What is a GTIN?
A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a globally unique number of 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits, defined by the GS1 standards, that unambiguously identifies a trade item: one product variant at one specific packaging level. The GTIN is the number printed beneath the barcode on almost every consumer product, and it is the key that lets ERP, WMS, point-of-sale systems and web shops recognise the same items. The barcode itself contains only the number; price, description and shelf life live in the systems that look the number up, or in additional data fields alongside it.
🧠 How is a GTIN structured?
A GTIN consists of three parts. A company joins its national GS1 member organisation, receives a GS1 Company Prefix and numbers its own items within that block.
| Part | Example (fictitious) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 Company Prefix | 8712345 | Allocated by the GS1 member organisation; starts with the GS1 prefix (870–879 for GS1 Netherlands) |
| Item reference | 00001 | Sequence number chosen by the company for each product variant |
| Check digit | 1 | Calculated with modulo 10, catches reading and typing errors |
| Total (GTIN-13) | 8712345000011 | The number beneath the EAN-13 barcode |
The leading digits say nothing about the country of origin. Prefix 87 only means that GS1 Netherlands issued the number block; the product may well be made in China. Some ranges are reserved: 978 and 979 are reserved for books (ISBN) and sheet music (ISMN), 540–549 belongs to GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg, and 20–29 is for restricted in-store use, such as weighed products that a supermarket labels itself.
🔢 What GTIN formats exist?
| Format | Digits | Typical barcode | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTIN-8 | 8 | EAN-8 | Very small packaging, issued per item on request |
| GTIN-12 | 12 | UPC-A | Products from North America |
| GTIN-13 | 13 | EAN-13 | Consumer products in Europe and the rest of the world |
| GTIN-14 | 14 | ITF-14, GS1-128, DataMatrix | Cases and outer cartons sold as a trade unit |
GS1 Netherlands only issues a GTIN-8 when a product is genuinely too small for an EAN-13: a total printable area below 80 cm², a largest label area below 40 cm², or a cylindrical shape with a diameter below 30 mm. A GTIN-8 is not allowed for medicines and medical devices.
In databases and in data fields with Application Identifier (01), every GTIN is stored as 14 digits by adding leading zeros. GTIN-13 8712345000011 then becomes 08712345000011. Always store a GTIN as a 14-character text field, never as a number: Excel and many databases strip leading zeros, after which interfaces between systems silently fail to match.
🧮 How is the check digit calculated?
The last digit of every GTIN, SSCC and GLN follows the same modulo-10 algorithm. Multiply the digits from right to left alternately by 3 and 1, add everything up and round up to the next multiple of ten.
| Step | Worked example for 871234500001 |
|---|---|
| 1. Weights from right to left | 3, 1, 3, 1, … (the rightmost digit gets 3) |
| 2. Products | 8×1 + 7×3 + 1×1 + 2×3 + 3×1 + 4×3 + 5×1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 1×3 |
| 3. Sum | 59 |
| 4. Round up to the next ten | 60 − 59 = 1 |
| Result | GTIN-13 8712345000011 |
A scanner, a PLC on the packaging line or an import script can therefore reject a misread or mistyped number immediately. The check digit catches every single-digit error and most transpositions of two adjacent digits.
📦 How does a GTIN identify different packaging levels?
Every packaging level that is ordered, priced or invoiced gets its own GTIN. A 1-litre bottle, a tray of 6 bottles and a case of 12 bottles therefore have three different numbers. For the outer packaging, companies often use a GTIN-14 with an indicator digit at the front:
- Indicator 1 to 8 - packaging levels of the same item, for example 18712345000018 for the case of 12 (the check digit is recalculated)
- Indicator 9 - variable measure items, such as cheese or meat sold by the kilo
- Indicator 0 - the consumer item itself, padded to 14 digits
A pallet being shipped is usually not a trade item but a logistic unit. It gets an SSCC, not a GTIN. A pallet label carries both: the SSCC of the pallet and, for a homogeneous pallet, the GTIN of the cases on it. A typical GS1-128 element string for a case is (01)18712345000018(17)271231(10)A123: GTIN, expiry date and batch number in one scan. The batch number goes last on purpose: it has a variable length, and in that position no extra separator (FNC1) is needed. On the label of a homogeneous pallet, GS1 uses (02) rather than (01) for the GTIN of the contained cases, together with (37) for the number of cases.
🔄 When does a product need a new GTIN?
