Keep inbound docks happy with clean barcode data

Retail compliance teams reject pallets for tiny data errors. The fastest way to avoid costly relabeling is to give every launch a repeatable checklist. Use this quick routine before you submit your product spreadsheet.

1. Verify every GS1 prefix matches the shipping country

Retail buyers often request proof that your company prefix belongs to your legal entity. Keep the original GS1 PDF in a shared folder and link it in your bill of materials. If you manufacture in multiple regions, call out which plants should use which prefix.

2. Lock the item reference ranges

The most common mistake is accidentally duplicating internal SKU ranges. Assign a range per category (for example, “beauty = items 0000-0999, supplements = 1000-1999”) and add those notes to your Supabase inventory tables once auth goes live.

3. Validate check digits at scale

Upload your CSV export into EANCloud and compare the final digit to our output. If anything mismatches, fix the item reference and rerun the batch.

4. Produce scannable artwork

Printing the correct digits is only half the job. Confirm that your packaging vendors are using the recommended 80%-200% magnification, high-contrast inks, and quiet zones. The marketing team should include a PDF with the exact specs for every product.

5. Save the evidence

Regulatory audits move faster when you keep a history of every generated batch. Later this year the Stripe-enabled version of EAN4Free will automatically write each download to your Supabase account, but until then store the CSVs in a versioned folder in your cloud drive.

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Follow this checklist and you rarely hear from compliance again—except when they ask how you suddenly accelerated so many launches.