GS1 France: Barcodes and Registration
Everything you need to know about GS1 France (formerly Gencod): prefixes 300-379, membership, and a free EAN-13 generator for prototypes and testing.
GS1 France (formerly Gencod EAN France) is the French member organization of GS1 International. It assigns company prefixes 300-379 — every EAN-13 from a French-registered brand starts with one of these prefixes.
To sell in major French retail (Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Auchan, Casino), Amazon France, Fnac, Cdiscount, or most B2B platforms, your GTIN must be registered with GS1 France. Membership starts at around €200/year for the entry tier (10 GTINs); pricing scales by SKU count.
For prototyping, internal testing, or low-volume Etsy/eBay sales without Brand Registry, you can generate a valid EAN-13 below for free. The Mod 10 check digit is computed automatically and passes syntactic validation.
FAQ
What's the difference between GS1 France and Gencod?
None in practice: Gencod EAN France was renamed GS1 France in 2005 as part of GS1's global harmonization. Same organization, same role, same headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux.
How much does a barcode cost in France?
GS1 France charges annual membership by GTIN count: roughly €200/yr for 10 codes, €350/yr for 100, €750/yr for 1,000. One-time registration fee added. Exact pricing on gs1.fr.
Does Carrefour require a GS1 France code specifically?
Carrefour requires a valid EAN-13 registered with any GS1 member. For French brands that's GS1 France; international brands use their local GS1 office. The 300-379 prefix is not mandatory — what matters is official registration.
Can I use a free-generated barcode for Amazon France?
For Brand Registry sellers, Amazon verifies GS1 registration and rejects generated codes. For standard seller accounts without Brand Registry, generated codes often work but rejection rates rise yearly. For serious French market entry, pay for GS1 France membership.
Does the 300-379 prefix guarantee French origin?
No. The prefix indicates where the company registered its GTIN, not where the product is made. A French brand registering with GS1 US gets a US prefix (0-1, 06-13). Conversely, a foreign brand can register with GS1 France. The prefix is administrative, not geographic.