Making barcodes for a small business starts with deciding whether you need universal product codes for retail shelves and online marketplaces, or internal codes just for tracking inventory in your own shop. That single decision shapes everything else: what you register for, what you pay, and what tools you use to design and print labels.
Decide What Your Barcodes Are For
If you sell products through retailers, grocery stores, Amazon, or any major marketplace, you need a UPC (Universal Product Code) or EAN (European Article Number). These are standardized codes recognized worldwide, and they require registration through GS1, the global organization that assigns unique product identifiers. Every product sitting on a store shelf has a GS1-issued number behind its barcode.
If you only need barcodes to track inventory inside your own warehouse, label bins, or manage assets at your own location, you can skip GS1 entirely. You can generate internal barcodes using any numbering scheme you choose and print them yourself. Many point-of-sale systems and inventory apps let you create these codes with no registration or fees at all.
Register With GS1 for Retail Barcodes
GS1 US sells two things: individual GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) for businesses with just one product, and company prefixes that let you create barcodes for multiple products under a single account. Here’s what the costs look like:
- 1 product: $30 one-time fee, no annual renewal
- Up to 10 products: $250 initial fee, $50 per year
- Up to 100 products: $750 initial fee, $150 per year
- Up to 1,000 products: $2,500 initial fee, $500 per year
- Up to 10,000 products: $6,500 initial fee, $1,300 per year
Most small businesses with a handful of products fall into the 10-item tier. You register at gs1us.org, pay the fee, and receive your company prefix. From there, you assign a unique number to each product and generate the barcode image using GS1’s tools or third-party software.
You may see third-party websites selling “discount” UPC codes for a few dollars each. These resellers buy prefixes from GS1 and then subdivide them. While these codes sometimes work initially, they carry real risks. On Amazon, for example, reseller barcodes can trigger invalid GTIN errors, blocked product listings, or suppressed pages. Major retailers increasingly verify that the company on the barcode matches the company selling the product. Starting with a legitimate GS1 registration avoids these problems entirely.
Choose the Right Barcode Type
The barcode “symbology” is the visual format printed on your label. Different formats serve different purposes.
UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode you see on nearly every product sold in North American retail. If you’re selling physical goods in stores or on marketplaces, this is almost certainly what you need.
EAN-13 is the 13-digit international equivalent. If you plan to sell products outside the United States and Canada, or if a retailer or distributor requests an EAN, this is the format to use. GS1 registration covers both UPC and EAN since they use the same underlying numbering system.
Code 128 supports letters, numbers, and special characters, making it useful for shipping labels, internal tracking, serial numbers, and warehouse operations. It’s commonly used in logistics, food distribution, and medical supply chains. If you’re labeling shelves, bins, or packages with alphanumeric identifiers, Code 128 is a practical choice.
QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that store URLs, text, or other data. They’re useful for linking customers to product pages, instruction manuals, or promotional content, but they don’t replace UPCs for retail checkout.
Generate Your Barcode Images
Once you have your numbers (either GS1-assigned GTINs or your own internal codes), you need software to turn those numbers into printable barcode images. Your options range from free online tools to professional label design platforms.
For basic needs, free online barcode generators can create a UPC or Code 128 image that you download as a PNG or SVG file. You paste the image into your product packaging design or label template. This works fine if you have a small number of products and don’t need to print high volumes of labels.
For ongoing label production, dedicated barcode software gives you more control. BarTender by Seagull Software and ZebraDesigner by Zebra Technologies are widely used for designing barcode labels with custom layouts, text fields, and graphics. LABEL MATRIX by TEKLYNX is built specifically for small businesses with simpler labeling needs. Barcode Maker by Wasp Barcode Technologies supports both linear and 2D barcode formats. These programs typically range from free basic versions to a few hundred dollars for full-featured editions.
If you already use inventory or point-of-sale software, check whether it includes built-in barcode generation. Platforms like Sortly, Descartes Finale, and EZOfficeInventory all support creating and scanning barcodes as part of their inventory management features. Shopify, Square, and other popular POS systems can also generate barcode labels for products you’ve entered into their system.
Print Your Labels
You can print barcodes on a standard inkjet or laser printer using adhesive label sheets from any office supply store. This is the cheapest way to start. Buy a pack of label sheets compatible with your printer, design your labels in your barcode software or even a word processor, and print. The main downside is speed: if you’re labeling hundreds of items regularly, sheet-fed printing gets tedious.
For higher volumes or more durable labels, a dedicated thermal label printer is a worthwhile investment. These printers come in two types:
Direct thermal printers use heat-sensitive labels that darken when the printhead touches them. There’s no ink or ribbon to replace, which keeps operating costs low. The tradeoff is durability: direct thermal labels fade over time, especially in sunlight or heat. They’re best for labels that need to last six months or less, like shipping labels, short-term inventory tags, or visitor passes.
Thermal transfer printers use a heated ribbon to transfer ink onto labels. The result is a sharper, more durable print that resists moisture, chemicals, UV light, and abrasion. If your barcode labels need to survive warehouse conditions, outdoor storage, or long shelf life, thermal transfer is the better choice.
Entry-level thermal label printers from brands like Zebra, DYMO, and Rollo start around $100 to $200. Thermal transfer models capable of higher resolution and larger label sizes typically run $300 to $600. Both types connect via USB or Wi-Fi and work with most barcode software.
Test Before You Ship
A barcode that looks fine to your eyes can still fail at a scanner. Before committing to a full print run or sending products to a retailer, test every barcode with an actual scanner. Most smartphones can scan barcodes using free apps, which is a quick first check. For UPC codes headed to retail, use a dedicated barcode verifier or ask your printer to run a verification scan. Retailers can reject shipments if barcodes don’t scan reliably.
Common problems include printing too small (UPC-A barcodes need a minimum width of about 1.5 inches including quiet zones on either side), insufficient contrast between bars and background, and smudged or low-resolution printing. If you’re designing product packaging, make sure the barcode sits on a light, solid background with no images or text bleeding into the bars.
Putting It All Together
For a small business selling five products at local retailers and online, the typical path looks like this: register with GS1 US for a 10-item company prefix ($250 upfront, $50 per year), assign a GTIN to each product, generate UPC-A barcode images using free or low-cost software, and print labels on a thermal printer or include the barcode in your packaging design. The whole process from registration to printed labels can be done in a day or two.
For a business that only needs internal inventory tracking, the path is even simpler. Pick a numbering scheme, generate Code 128 or QR code labels using free software, and print them on whatever printer you already own. No registration, no fees, no annual renewals.