3 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Barcodes
Selling a product can be more complicated than it seems. Unless you sell your goods exclusively at farmers markets or art fairs, you need a barcode to sell online through major retailers and manage your inventory.
Barcodes aren’t difficult to get, but they’re hard to get right. Learn three common mistakes to avoid when buying barcodes.
Buying a Used Barcode or Using Someone Else’s Barcode
Even if a product is older, it could still be floating around out there in the supply chain. Every barcode is unique to an individual product. Buying a used one could create confusion and disputes over who is entitled to use the barcode.
Copying someone else’s barcode could buy you a lawsuit. Barcodes are a type of intellectual property, and a manufacturer who has properly registered and procured barcodes won’t take copying lightly.
Large online retailers won’t be fooled by the illegitimate use of a barcode. They know the barcodes for major brands and manufacturers, and they’ll notice if a product comes through using a barcode that belongs to one of their large suppliers. They’ll flag that product, delist it, and may even take legal action against the seller.
Using the Same Barcode for Different Versions of a Product
Every variation of a product needs its own barcode. So if you sell two colors of shoes in 11 sizes, you need 22 barcodes to adequately identify each size and color combination. A reputable barcode seller will help you calculate how many barcodes you need for your products. They will obtain barcodes for you by registering your company as the manufacturer with GS1, the international organization that issues barcodes to ensure there is no duplication.
Buying a Fake Barcode
Scammers are out there. Barcodes that seem ridiculously cheap and come from a fly-by-night seller could be fake. Faking a barcode is illegal and could result in legal repercussions.
All barcodes should come directly from GS1 or a legitimate barcode seller. This seller should register the manufacturer with GS1 and buy barcodes in multiples of 100, up to 100,000 for a manufacturer to use on their products.
When you need to buy Amazon barcodes, make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate seller who can register your company and product with GS1. It’s the best way to ensure Amazon and other major retailers will list your product without trouble and to avoid common mistakes when buying barcodes.
Buy your barcodes with ALL necessary documents required by Amazon and other marketplaces.
We literally wrote the Book on Barcodes! Contains essential information about UPC barcodes and how to succeed on Amazon.
