The single most common question after "how do I register" is "what will it cost." Fees are structured around two variables: your business's annual turnover, and how many GTINs (distinct products/variants) you need.
What actually drives your fee
- Turnover slab — businesses are grouped into tiers (e.g. startups/small businesses, mid-size, large enterprise), each with a different base registration fee.
- Number of GTINs required — ordering a larger block of product numbers upfront typically costs more than a small starter set, but works out cheaper per-GTIN.
- Renewal cycle — registration is not one-time; there's an annual renewal fee to keep your prefix active.
Typical fee structure
| Business profile | Relative registration cost | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Startups / MSMEs, small GTIN count | Lowest tier | Annual |
| Mid-size business, moderate GTIN count | Mid tier | Annual |
| Large enterprise, large GTIN block | Highest tier | Annual |
Costs beyond the registration fee
Two costs are easy to miss when budgeting:
- Annual renewal — a lapsed renewal can mean losing the right to use your assigned numbers.
- Barcode verification — some businesses pay separately to have their printed barcodes scan-tested for quality before mass production, to avoid packaging that fails to scan at retail.
A subsidy most businesses miss
If you're a micro-manufacturing enterprise, a separate MSME government scheme can reimburse up to 80% of these fees (capped at ₹50,650) — it isn't applied automatically by GS1 India, so most eligible businesses never claim it. See who qualifies and how to claim it →
A simple way to budget
Estimate your GTIN count first (count every size/variant/SKU you expect to launch in the next 12–18 months, not just today's catalog), then check the current slab against that count and your turnover band directly with GS1 India — this avoids under-provisioning and having to pay again mid-year for more numbers.
Know your budget — now see the registration steps
The step-by-step guide walks through the exact application process once you know which fee tier applies to you.
See the registration steps →