Allocating barcode numbers
Nine digit prefix
(for GS1 Australia members who joined after May 1996)
The nine digit prefix was first issued by GS1 Australia in 1996, to reduce the range of numbers to each company and to conserve the total pool of numbers (most companies need only a few hundred barcodes (GTINs 
) at most.
To allocate a SSCC from a nine digit company prefix
use the following method:
- Assign an extension digit (previously known as a packaging indicator), which is any number between 0-9, and is used to increase the capacity of the SSCC.The company that constructs the SSCC assigns this.
- This is followed by the nine digit GS1 Company Prefix.
The company prefix used should be the company who ship the goods, which is not always the brand owner.
Important Note:
If using a U.P.C. Company Prefix fill it with a leading zero (on the left). Some GS1 Member Organisations have company prefixes other than seven digits. Then assign a seven digit serial reference, which uniquely identifies each transport package. This serial reference number must remain unique for at least twelve months. The method used to allocate this unique number is at the discretion of the company coding the package.
The last digit is a mathematically calculated Check Digit that ensures the whole number is correct.
Calculate your Check Digit/s.
