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Barcode errors in Shopify exports that will fail at EU customs
The standardised identifier is the one field most stores already have — and it is often wrong in ways that are easy to miss in a spreadsheet.
The five errors we see
| Error | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong length | 11 or 15 digits | GTINs are 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits. Re-copy from packaging. |
| Bad check digit | 13 digits that do not validate | One digit was mistyped. Re-copy; do not guess. |
| Placeholder | N/A, none, 0000000000000, TBD | Blank the field and, if the item truly has no barcode, record that so the declaration can use Y081. |
| Spreadsheet damage | '8858812345671 (leading apostrophe) or 8.85881E+12 | Export from Shopify directly; if editing in a spreadsheet, format the column as text before pasting. |
| Reused barcode | The same number on two different products or variants | A barcode identifies one exact item. Find which product it really belongs to and remove it from the other. |
The free checker flags all five on the first 25 rows; the full tool does the whole catalog and tells you which products share a barcode.
Questions
Is a valid check digit proof the barcode is correct?
No. It proves the digits are consistent, not that the number belongs to your product. Confirm ownership with the supplier or the packaging.
Can I make up an internal barcode?
Not for customs. The standardised identifier must come from a recognised standard (GS1 GTIN/EAN/UPC, ISBN). An internal number belongs in the SKU field.