GS1 Company Prefix

The management of the GS1 Identification System comes from carefully established rules and relationships administered at different levels around the globe. The process is complex in that the GS1 identification system is used to identify many things, in many places, and in many ways.

Key Concepts

• The GS1 Company Prefix provides a way for GS1 Member Companies to uniquely and globally identify things like trade items, logistic units, locations, parties, and assets.
• GS1 Global Office (GS1 GO) assigns GS1 Prefixes to GS1 Member Organizations (MOs)
• GS1 MOs then assign a GS1 Company Prefix to GS1 Members
• GS1 Member Companies then combine their GS1 Company Prefix with GS1 defined reference numbers to identify things they sell, ship, or own.

Key Questions

• How do I get a GS1 Company Prefix?
• Where can I find the list of GS1 Prefixes assigned to applications or GS1 Member Organizations?