Verified By GS1 is a cross-industry global initiative aimed at providing accurate and trusted product data. This platform is being launched by the global standards office and has the support of many of the largest multinational corporations.
Companies and their trading partners will only realize benefits when complete UPC product data is entered into global GS1 databases AND when the data is validated for accuracy. Since many current repositories are incomplete and plagued by inaccurate data, it is imperative that companies carefully invest their time and money in a comprehensive platform.
Most companies rely on GTIN.cloud® as their primary UPC barcode management portal to address shortcomings of available basic database tools (i.e. DataHub). New and existing GS1 Barcode Service members gain access to the GTIN.cloud® portal as part of their membership.
Overview
Companies identify their products with GS1 UPC barcodes because they want their goods to be accepted globally and by every online marketplace. The global agency, GS1, provides tools for retailers to validate the authenticity and brand association with Company Prefixes and GTINs. Many companies that originally purchased discounted “reseller” UPC barcodes were forced to deactivate product listings and correctly relabel their products with brand-licensed UPCs when Amazon and Walmart started using the GS1 Company Prefix validation site, GEPIR. Essentially by entering a GTIN, the tool would display the associated licensing company, if known.
As of January 2024, GEPIR was replaced by Verified By GS1. The Verified By GS1 website will continue to display licensing company information, plus additional basic core UPC product data when provided.
The GTIN.cloud® is the single repository that enables companies to assign and activate their GS1 GTINs, associate product data attributes, upload image links, and create digital .eps (printer-ready) barcode files. All entered UPC product data is personally validated by an assigned GS1 barcode consultant before a UPC is published. Since GS1 prohibits the reuse of GTINs, it is imperative that UPC identification and product information are done correctly the first time.
GTIN.cloud® Paves The Way To Trusted UPC Data
The significant benefit of the GTIN.cloud® repository is that the company (brand owner) has complete control of all product data associated with their GTINs. In addition, all information is validated by a GS1 barcode consultant prior to publishing.
GS1 Global is the standards organization whose primary function is limited to creating identification standards. Each country has its own local office to administer Company Prefix/GTIN licensing and educational classes. They do not provide the actual barcodes and utilize a rudimentary service (DataHub) to push information to the Verified By GS1 database. GTIN.cloud® is already collecting and validating the Verified by GS1 structured data fields for DataHub imports. Since it is included as part of the GS1 licensing membership, there is no downside to importing GTIN.cloud® data. The DataHub tool does not technically share any UPC data and potential trading partners do not use it to discover products.
Comparison of Functionalities: GTIN.cloud® vs DataHub
| GTIN.cloud® | DataHub | |
| Manage GTIN-12 (UPCs) | Yes | Yes |
| Manage GTIN-14 (case markings) | Yes | Yes |
| Create barcode files (printer-ready) | Yes | No |
| Personal Phone & Email Support | Yes | No |
| Allow Multiple Users | Yes | $500 add-on |
| Export All GTINs to Other Databases | Yes | $4500 add-on |
| Human Validation of Entered Data | Yes | No |
| Verified By GS1 Visibility Option | Yes | Yes |
| GTINs Searchable by Public | Yes | No |
| GS1 Company Certificates Displayed | Yes | No |
Note: Organizations, such as Google and Amazon, have specific non-standardized GTIN data requirements and specific mandatory information will vary by product category. GTIN.cloud® can export all standardized formatted data so companies can furnish specific data files to each of their trading partners.
An annual subscription to GTIN.cloud® is automatically included with GS1 Barcode Service and Support programs. Due to the importance of human-validated UPC product data, both GTIN assignments and corresponding data are personally reviewed by GS1 Barcode consultants.
Companies who do not have their licensed GS1 GTINs or Prefixes can go to www.barcode-us.com to obtain their UPC barcodes and gain access to GTIN.cloud. The digital .eps barcode files are included and can be generated on the GTIN.cloud management portal.
Companies who already have licensed their GS1 GTINs and/or Prefix can subscribe to a GS1 Barcode Support program to gain access to GTIN.cloud®. GS1 Barcode Support programs are available at www.barcode-us.com/buy-upcs/support-subscriptions.
For additional information, please feel free to call 800-662-0701 or email sales@barcode-us.com.
