13 digits | GCP+ Location Reference + Check Digit |
Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) | Logistics units, such as pallets and parcels | 18 digits | Extension Digit + GCP+ Serial Reference + Check Digit |
Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) | Individual assets, such as equipment | Up to 30 characters | GCP + Individual Asset Reference |
| Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) | Returnable assets, such as reusable containers | 13 digits + optional serial number | GCP + Asset Type + Check Digit + optional Serial Number |
| Global Shipment Identification Number (GSIN) | Commercial shipments created by the seller for a buyer (matching an invoice or purchase order). | 17 digits | GCP+ Shipper Reference + Check Digit |
| Global Identification Number for Consignment (GINC) | Goods grouped together under a single transport contract. | Up to 30 characters | GCP+ Consignment Reference |
| Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI) | Documents | 13 digits + optional serial number | GCP+ Document Type + Check Digit + optional Serial Number |
| Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) | Service relationships, such as a service provider and a recipient | 18 digits | GCP+ Service Reference + Check Digit |
| Global Model Number (GMN) | Product models or product families | Up to 25 characters | GCP+ Model Reference + Check Characters |
| Global Coupon Number (GCN) | Digital and paper coupons | 13–25 digits | GCP+ Coupon Reference + Check Digit |
| Component/Part Identifier (CPID) | Components and parts | Up to 30 characters | GCP+ Component/Part Reference |
A Notable History of Company Prefixes in the US
The U.S. has a different history with Company Prefix licensing than most other countries.
When the Uniform Code Council (UCC) introduced the UPC system in the 1970s, businesses could obtain a six-digit prefix for a one-time payment.
Each prefix provided space for 100,000 unique UPCs (GTIN-12s). At the time, every new business received the same six-digit block, even if it did not need all 100,000 numbers.
As more businesses began using UPCs, this approach used up numbering space quickly. UCC later began issuing longer Company Prefixes, giving businesses fewer GTINs when they did not need 100,000. This allowed the available numbering space to be used more efficiently.
UCC also changed from the old one-time payment model to an annual licensing model. In 2002, it began sending renewal fee notices to existing members. Businesses that had joined before August 28, 2002, challenged the new fees in a class-action lawsuit.
The case was settled for $3.895 million. Under the settlement, qualifying businesses could continue using their pre-2002 prefixes without paying annual renewal fees.
This left the U.S. with two types of prefixes: older prefixes issued under the original terms and newer prefixes issued under the annual licensing model. Some owners of the older prefixes later began selling unused numbers from their blocks. This helped create the third-party UPC reseller market that still exists today
Notice: Buying From a GTIN Reseller
Third-party UPC resellers can offer a cheaper alternative because they may sell individual GTINs for a one-time payment, without requiring you to license a GCP and maintain an ongoing membership.
The main advantage is cost. If you only need a few GTINs, a reseller may be considerably cheaper upfront.
The trade-off is that the GTIN is associated with the reseller's GS1 Company Prefix rather than your own. This can become a problem when you export products, work with retailers and distributors, or list products on marketplaces such as Amazon. Some systems check that the GTIN is associated with the company name registered with GS1. If the information does not match, the product may be rejected or require additional verification.
Moving to GTINs registered directly to your company later can also mean additional work and costs. You may need to replace existing numbers across product packaging, retailer systems, marketplaces, databases, and other records
Why Did the Payment Model Change?
EAN International, which developed the barcode system outside North America, set a licensing model from the beginning. The system needed ongoing work to manage databases, maintain infrastructure, support businesses, and update standards used across multiple countries.
An annual license provides ongoing funding for these services. It also allows EAN and its Member Organizations to keep records of active Company Prefixes up to date and make improvements to the system.
UCC later changed its payment model to a licensing model, bringing it closer to the approach used by EAN International. In 2005, UCC and EAN International officially merged to form GS1.
Is a GCP Worth It?
For a small business with 30 or more products, or one that expects its product range to expand, getting a GS1 Company Prefix can make sense.
It gives you a pool of numbers you can assign to your products and other business needs as you grow. The capacity you choose should match both your current product range and expected growth.
It can also be useful if you need to create identifiers beyond GTINs, such as GLNs for locations or SSCCs for logistics units. These identifiers become part of the GS1 global system, allowing them to be uniquely recognized and used by trading partners around the world.
For businesses planning to sell across multiple retailers, marketplaces, or markets, obtaining their own prefix can also help avoid the problems that may arise from using GTINs associated with a third-party reseller.
FAQ
How much does it cost to get a GS1 Company Prefix?
The cost depends on the GS1 MO you apply through and how many GTINs you need. Some Member Organizations also consider factors such as your company's annual turnover when setting fees and consist of initial and annual payments.
Do I need a GS1 Company Prefix to sell on Amazon?
If Amazon requires you to provide a GS1 GTIN for your product, the GTIN should be registered to your company and match the company information associated with your Amazon selling account.
Is a GS1 Company Prefix mandatory to create product codes and sell products?
It depends on where you sell your products and what your trading partners require.
If you sell only through your own website or physical store, there may be no requirement to use GS1 GTINs.
Retailers, marketplaces, distributors, e-commerce platforms, and other trading partners may require GS1-issued GTINs. Most GTINs can be created using a GS1 Company Prefix, which provides numbering capacity for multiple products.
Some GS1 Member Organizations also offer individual GTINs for a one-time payment, so you do not always need a Company Prefix to obtain a GTIN.
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