How to use your barcode

For entrepreneurs in Hong Kong, understanding the local retail ecosystem is vital. Whether you are aiming to stock your products in major chains like PARKnSHOP, Wellcome, or City’super, or niche boutiques in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay, your barcode is your product’s digital passport. In Hong Kong, retailers typically use EAN-13 barcodes to manage inventory through their Point of Sale (POS) systems. When you present your product to a local distributor, you will provide them with your barcode number, which they then link to your product name, price, and SKU in their internal database. This process ensures that when your item is scanned at the checkout, the correct price and description appear instantly.

You will receive your barcode with images in several different formats by email. You can begin using it easily and immediately by following the simple steps below.

game with barcode on box

1. Incorporate the barcode image into your product packaging or design

Choose whichever image format (png, pdf or svg) you prefer.

Resize the image to fit into your product packaging. Please keep in mind our ‘Specifications table‘. The standard size (for EAN-13 or UPC-A barcodes) is about 38mm wide x 25mm high. The smallest recommended size is 80% of standard size – i.e. about 30mm wide x 20mm high. If you print smaller than this some retailers won’t accept it.

If you are placing your barcode on a curved surface, e.g. a bottle, the orientation is very important. The barcode should be rotated so it looks like a ladder (instead of like a fence), so that the edges of the barcode don’t wrap around the curve.

You can get a bit creative if you like. Here are some examples of artwork. However the main barcode image (the vertical bars and spaces) must remain unimpeded. If you want to print your barcode in a different colour combination (instead of black bars on a white background), please see our Barcode Colour Guide PDF.

You can then incorporate the image into your product packaging in an easily visable flat location (to ensure ease of scanning). You could also have the barcode printed onto adhesive labels to be manually applied to your product.

2. Print your packaging

Always check your label artwork BEFORE printing your product packaging. Check that the numbers are correct, and that the image being printed is still high quality and within the official size range. Changes and errors can occur at many stages in the process, so it is important to check the artwork thoroughly before printing.

It is a good idea to do a sample print to check that it prints and scans correctly.

If your retailer asks you to get a  verification report, you will need to post us a sample of your printed barcode (on the label or packaging) to us for verification.

3. Send your product to your retailers

Once you’re printed your product packaging, the next step is to send the products to your retailers.

It is at this stage that the barcode gets connected to the product. When the barcode is scanned into a retailer’s system for the first time, no product information shows up. The retailer needs to enter the product and price information into their system. After that, whenever the barcode is scanned in that retail store the correct product information appears.

4. Register your barcode number

If you purchased a barcode from us then you can register your barcode number and product details on the International Barcodes Database. To register your barcode number please go to: https://barcodesdatabase.org/barcode-registration/ . Registration is optional, however it will increase the profile of your product on the internet.

5. Barcode Printing Checklist

Download our extensive FREE print checklist.

  • Is the barcode at least 30mm wide?
  • Is there enough white space (Quiet Zone) on both sides?
  • Is the print high-resolution (300dpi+)?
  • Have I done a test scan with a free mobile app such as scanapp?

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