We want to be straight with you from the start — because that’s how we do business.
Nationwide Barcode has been helping independent sellers, small manufacturers, online retailers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs get legitimate UPC and EAN barcodes since 2009. We’ve sold millions of barcodes to thousands of happy customers, and we’re proud of that record. But we also believe you deserve a clear-eyed picture of where we fit — and where we don’t — before you spend a dime.
Where Nationwide Barcode is the right choice
Our barcodes work beautifully for the vast majority of retail and online selling environments. That includes:
- Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart.com, and other major online marketplaces
- Shopify and other e-commerce platforms
- Independent and specialty retail stores
- Natural food co-ops and regional grocery chains
- Farmers markets, craft fairs, and pop-up retail
- Independent music distribution
- Apps, downloadable products, and digital goods requiring GTINs
- Boutiques, gift shops, and independent hardware and sporting goods stores
If your product will be scanned at a register, listed on a major marketplace, or tracked in a small-to-midsize retailer’s inventory system, our barcodes will do the job — at a fraction of what GS1 charges, with no annual renewal fees, ever.
Where you may need to take a different path
We believe in transparency, and here’s the honest part: a handful of the largest big-box retailers — specifically Walmart, Target, Kroger, J.C. Penney, and a small number of other national chains with highly centralized vendor programs — require that suppliers have their own dedicated GS1 prefix. These retailers don’t just want a valid barcode; they want the prefix in their database to trace directly back to your company’s GS1 registration.
If your goal is to put your product on the shelves of Walmart, Kroger, or a similar chain as a supplier — not just to sell on Walmart.com — you will need to go directly to GS1 and obtain your own prefix. We’ll tell you that ourselves rather than let you find out the hard way. We can even help you navigate that process through our GS1 Support service.
For everyone else — and that’s most of you — Nationwide Barcode is a smart, legal, and cost-effective solution.
Why our barcodes are legitimate
We own pre-2002 GS1 prefix blocks that were originally issued to companies that no longer use them. A class-action lawsuit against GS1 in 2002 established that these legacy prefixes, and the barcode numbers under them, are valid for resale. We maintain full documentation of our prefix ownership, and every barcode number we sell is unique, never recycled, and locked out of our system the moment it’s assigned to you.
That’s not a loophole — it’s a legal and established business model that has served our customers well for over fifteen years.
What you can expect from us
We’re commerce, marketing, and graphics professionals. Our sister company, Media Media Inc., is a long-standing member of Visual Media Alliance and Printing Industries of America. We take barcodes seriously because your products depend on them.
When you order from us, you receive your UPC and EAN barcode numbers, print-ready graphic files in both EPS and JPG formats, a Certificate of Authenticity and Transfer of Ownership, an Excel spreadsheet of all your numbers, and access to our full resource and support guide — usually within minutes of placing your order.
We back that with a 15-day refund guarantee for digital marketplace purchases and ongoing email support. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and zero unresolved complaints.
We appreciate every customer. We know you have choices, and we earn your business by being straightforward, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.
If you’re not sure whether we’re the right fit for your specific retailer or marketplace, just ask. We’d rather answer that question honestly upfront than have you discover a mismatch after the fact.
— The Nationwide Barcode Team info@nationwidebarcode.com
