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Verification Reports

Getting Verification Reports

Interim Reports

Interpreting Verification Reports 


Getting Verification Reports

Overview

The GS1 New Zealand Bar Code Verification Service is operated in Wellington. Verification will be done in a first in, first out basis. All samples arriving for verification are considered to be urgent, so please allow enough time for transport of samples to our offices and for the time it takes to verify each sample and prepare the verification reports. We do endeavour to verify your samples as soon as possible but the time it will take for you to receive your reports will also depend on how many samples have arrived ahead of yours.


Application forms

Please complete the appropriate application and send this with your samples, everything you should need to know is on the form, or for members online in MyGS1.

 

If you are a member, but without access to the members only section of our website, please contact us by emailing the verification team or call on +64 4 494 1050 to get set up.

 

Report Validity

GS1 New Zealand verification reports are valid for one year from the date of issue. Please note that retailers should not accept GS1 verification reports, which are over one year old.

Interim verification reports which do not assess print quality are only valid for six weeks and cannot be presented to trade unless the actual packaging is unavailable, a final verification must always follow an interim report.

How much does a Bar Code Verification Report Cost?

Members of GS1 New Zealand are entitled to ten (10) free verification reports per year. Additional reports for members will be charged at a rate of $25 + GST per report. For urgent verifications we offer priority reports, these cost $40 + GST per report and are completed in one working day from the time we receive the product. Please note there is no entitlement to free verifications on priority reports. Accredited manufacturers can carry out their own verification and produce verification reports, and are therefore able to save the added overheads of having to submit their products for GS1 verification.

Companies, which are not a member of GS1 New Zealand, are not eligible for free verification reports and will be charged at a rate of $85 + GST per verification report.

Please note that the above prices apply to all types of verification reports produced by GS1 New Zealand including both final and interim (artwork) reports.

GS1 New Zealand will invoice verification report charges (where applicable) on a monthly basis. Invoices should be paid by the 20th of the month following date of invoice.

How to get a Verification report from GS1 New Zealand

Members of GS1 New Zealand can use the online application facility for verification reports.  Please use the link below and follow the on screen instructions (Please note - your product samples still need to be sent to GS1 New Zealand's Wellington office). Members GS1 Bar Code Verification Report Application

Non-Members should download the GS1 Bar Code Verification Application Form(pdf), print it, fill it out, and send it, together with samples, packaging, shipping cartons, and/or labels to the head office of GS1 New Zealand, situated in Wellington.

Please note, a physical copy of the verification application form should accompany physical samples, while a verification application form should be 'attached' to any artwork being sent electronically.

If physical samples are being verified they should, along with the application form, be couriered to:

GS1 New Zealand Inc.
Verification Service
Level 2, The Woolstore Design Centre
262 Thorndon Quay
Wellington

or posted to:

GS1 New Zealand Inc.
Verification Service
P O Box 11-110
Wellington

We recommend that samples be sent by courier, as regular post may take up to one week to arrive at GS1 New Zealand.

Note: The verification service is only available at GS1's head office situated in Wellington.

If samples (artwork) are being sent electronically they should, along with the application form, be emailed to verify@gs1nz.org

Ideally, samples should be in their final form, which allows for more extensive testing in terms of colour, contrast, location, etc. Note that reports of tests done on loose labels or unfilled packaging may not be reliable since applying labels or filling packages can sometimes affect the scanning performance of a bar code due to the shape of the unit or the effects of filling-colour showing through, package bulging, etc. If a report is thought to be unreliable because of the above situation the report may be labelled an ' Interim ' verification report. Retail units that are curved, bottles, cylinders, etc. should be submitted with attached and loose labels where possible. Please note, trade units, cartons, inners, etc. can be sent flat to enable ease of postage.

Quality may vary between print runs so it is recommended that you have your bar codes verified on a regular basis. We recommend that you send your bar codes in for verification every time you do a new print run.

Return of samples

GS1 New Zealand does not return samples sent for verification, unless otherwise stated. Samples will only be returned it if is specifically requested. If you require your samples to be returned you must advise in writing that you want your samples returned and send with the verification application form a return label and a prepaid courier ticket. If those are not included with the samples, samples will be disposed of accordingly.

Suitable samples will be donated to appropriate charities. Also, some samples may be kept for use in GS1 New Zealand seminars, training sessions, and SCAN magazine. If GS1 New Zealand wishes to use your samples for one of the purposes listed above a representative from GS1 will contact you to ask for permission to use the samples.


