Why do you need barcodes?
Warehousing: If you warehouse and distribute your products through Connect Logistics, you must print a barcode on two adjacent sides of each shipping container or case to identify the product in that case.
Liquor store sales: Many Alberta liquor stores scan barcodes on the product label when selling to customers.
About barcodes and Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)
A barcode is a visual representation of a unique identification number that can be quickly and easily read by electronic scanners.
A common barcode standard is the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). The GTIN is also known as a Universal Product Code (UPC number) or Uniform Commercial Code (UCC number). This is the number printed below the barcode on most products in retail stores.
A GTIN uniquely identifies products down to very specific details. The first part of a GTIN is the "company prefix" and typically identifies the company. Within a company, each product has its own GTIN so that it can't be confused with another product.
How to get GTINs for your products
- Subscribe to GS1 Canada to get your company prefix and a set of individual GTINs for your products.
- Assign GTINs to your individual products. Make sure you send this information to AGLC.
- Create barcode labels for each GTIN.
- Apply the barcode labels to appropriate spots on your product packaging.
Canada does not provide artwork for creating barcode images based on GTINs. There are many commercially available products and solutions that can do this for you.
For more details, visit GS1 Canada's website.
You can contact GS1 Canada at 1.800.567.7084 or info@gs1ca.org.