GS1 Company Prefix terms and conditions

Terms and Conditions for the GS1 Company Prefix effective from 9 September 2026

1. Use of the GS1 Company Prefix 

The GS1 Company Prefix is used to create identifiers that comply with GS1 standards. A company may use these identifiers, for example, to uniquely identify products, locations, logistics units and load carriers, and to create barcodes. The GS1 Company Prefix is customer-specific. The Customer may not transfer or sell the GS1 Company Prefix or any codes created from it to another company without the written consent of GS1 Finland.  
 

2. Customer rights and obligations 

2.1. GS1 Company Prefix 

The Customer has the right to use the GS1 Company Prefix allocated to the company it represents for the purpose described in Section 1. When using the GS1 Company Prefix, the Customer must comply with the instructions available at www.gs1.fi and from GS1 Finland's customer service. 

The Customer must pay GS1 Finland Oy an annual fee for the use of the GS1 Company Prefix in accordance with the price list in force. The annual fee must be paid for as long as the company continues to use identifiers such as GTINs, GLNs or SSCCs. 

The Customer must notify GS1 Finland of any changes to its contact and billing details through the MyGS1 service or by email to asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi. Changes in the company's business, such as the discontinuation of operations or the sale of the company, must be notified in writing to asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi. 

The Customer may not transfer any rights under this Agreement to a third party without the written consent of GS1 Finland Oy. If identifiers in use are to be transferred to another company, for example in connection with a business acquisition, both companies must provide a written undertaking concerning the transfer. 

2.2. GS1 Data service for managing product codes and location and party codes 

Customers of GS1 Finland Oy are provided with access to a web browser-based service for creating and managing product codes and location and party codes. In the Tuotekoodit module of the GS1 Data service, the Customer can create GTINs for its products and generate EAN barcodes from them. In the Sijainnit ja osapuolet module, the Customer can create and manage GLNs. 

Access to the GS1 Data Tuotekoodit and GS1 Data Sijainnit ja osapuolet modules is included in the annual fee for the GS1 Company Prefix. 

When creating GTINs, the Customer must save the key basic information about its products in GS1 Data. The Customer may enter the information itself or use an external partner. If the information is entered on the Customer's behalf by, for example, a representative, distributor or data entry service provider, the Customer must provide GS1 Finland with written consent for this. 

When the Customer saves GTINs and GLNs in GS1 Data, the information is also stored in the global GS1 registry. This allows, for example, trading partners in Finland and abroad to view the information. The Customer agrees that GS1 Finland Oy may share the stored information with various recipients through local and global GS1 services. 
 
The Customer is responsible for ensuring that the information stored in GS1 Data: 
1) originates from the Customer or has been approved by the Customer; 
2) does not violate any law or regulatory requirement or infringe any third-party rights, such as rights to privacy, copyrights, trademarks, patents or other intellectual property rights; and 
3) does not contain viruses, Trojan horses or other technically harmful content. 

The Customer understands that GS1 Data and other GS1 services related to the sharing of information stored in it have not been designed to meet regulatory requirements applicable to healthcare. The services therefore do not meet, for example, the reporting requirements for regulated healthcare products. 

Information stored in GS1 Data is validated and must comply with the validation rules of the GS1 General Specifications. When editing and saving information, the GTIN Management Standard and any other applicable technical specifications must also be followed. The Customer is responsible for the information it shares and for its quality. GS1 Finland Oy, GS1 AISBL or any other GS1 Member Organisation is not liable for damage caused to a third party as a result of the use of information provided by the Customer. This limitation of liability applies, among other things, to direct and indirect damage and to damage caused intentionally or unintentionally. 

The Customer accepts that GS1 is not liable for any loss, damage, cost, claim or expense that the Customer may incur as a result of using GS1 Data, the GS1 Company Prefix or identifiers created from it in the Customer's business. 

The Customer must defend GS1 Finland Oy, GS1 AISBL and other GS1 Member Organisations against any third-party claims, liabilities and actions based on an allegation that the use, publication or distribution of information stored by the Customer in GS1 Data infringes a patent, copyright, trademark, database right or other intellectual property right. The Customer is also responsible for reasonable legal fees and other costs arising from such claims. 

GS1 Finland is not responsible for barcodes printed on the basis of files downloaded from GS1 Data or for their readability. GS1 Finland cannot supervise the printing services used by Customers or whether the printing process complies with GS1 standards and barcode print quality guidelines. 
 

3. Terms and conditions for suppliers and labellers of medical devices  

In this Section, a GS1 identifier means a GS1 Company Prefix or a GTIN used for the unique identification of medical devices, i.e. Unique Device Identification (UDI). 

3.1. The Customer understands that GS1 Finland Oy is part of the global GS1 organisation (GS1 Global Office). Certain authorities have accredited the GS1 Global Office as a UDI issuing entity. In performing this role, GS1 Finland Oy and the GS1 Global Office are subject to certain regulatory obligations. These include, for example, an obligation to report companies that use GS1 standards to uniquely identify medical devices. 