Where all samples have passed GS1 verification they will be returned as soon as possible after the verification report has been sent. If any of the samples did not pass verification, the samples will be held at GS1 New Zealand and returned five (5) working days after the verification reports have been sent.

If you wish to pick up your samples personally you should advise GS1 at the same time as sending in the samples. In this case, you will have five (5) working days to pick up your samples from the date you have received the verification reports, after which the samples will be disposed of. Please note that GS1 New Zealand is not able to keep your samples for more than five (5) working days once the verification reports have been issued.

 

Interim Reports / Verifying Artwork

Overview:

Part of the GS1 verification process assesses the quality of the printing of the bar code and these parameters cannot be tested until the bar code is finally printed.

GS1 New Zealand does offer an 'Interim' verification report (previously known as an 'Artwork' report) to provide assurance before packaging or labels are finalised and printed. This provisional report assesses the magnification, height, light margins, check digit, representation, and if possible, the location of the bar code.

If you have a trade presentation before the packaging has been created or arrived an interim report can suffice, however you should follow this up with the final report when you have the actual packaging.

Benefits:

Obtaining knowledge about a product's bar code prior to the final printing provides the opportunity to reduce the occurrence of errors in the final printing and save manufacturers, packaging suppliers, printers, and designers’ time and money.

Caution:

A bar code printed on artwork uses different materials and different print processes than the finished product.  A danger therefore exists that the finished bar code may have different reflective properties and might return different test results.   Interim reports should be regarded as tentative and should be followed up with a report on a finished product as soon as possible.   They remain useful as an interim test during the bar code production process when this limitation is understood. 

'Interim' verification reports are charged at the same rate as a standard GS1 New Zealand verification report and can be used as part of a member's ten (10) free verification reports per year. This is, however, a very small investment against the cost of having to fully redesign packages and labels, the cost of new printing plates, having to reprint the whole lot, or even worse, having those products returned by retailers.

How to get an interim report:

Where an 'Interim' verification report has been issued, a sample of a finished label/package should be sent to GS1 New Zealand for a final verification report within six weeks from the issue of the 'Interim' verification report.

When sending artwork for GS1 verification you should endeavour to make sure the artwork is at 'actual size'. If the artwork is not going to be at 'actual size' a scale and dimensions must be included so the verification process can be carried out easily.

Most interim applications are emailed in PDF format to ensure the correct size and can be emailed toverify@gs1nz.org, please attach a completed application with this.

Non-Members GS1 Bar Code Verification Report Application Form (pdf)

Members GS1 Bar Code Verification Report Application

Non artwork interim reports:

An 'Interim' verification report may also be issued where one or more of the parameters cannot be assessed, which will affect the quality of the bar code. For example, a sample may be sent in for verification without being filled with product and therefore the contrast of the bar code cannot be assessed and an 'Interim' verification report may need to be issued. In this instance, another sample will need to be sent to GS1 filled with product, in order to receive a final verification report.

 

Interpreting Bar Code Verification Reports

Report layout

GS1 New Zealand has been issuing bar code verification reports with a new layout since October 2003. This new layout incorporates some additional information and uses only the terminology of the ISO bar code verification standard, which has replaced the terminology of the now obsolete traditional testing methods.

This report has been designed to be more user-friendly and to be easier to understand (a number of retailers use GS1 verification reports to understand how the bar code will perform). Please note that the ECR Australasian Product Identification Working Group has agreed to these changes.

Please note that there have not been any changes to the standards not to the testing process. The changes affect only the manner in which the results are reported.

Click here for an explanation of the reasons your bar code may have failed the verification test.

If you have any questions about how to interpret a verification report in terms of grades, comments or outcome, please email Owen Dance or call on +64 4 494 1064.

My bar code passes

If your bar code passes all you need to do is upload the report number in GS1net, or quote the verification report number on the retailer's Universal Buying Form (UBF) for New Zealand retailers. Please note, for Australian retailers you will need to quote the report number and attach the verification report to the UBF.

My bar code fails – What now?

Click here for an explanation of the reasons your bar code may have failed the verification test.

If your bar code fails you will need to attach the report to the UBF, as well as quoting the report number. This is relevant to both New Zealand and Australian retailers. It is then up to the retailer to decide whether to accept the product with a faulty bar code, reject it, or grant an extension. This decision is entirely up to the individual retailer and GS1 does not have a role in the process.  If your barcode fails and you would like to discuss the reasons for the failure please call the Verification Team on 04 494 1050 and a technician will explain the report.

How to interpret reports from the retailers view

GS1 New Zealand has developed a flow chart to help buyers or category managers make informed decisions on any issues highlighted in a verification report.

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