FAQ

What is the GS1 company prefix?

The GS1 Company Prefix is a unique identification number that GS1 Finland Oy grants to a company. With the help of the GS1 Company Prefix, you can create identification numbers and barcodes as well as other identifiers.

Why should I get a GS1 Company Prefix?

An active GS1 Company Prefix enables your product to be sold on shops. With the GS1 Company Prefix you can also identify outer cases, logistic units, locations and assets.

When your company has a GS1 Company Prefix, no other company can use the same prefix or codes based on it. When your product has been marked according to standards, it cannot be confused with other products on the market. The identification codes generated using the GS1 Company Prefix can be used both in the company’s internal operations and globally for identification purposes between trade partners.

How can I choose the correct option of the different company prefixes?

GS1 Finland grants four different sizes of GTIN code packages for the generation of bar codes: 10 codes, 100 codes, 1,000 codes or 100,000 codes. Furthermore, there is a specific company prefix for the encoding of products with variable weight. Each product variant (size, colour, flavour etc.) needs a unique GTIN code, so you should consider the number of codes needed carefully. If there are four different colours and four different sizes of a specific product, you need 16 codes in total for it.

You should consider the needs for codes a few years ahead and choose the GS1 Company Prefix accordingly. This ensures that the numbering space is adequate for a longer period of time and that the company does not need to get a new GS1 Company Prefix so soon. An annual fee is charged for each GS1 Company Prefix. The annual fee must be paid as long as the company prefix is used for individual identifiers.

Which GS1 Company Prefix should I choose for products with variable weight?

In products with variable weight, the weight of the product, and also the price, vary between products. Products with variable weight are weighed using a scale with software that produces the barcode indicating the weight of the product. A GS1 Company Prefix for products with variable weight is ordered for products with variable weight.

How much does a GS1 Company Prefix cost?

A one-time joining fee is charged for the GS1 Company Prefix following the order. The fee varies according to the GS1 Company Prefix selected. Furthermore, an annual GS1 Company Prefix fee is charged based on the company’s turnover. See our pricing of services.

How can I order a GS1 Company Prefix?

You can order a GS1 Company Prefix from our webshop.  

Please make sure that you have the following information available before filling in the order form.

• Company details (name and address)
• Business ID
• Last financial year’s turnover
• Industry of the company according to the Standard Industrial Classification (5-digit TOL 2008 code)
• Invoicing address/electronic invoicing address and operator
• Contact person (name, phone number, e-mail address)
• Personal online bank user identifiers for electronic signature

If you cannot use an electronic signature, or do not have a Finnish Business ID, please contact GS1’s customer service: asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi.

How can I check my company’s GS1 Company Prefix?

You can check your active GS1 services in OmaGS1 service. If necessary, you can contact our customer service: asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi.

Can my customers check whether my GS1 Company Prefix is valid?

Yes. Anyone can use our GS1 GEPIR information service to check whether a company prefix is active as well as the holder of the company prefix.

What is the GS1 GEPIR?

GS1 GEPIR (Global Electronic Party Information Register) is an international information service that allows you to check company information based on the GS1 codes. The service includes the GS1 Company Prefix registers of more than one hundred GS1 countries in a single view. You can search by the global trade item number (GTIN), the global location number (GLN) or the serial shipping container code (SSCC) or by selecting the country and entering the company name as the search term. The service offered by GS1 Global Office is in English: https://gepir.gs1.org/.

How long should I keep the GS1 Company Prefix active?

The GS1 Company Prefix must be kept active and the annual fees must be paid for as long as any identification numbers created based on the GS1 Company Prefix (such as GTIN, GLN, SSCC) are in use. If a GS1 Company Prefix is terminated, the right to use the identification codes created based on it terminate as well.

What should I do when I run out of codes?

You should order a new GS1 Company Prefix. To order, go to our webshop.

A company may have several company prefixes that are active at the same time. An annual fee is charged for each GS1 Company Prefix. The annual fee is paid for as long as the company prefix is used for individual identifiers.

How do I get a barcode?

If you want to create GTIN codes for your products and use them in EAN bar codes, the first step is acquiring a GS1 Company Prefix. In Finland, it is granted by GS1 Finland, an independent, non-profit organisation. The GS1 company prefix assigned to companies specifies the first digits of the GTIN codes (EAN codes), identifying clearly the company that specific products/brands belong to.

What is GTIN?

GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. The GTIN number was previously referred to as the EAN code. It is a unique identifier number for a product. GTIN codes are used as the global product identification standard. The EAN bar code is created based on the GTIN number.

How do you create the GTIN code?

The creation of the GTIN code depends on the length of the GS1 Company Prefix granted. The GTIN code always starts with the GS1 Company Prefix, followed by digits that can be selected freely (the number of digits depends on the length of the GS1 Company Prefix), and finally, a check digit is calculated.

Can I use the same GTIN code for all my products?

The same GTIN code may not be used for different products. The GTIN code is a unique product identifyer, and each variant, such as a different size or flavour, needs its own code so that the products can be differentiated. The international GTIN management standard specifies common rules for the managements of GTIN codes assigned to products.

Do I need a barcode if I only sell products online?

