Magazine Barcode


How do I get a magazine barcode?


Acquiring a barcode for your magazine is a slightly different process compared to getting a barcode for other retail products. You will need an ISSN barcode – this is an international barcode used for all serial publications; magazines included.

Depending on the system of your intended retailer, you may need a separate barcode number for each issue or edition of your magazines.

Some retailers however, only require one barcode number that is used for all recurring issues of your magazine. It is advised that you check with your intended seller on how many barcode numbers you will need – they are ultimately the ones who decide as you will be using their barcode system.

The next step is to then purchase your ISSN barcode numbers from us. SA Barcodes needs information from you before we go ahead and source your ISSN number. We will need:
  • The cover page
  • The editorial/title page


These do not have to be the final versions, but we do need them in either PDF or JPEG formats.

We will also then need you to accept our terms and conditions and send us your proof of payment. Once we have all of these items, we can then go ahead and source the ISSN barcode which takes up to 10 days. However, as soon as we have the ISSN barcode number, we can send you our barcode package via email straight away.

Final versions of your cover page and editorial page (with the ISSN barcode clearly visible) need to be sent through to us once your magazine has been printed.

Do not hesitate to give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions about the process of purchasing an ISSN barcode for your magazine or serial publication.