Barcode Verification Reports

A verification report tests your barcode as it’s printed on your finished packaging. We use specialist equipment rather than an ordinary scanner. You get a grade: A, B, C or D is a pass, and anything below is a fail, with the reasons listed.

Some retailers ask for a report before they’ll stock your product. Most don’t.

Do you need one?

  • Your retailer has asked for one: Yes. Order below.
  • You’re selling to supermarkets or hardware chains: Probably. These retailers are most likely to ask. Check which retailers require it.
  • Nobody has asked, but you want to check before printing: Try our barcode artwork test instead, for £12.
  • You only sell online: No. Verification only matters for scanning in physical stores. It has nothing to do with Amazon.

Verification isn’t a legal requirement. Only buy it if you need to.

  • Verification Report

    £35 per barcode

    We test your barcode on the finished, printed packaging and email you the report. It includes:

    • your overall grade
    • the results behind it
    • if it fails, what to fix

    After you order, we’ll email you our postal address and tell you what to send.

     

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Verification report or artwork test?

Artwork test (£12) Verification report (£35)
When Before you print After you print
What you send A PDF of your artwork, by email Your printed packaging, by post
Accepted by retailers? No Yes
Best for Checking your design before a print run When a retailer asks for a report

The artwork test uses the same equipment, but we print your PDF in black and white. It won’t pick up problems caused by your printer, packaging material or colours. Doing the artwork test first makes it much more likely you’ll pass verification later.

How to pass first time

Most failures come down to a few mistakes you can avoid:

  • Size: Keep the barcode between 80% and 200% of the standard size. This is the most common cause of failure. See barcode dimensions.
  • Quiet zones: Keep the blank space on each side of the barcode clear of text and graphics. Our images already include this, so don’t crop it.
  • Print quality: Check the bars under a magnifying glass. Fuzzy or blurred edges will fail.
  • Contrast: Use dark bars on a white or light background. Avoid red bars, light-coloured bars, and busy backgrounds.
  • Surface: Avoid seams, folds and shiny or see-through materials. On bottles and tubes, turn the barcode so the bars run around the curve, not across it.

If you have a handheld scanner, test your barcode before sending it. If it doesn’t scan easily for you, it won’t pass.

What happens after you order

  1. We email you with our postal address and what to send.
  2. You post us your packaging. Send the barcode printed on the finished packaging, or as close to it as possible. A printout on plain paper isn’t enough.
  3. We test it within 2–3 working days after we receive it.
  4. You get the full report by email, whether it passes or fails.

Please order before posting anything, so we know what it’s for.

Frequently asked questions

What grade do I need?
It depends on the retailer. Many accept C or better, and some want B or above. Ask before you print.

What if it fails?
The report tells you why. It’s usually the size or the quiet zones, so you’ll need to fix the artwork and reprint. Testing the reprinted packaging counts as a new report.

Can you verify from a photo or PDF?
No, a report needs the printed packaging. You can check a PDF with the artwork test.

Does a report expire?
No. But if you change the packaging, printer or material, the report no longer applies.

Do I need one for every product?
It’s one report per barcode. If several products share the same design, size and printing, some retailers will accept a report on just one of them. Check with your retailer first.

I bought my barcode from you. Do I still need this?
Possibly. Verification tests how your barcode was printed, not the number itself.