The identifier of physical products is the same regardless of the sales channel, i.e., both online and in stores. Some of the largest online stores have also started to hide products in their product lists if the product does not have an official GTIN code.

Online trade brings high sales potential to small companies, and following the retailer recommendations with respect to product identifiers is therefore a good idea. When you use the correct unique product identifier, your products are better displayed in search engines, and if you are a product manager, you can ensure the uniform visibility of your product regardless of the sales channel more easily.

By using the correct product identifiers in your products right from the start, you can ensure that consumers get a better and more efficient buying experience and that you operate in a uniform manner with all of your resellers and cooperation partners.

What is EAN?

Consumer packages are identified using a GTIN number and marked with an EAN-13 (or EAN-8) barcode. In short, the EAN barcode is the product’s unique GTIN code in bar format. The EAN barcode is used in consumer products so that the product can be scanned at the checkout.

What is UPC?

UPC stands for Universal Product Code. UPC barcodes are created based on the GTIN-12 codes granted in North America. The UPC barcode is used there instead of an EAN barcode, but both barcodes are used the same way and they serve the same purpose. Just like EAN barcodes, also UPC barcodes work everywhere in the world.

Do I have to report the codes somewhere?

The company must keep records of the codes they have taken into use. Trade partners should be informed of the GTIN codes as part of product information so that they can create the products in their own background system. GS1 Rekisteri makes it easy to keep track of the identification numbers that have been used and to see how many numbers are available for the company at a glance. GS1 Rekisteri also makes it easy to check the product number (GTIN code) assigned for each product.

What is OmaGS1?

OmaGS1 is a self-service channel, available 24/7, allowing the customer to administer its information and view the services it is using. Customers can also order additional services in the OmaGS1 service.

I cannot log in to OmaGS1, what should I do?

If you cannot register, a username is probably not set up for you yet. In such a case, please contact our customer service.

Is it mandatory to use the GS1 Rekisteri?

The GS1 Rekisteri was implemented in all GS1 countries by the end of 2021. In Finland, all new GS1 Compant Prefix customers are required to use the GS1 Rekisteri. Those who have previously become our customers will implement the register in stages. After this, saving GTIN codes in the register is mandatory for all business identification customers.

How much does it cost to use the register?

The GS1 Rekisteri does not charge a separate user fee; its use is included in the annual fee charged for the GS1 Company Prefix.

Do Private Label products have to be stored in the GS1 Rekisteri as well?

Private Label codes will also be stored in the product register. The company whose GS1 Company Prefix was used to create the codes, i.e., usually the company that owns the private label product brand, is responsible for this.

Do products that are only used internally have to be stored in the GS1 Register as well?

All the GTIN codes created based on the GS1 Company Prefix are stored in the register. If the GTIN code is only used internally, it is marked with “Not a consumer product”, and the information of the GTIN code is not transmitted to the global register.

Do sales batches or pallets have to be stored in the GS1 Rekisteri as well?

Yes. All the GTIN codes created based on the GS1 Company Prefix are stored in the register.

Who can view the information stored in the register?

Anyone can use our register search service to search using the GTIN code for product information stored in the GS1 Rekisteri.

What is the Synkka service?

Synkka is a centralised product information service for suppliers, importers, wholesalers, retail chains and HoReCa sector operators. It allows trading partners to share and receive product information and photos. Furthermore, Synkka allows the sharing product information to other countries, such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

How can I join the Synkka service?

You can order Synkka from our webshop. Taking the Synkka into use requires that the company has a valid GS1 Company Prefix.

How much does it cost to use the Synkka service?

A joining fee is charged when you start using the Synkka service. We also charge a fixed annual fee based on the company’s turnover. See our pricing of services.

Does GS1 have product information maintenance services?

We have a long list of GS1 Synkka partners, such as enterprise software providers, data collection companies, system integrators and product information management providers, who provide software and solutions for product information management in Synkka. These partners make it easier to publish and search for information from the Synkka service.

GS1 Finland Oy itself does not offer maintenance service for product data.

What is the Golli service? 

Golli is a service designed especially to meet the needs of our retail and utensil suppliers. With Golli, it’s possible to handle order processing and deliveries completely digitally. The service creates pallet markings and the delivery notifications required by the trade automatically, which reduces the amount of paper work and human error. A system that is compatible with large retail chains’ highly automated systems turns a small actor into a big one: the solution places all suppliers on a par. Service users can be sure that all pallet markings and shipment data will be transmitted in accordance with the shared GS1 standards.

How can I join the Golli service?

A valid GS1 Company Prefix is the only prerequisite for the Golli service. You can order the Golli service in our webshop.

How much does it cost to use the Golli service?

See our pricing of services.
 

What is GLN?

GLN stands for Global Location Number. The GLN is an identifier of a party that makes it easier to identify the company, its internal functions or places of business. The GLN is created based on the GS1 Company Prefix.

What is GLN needed for?

The GLN is used in electronic trade notifications for the identification of the parties of a transaction in conjunction with placing orders, deliveries, invoicing and messaging, for example.

Reporting any changes in a company’s information is important e.g., the company’s name or business ID changes, the invoicing information changes or contact person changes.

You can change the invoicing information easily in the OmaGS1 service. Other changes can be sent by e-mail to asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi.