How to Get a Barcode in India: The Honest Guide
There is widespread confusion among Indian sellers about barcodes. Many online vendors claim to sell “cheap official barcodes for ₹99”. Here is what you need to know about what you actually need, what GS1 India charges, and when you can generate internal barcodes without paying.
Quick Decision: Do You Need an Official GS1 Barcode?
- Selling in modern retail chains (DMart, Reliance Retail, More, Nature's Basket).
- Supplying quick-commerce dark stores (Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart) with proprietary packaged goods.
- Selling on Amazon or Flipkart without a registered Brand GTIN Exemption.
- Exporting packaged goods to global retail distributors.
- Selling in your own store, boutique, or supermarket.
- Billing through local software (Tally, Vyapar, Marg ERP, Busy, Petpooja).
- Managing warehouse bins, godown inventory, or courier parcels.
- Selling apparel or white-label products on Amazon with GTIN Exemption (using Amazon FNSKU).
1. What Is the 890 Barcode Prefix in India?
In the global GS1 barcode system, every retail EAN-13 barcode begins with a 2- or 3-digit country prefix. The prefix 890 is allocated exclusively to GS1 India. When a scanner at a supermarket reads a code starting with 890, it identifies the item as registered through GS1 India.
890 • 1234 • 56789 • 2
[890 = GS1 India] + [1234 = Your Company Prefix] + [56789 = Product Item Code] + [2 = Check Digit]
Important Warning: No private software or website (including Embedro) can allocate or sell official 890 company prefixes. They can only be issued directly by GS1 India. Anyone selling you a single 890 number for ₹99 is selling you recycled or unauthorized numbers that may be flagged and delisted by Amazon or national supermarket scanners.
2. When Can You Generate Free Barcodes Yourself?
Thousands of Indian businesses do not need to pay GS1 India fees because their barcodes operate in a closed-loop system. If your barcodes are scanned only by your own scanners or your billing software, you can generate free Code 128 or Restricted EAN-13 (prefix 20–29) codes:
Software like Vyapar, Tally, or Marg only matches the barcode string against your local database SKU.
Create S, M, L, XL variant hangtags with price, size, and SKU without GS1 membership.
Bin identifiers, rack numbers, and master cartons use Code 128 for rapid laser reading.
3. Legal Metrology Rules for MRP Stickers in India
Under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (and 2022 amendments), every pre-packaged product sold in India must display clear statutory declarations:
- Maximum Retail Price (MRP): Must be clearly stated in Indian Rupees as
MRP ₹ ... (Incl. of all taxes). - Common Name of Commodity: What the product is (e.g. “Men's Cotton T-Shirt”, “Almond Oil 200ml”).
- Net Quantity: Expressed in standard metric units (g, kg, ml, l, or number of units).
- Month & Year of Manufacture / Packing: Clear date reference.
- Manufacturer / Packer Information: Full registered legal address and consumer care telephone/email.
Our MRP Label Maker includes built-in MRP formatting and Legal Metrology compliant apparel hangtag templates.
4. How to Print Barcodes on A4 Sticker Sheets
You don't need an expensive thermal printer to start labeling your inventory. Most Indian small businesses use standard Oddy or Desmat A4 label sheets (available on Amazon India for ₹200–₹350 per pack of 100 sheets) with regular office printers.
Learn exact printer margins, 100% scale settings, and how to avoid wasting partially peeled sheets.