GS1 sets out in the GTIN Management Standard which changes require a new number. The principle: if a customer or consumer receives a different item, it needs a different GTIN.
| Change | New GTIN? |
|---|---|
| New product, or new flavour, colour or size | Yes |
| Declared net content changes, however small | Yes |
| A dimension or the gross weight changes by more than 20% | Yes |
| Primary brand name changes | Yes |
| Number of units in a case or tray changes | Yes, for that packaging level |
| Price change | No, the GTIN contains no price |
| Minor change to the packaging artwork | No |
Local legislation may require a new GTIN more often, for example for medical devices. Since 1 January 2019, a GTIN may no longer be reused in any sector, even if an item has been discontinued for years. Before that date a waiting period of 48 months applied (30 months for apparel).
🏭 How do IT and OT systems use the GTIN?
The GTIN runs through the entire chain, from supply chain management down to the packaging line:
- ERP and EDI - the GTIN is the item key in orders, despatch advices and invoices between manufacturer and retailer
- Master data - through the global GDSN network (in the Netherlands via GS1 Data Source), the manufacturer shares dimensions, weight and ingredients per GTIN with its customers
- MES and the packaging line - the line prints the GTIN, batch and best-before date on the label, and a camera checks on every pack that the correct code is printed legibly; the wrong film on the line is caught before thousands of mislabelled products leave the factory
- WMS and TMS - scanning at goods receipt, order picking and dispatch, combined with the SSCC of the pallet
- Tracking and tracing - a GTIN plus a batch or serial number makes a recall possible down to a single lot
In healthcare, the GTIN is the basis of the UDI-DI for medical devices under the EU MDR, with GS1 as one of the four designated issuing entities. Since 9 February 2019, prescription medicines have carried a product code, serial number, batch and expiry date in a 2D DataMatrix under Regulation (EU) 2016/161. The digital product passport under the ESPR can use GS1 Digital Link (ISO/IEC 18975) to turn a GTIN into a web address inside a QR code. The GS1 initiative Sunrise 2027 asks retailers to make their checkout scanners able to read such 2D codes by the end of 2027.
🔐 How do you prevent GTIN errors in practice?
- Buy numbers from GS1 - barcodes from resellers are not linked to your company and are rejected by retailers and marketplaces.
- Define a numbering plan - one owner who allocates GTINs per variant and packaging level, with a register that makes reuse impossible.
- Store as 14-digit text - prevent loss of leading zeros between ERP, MES and label software.
- Validate every scan - check length, Application Identifier and check digit; scanners in keyboard-wedge mode can type any string into OT systems.
- Verify print quality - at the retail checkout an EAN-13 has a nominal module width of 0.330 mm and may be scaled between 80% and 200% of that; printing smaller leads to read failures.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is a GTIN the same as an EAN code?
A GTIN is the number, while an EAN-13 is the barcode symbol that carries a GTIN-13. In everyday European usage “EAN code” often refers to the GTIN itself, but the same GTIN can also be encoded in a GS1 DataMatrix, a GS1 QR code or an RFID tag.
Is a GTIN legally required?
A GTIN is usually not a legal requirement, but almost all retailers, wholesalers and online marketplaces demand a valid GS1 GTIN before they list a product. For medical devices a UDI-DI from a designated issuing entity is mandatory, and GS1 is the most widely used of those entities.
Does prefix 87 mean a product was made in the Netherlands?
No, prefix 870–879 only means that GS1 Netherlands issued the number block to a company. A GTIN says nothing about the country where the product was manufactured; origin labelling serves that purpose.
Can I reuse an old GTIN?
No, since 1 January 2019 a GTIN that has ever been allocated to a trade item may not be used for a different item. This keeps historical sales, returns and traceability data pointing to the right product.
What is the difference between a GTIN and an SSCC?
A GTIN identifies a type of item, so every bottle of the same variant carries the same number. An SSCC identifies one specific logistic unit, such as a pallet or shipment, and is therefore unique to each physical instance.
How much does a GTIN cost?
The price is set by your national GS1 organisation. GS1 Netherlands, for example, charges an annual fee per code package (from 10 to 100,000 numbers) plus a general GS1 contribution based on turnover, and offers single article codes for a one-off fee to companies with only a few products.
📌 In summary
A GTIN is the globally unique GS1 number of a trade item, built from a company prefix, an item reference and a check digit, that lets ERP, MES, WMS and checkouts speak the same language.
Every variant and every packaging level gets its own GTIN, a pallet gets an SSCC, and a GTIN once used is never reused. Storing GTINs as 14-digit text, validating every scan and following the GTIN Management Standard lays the foundation for traceability, UDI, 2D codes and the digital product passport.