A barcode beginning with an “890” prefix indicates the number was issued by the Indian branch of the Global Standards Body (GS1). A “890” prefix however does not indicate the product as being of Indian origin or “Made in India”. This is confirmed by GS1’s own documentation, see GS1 Australia’s Media Release or GS1 UK to learn more.
To obtain barcodes that begin with 890 you must licence them directly from the Indian branch of GS1. However, licensing barcodes from GS1 India is prohibitively expensive for most small businesses and start-ups requiring on-going yearly membership charges. GS1 membership is a complex process and using GS1 approved partners for generating your barcode images is unnecessarily expensive for many small traders.
There are no mandatory requirements to have a “890” prefix on an Indian product. Barcodes are a global standard and are not restricted by any region or country. If you have a valid barcode number, it can be used in any county in the world.
To demonstrate that your product is made in India you can indicate this on your product packaging. Your company may be required to prove this claim if challenged.
(!) Warning – Any barcode seller who claims to supply barcodes starting with a “890” prefix are misleading you. These fly by night sellers effectively “make up” 890 numbers with a high risk of duplication against GS1 India’s authentic numbers causing disruption in the supply chain. There is no relationship between these sellers and GS1 and they’re not authorized to sell the 890 prefix. If you purchase a 890 barcode from someone other than GS1 duplication is very likely. When a duplication occurs you will be liable. Retailers and distributors will generally side with an official GS1 license holder over a vendor using illegitimate numbers.
If a seller claims to have “signed up to GS1 so you don’t have to” they’re either in breach of GS1’s licensing agreement (meaning you are not licensed to use the code) or making a false claim.
Get your barcode numbers from GS1 directly or through a reputable reseller
To ensure your barcode is globally unique ensure your numbers come from the GS1/UCC system. The barcodes sold by us were originally issued in bulk by the Uniform Code Council, now known as GS1. These codes we supply were issued prior to GS1’s subscription model and thus do not incur annual GS1 fees. Currently, all of our stock has originated from the UCC, are globally unique, prefixed 07 or 06 and have never been assigned to any products. Fundamentally our numbers work like any other barcode supplied by GS1 and are suitable for use in India and globally.
The purchase authentic, valid and globally unique barcode numbers while avoiding GS1 fees visit our buy barcodes page.
How to Buy Barcodes
1. Visit our buy barcodes page
2. Select the quantity of barcodes you need
3. Fill out your details, select the payment method and finalise
Once your purchase is completed you will instantly receive your barcode package via email. You can assign your barcodes to your products right away.