UPC codes in Canada: how to get your barcodes before moving to a 3PL

Why your 3PL needs a scannable code on every product

In a warehouse that handles thousands of items for dozens of brands, the 250 g jar and the 500 g jar, vanilla and maple look too much alike to sort by eye. A barcode gives every variant an identity a scanner will not confuse.

The code comes into play at three points:

• At receiving. The shipment is counted and checked against the packing list. Scanning a code is faster and less error-prone than reading a label by hand.
• In storage. The product is recorded at its location, so the inventory you see online matches what is actually on the shelves.
• At picking. In most warehouses, the picker scans to confirm the right item was picked. The wrong flavor or size costs a return, shipping and sometimes a customer.

That is why Kolineo’s receiving services page asks for barcodes (UPC or others) on your products or cartons.

UPC, EAN, GTIN, SKU: four terms not to confuse

Barcode vocabulary often mixes up the number and the symbol. The GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the number that identifies your product. UPC-A or EAN-13 is the way it is printed as bars so a scanner can read it.

UPC vs EAN

The UPC-A symbol carries a GTIN-12, or 12 digits. The EAN-13 symbol carries a GTIN-13, or 13 digits. According to GS1 Canada, both are approved for retail point of sale, and UPC-A is the barcode most commonly required by retailers in North America. For a Canadian brand selling in Canada and the U.S., it is the most common format.

UPC vs SKU

A SKU is your internal code. You choose it freely (for example CAF-MAP-250 for a 250 g maple coffee). It only means something to you. A UPC code is unique worldwide and tied to your company by GS1. You need both: the SKU to organize your catalog, the UPC so the warehouse, marketplaces and retailers recognize the product.

How to get UPC codes in Canada

GS1 is the only official provider of GTINs and UPC barcodes worldwide. In Canada, you go through GS1 Canada. The process takes four steps:

1. Count your variants. Every size, flavor and variation needs its own GTIN. Three flavors in two sizes means six codes. GS1 Canada offers a GTIN estimator to help you count.
2. Pick your plan and subscribe. Registration is done online and typically takes less than 10 minutes, according to GS1 Canada. The plan depends on how many codes you need and on your revenue.
3. Create your codes. Once subscribed, you assign your numbers and generate the barcode files with GS1 Canada’s online tool.
4. Keep a register. Record in a file which GTIN matches which SKU, with the exact product description. Never assign a code already in use to another product.

The subscription is valid for 12 months and renews automatically, unless written notice is received at least 60 days before it expires. If you cancel, GS1 Canada states that you are no longer authorized to use your GTINs. From 100 unique products, GS1 Canada says you need a plan that includes a GS1 Company Prefix, such as the Limited plan.

The trap of resold UPC codes

Search for “buy UPC codes” and you will find websites selling codes one at a time, with no annual subscription. Those numbers were originally assigned to another company. In the GS1 registry, they stay tied to the original licensee, not to your brand.

GS1 Canada warns that barcode numbers purchased from other sources could be duplicated or even fraudulent, and may not be linked to your product or business, which can mean lost sales. The risk is concentrated in two places:

• On Amazon. According to GS1 Canada, you need a GTIN to identify and authenticate your products on Amazon.ca, and Amazon.ca recommends a GS1 barcode. Amazon’s rules change over time: check Seller Central help before you create your listings. If you sell through FBA or FBM, see also our page on 3PL services for Amazon sellers.
• With retailers. GS1-licensed GTINs are the standard used by most Canadian retailers. Each retailer spells out its requirements in its vendor guide, down to carton and pallet labels. See our page on B2B fulfillment to retailer requirements.

Changing codes later is expensive: reprinted packaging, new product listings. It is better to start with GS1 codes from your very first production run.

Carton barcodes: GTIN-14 and ITF-14

Your manufacturer rarely ships products one by one. It packs them in master cartons: 12 jars, 24 cans, 6 boxes. If the carton has its own code, the warehouse knows what is inside and how many in a single scan, without opening it.

At GS1, every packaging level has its own GTIN. A carton of 12 identical units gets a GTIN-14, built from the unit’s number with a packaging indicator from 1 to 8 in front and a new check digit at the end. A carton of 24 of the same product is a different configuration, so it gets a different GTIN-14. The ITF-14 symbol, which carries only the GTIN, prints directly on corrugated board, with no label to add.

Two practical tips:

• Do not put the unit’s UPC on the master carton: when scanned, the whole carton would count as a single unit.
• If your manufacturer cannot print a carton code, at least have the SKU, description and quantity per carton printed in large type on two sides.

Barcode labeling: the mistakes that stop a scan

A valid code is useless if the scanner cannot read it. The most common mistakes are made when the packaging is designed:

• A code shrunk too far or trimmed quiet zones. Follow GS1’s recommended dimensions and blank margins.
• Poor contrast. Dark bars on a light background read well. Gold bars on kraft paper or red bars, much less so.
• A code on a fold, a seam or a tight curve. On a soft pouch or a small bottle, the surface distorts the bars.
• A code hidden by packaging. An opaque polybag or stretch film covering the code means adding one on the outer packaging.

Before printing thousands of boxes, test a first print run. GS1 Canada offers a barcode scan verification service to confirm your codes meet its standards.

What Kolineo checks at receiving

Kolineo is a 3PL based in Sherbrooke, Québec, with a second warehouse near Chicago. The same receiving process applies at both.

• We ask for barcodes (UPC or others) on your products or cartons.
• Every inbound shipment is counted and checked against the packing list or purchase order. Any discrepancy is reported to you.
• As soon as products are put away, your stock levels are visible in real time.
• 99.98% of orders are picked accurately.
• Your online orders and your shipments to retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Amazon and Sobeys ship from the same inventory.

Some of your products don’t have a GS1 code yet? Tell us before you ship, so it gets solved at your manufacturer rather than at our dock. For a first idea of your costs, try our 3PL cost calculator.