How to get started
Proceed as follows if your company has joined GS1 before 4.5.2020 and if your company does not yet have a GS1 Register for making identification numbers
Your company has been assigned a GS1 Company Prefix, which allows you to generate GS1 compliant codes / number ranges. The GS1 Company prefix is customer-specific, and the same prefix or a series of numbers based on it cannot be used by any other company.
The most common use of the GS1 Company prefix, and the first for most companies, is to identify products and mark them with barcodes. On this page, we provide basic information about them. You can also find instructions for other uses of the GS1 Company prefix on our Customer Support website.
Introduction of the GS1 Company prefix
Your GS1 Company prefix is registered in the GS1 Finland database, and you do not need to register it separately for anything. The GS1 Company prefix is available to you as soon as you have been provided with a certificate of access. On the last page of the certificate you will find a list of GTINs issued to you (except for the 7-digit company prefix).
What is GTIN and how do I create it for my products?
GTIN is a series of numbers used to identify trade items. Because GTIN is global, it allows products to be identified regardless of time and place. The terms Enari and EAN code are also used in colloquial language for the GTIN code.
The GTIN is generated from the GS1 Company prefix assigned to your company. The number of GTINs available to you depends on the type of business ID you ordered. Regardless of the type of company identifier, the generation of GTINs follows the same principles.
From this link you can see more detailed instructions for generating a GTIN code.
How do I manage the GTINs I use?
As long as the GS1 Register service is not activated for your company, you should keep a record of the codes you use in your own archive. GS1 will contact your company when the Register becomes available to your company. Thereafter, the GTINs are maintained and generated in the Registry.
How do I barcode my products?
The GTIN is affixed to the product as a barcode corresponding to the numbers so that it can be quickly and easily read at checkouts or warehouses.
Consumer products and sales packaging are generally marked with the EAN-13 barcode (pictured right). The barcode can be generated using free barcode generators available on the Internet. However, it is worth noting that their quality varies greatly, and barcodes generated through free services are not always readable by all barcode readers. We recommend that you consult GS1 Solution Providers, which sell separately purchased GS1-compliant barcode software.
If the barcode is printed directly on the product, you should contact the advertising agency or packaging printing house that designs the packaging. They usually have the necessary skills to generate barcodes.
NOTE! When your company adopts the GS1 Registry, barcodes are generated in the Registry. You can also save and print the barcodes you have made from there.