3.2. The following terms apply when the Customer uses GS1 standards to identify a product that is considered a medical device in the country in which the product is marketed: 

  1. When purchasing a GS1 Company Prefix or a GTIN, the Customer must inform GS1 Finland Oy whether the identifier will be used to identify a medical device and in which country the product will be marketed. 
  2. The Customer is responsible for the information concerning medical devices that it provides to GS1 Finland Oy and for compliance with applicable statutory obligations. The Customer must ensure that all information provided is accurate and up to date at all times. 
  3. GS1 Finland Oy may monitor whether Customers use GS1 standards appropriately. 
  4. If GS1 Finland Oy identifies a Deficiency as defined in Section 3.3, it may notify the Customer in writing and require the Customer to remedy the Deficiency within 90 calendar days of the notification (Remediation Period). 
  5. If the Deficiency is not remedied within an additional period of 90 days after the expiry of the Remediation Period and the Deficiency concerns repeated or intentional misuse of GS1 standards relating to UDI identifiers, the GS1 Global Office may notify the competent authority. In such a case, the GS1 Global Office will act in cooperation with GS1 Finland Oy. It may also take restrictive measures together with the authority, such as terminating the agreement concerning the use of the GS1 Company Prefix in respect of UDI identifiers in the jurisdiction concerned. 
  6. The Customer understands that, due to its statutory obligations, GS1 Finland Oy must share certain information with the competent regulatory authorities, either directly or through the GS1 Global Office. The information shared may include, among other things, the fact that the Customer uses a GS1 Company Prefix or GTIN to identify a medical device marketed in the country concerned, the Customer's GS1 Company Prefix or GTIN, the company name, and any Deficiencies identified and not remedied. GS1 Finland Oy and the GS1 Global Office are not liable for any direct or indirect consequences, losses or damage resulting from the provision of this information to a regulatory authority. 

3.3. In this Section, a Deficiency means any of the following: an incorrect structure of a unique identifier; a discrepancy between the name of the holder of the GS1 Company Prefix, i.e. the licensed company, and the name of the company using the GTIN; or other incorrect, incomplete or outdated information.   

 

4. Rights and obligations of GS1 Finland Ltd. 

4.1. GS1 Company Prefix 

GS1 Finland Oy maintains a register in Finland of the GS1 Company Prefixes it has allocated and also submits the information to the global GS1 Company Prefix registry. In addition, GS1 Finland Oy provides guidance on the use of GS1 standards and maintains and develops the system and the related instructions. 

4.2. GS1 Data 

If GS1 Finland Oy suspects that the Customer is submitting information to GS1 Data in breach of this Agreement, for example by infringing a third party's intellectual property rights, GS1 Finland Oy may take appropriate corrective action. It may, for example, block access to the information or remove the information from GS1 Data temporarily or permanently. If the Customer terminates the agreement concerning the GS1 Company Prefix, GS1 Finland Oy may retain the information submitted by the Customer to GS1 Data, marked as information that is no longer maintained. 

 

5. Force majeure 

The Service Provider is not liable for damage caused by force majeure or another comparable reason that makes the Service Provider's operations unreasonably difficult. Force majeure may include, for example, war or threat of war, a strike or other industrial dispute, compulsory acquisition or seizure for public purposes, an import or export ban, a natural event, fire, flood or water damage, cable damage caused by an external party, overvoltage in the electricity grid, an interruption in the supply of energy or another essential commodity, disruption of a public communications network, or a fault or delay in the delivery of telecommunications connections or equipment procured from or controlled by a third party. Force majeure also includes any other reason beyond the Service Provider's control that the Service Provider could not reasonably have foreseen or prevented.  
 

6. Prices and payment terms 

The annual fee for the GS1 Company Prefix for the current year is invoiced when the prefix is allocated. Annual fees for subsequent years are invoiced annually in January using the billing method selected by the Customer: e-invoice, invoice by email or paper invoice. The payment term is 14 days net. 

If the annual fee for the GS1 Company Prefix was paid by credit card, annual fees for subsequent years will be charged automatically to the same card on 2 January each year. The automatic charge will be made unless the Customer changes the billing method or terminates the agreement concerning the GS1 Company Prefix at least 14 days before the charge date. If the credit card has expired, the Customer must update the card details on the My Account page of the GS1 Online Store before the charge date. 

GS1 Finland Oy may change the prices of its products and services annually. Customers will be notified of price changes at least one month before they take effect. The current price list is available at www.gs1.fi and from customer service.  
 

7. Contract Period and Termination 

The Agreement enters into force when GS1 Finland Oy notifies the Customer that a GS1 Company Prefix has been allocated to it. 

The Agreement remains in force until further notice and continues for one calendar year at a time unless the Customer terminates it before the end of the preceding calendar year. Notice of termination must be given in writing to laskutus@gs1.fi. If the Customer terminates the Agreement after paying the annual fee, the annual fee for that year will not be refunded. 

GS1 Finland Oy may terminate the Agreement and deactivate the GS1 Company Prefix and the Customer's access rights to GS1 Data and the MyGS1 service if the Customer fails to pay fees related to the Agreement or otherwise materially breaches the Agreement. If GS1 Finland Oy terminates the Agreement for a reason attributable to the Customer, the Customer must immediately cease using the GS1 Company Prefix and any codes created from it. 

 

8. Change of terms and conditions 

GS1 Finland Oy may amend these Terms and Conditions. The current Terms and Conditions are available on the GS1 Finland website. GS1 Finland will notify the Customer by email of material amendments, including price changes, before they take effect. 

 

9. Applicable law and resolution of disputes  

The Agreement is governed by the laws of Finland, excluding its choice-of-law rules. Any disputes arising from the Agreement will be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Finland Chamber of Commerce. The arbitral tribunal will consist of one arbitrator, and the arbitration will take place in Helsinki.