What is SSCC?
The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is a globally unique 18-digit number that identifies a logistics unit, such as a pallet, roll cage or shipping carton, throughout the entire supply chain. It belongs to the GS1 standards, is encoded with Application Identifier (00) in a GS1-128 barcode on the pallet label, and can also be carried in an RFID tag or a 2D code. Where a GTIN says what a product is, the SSCC says which physical shipment it is: every pallet gets its own serial number, even when two pallets hold exactly the same goods.
SSCC = the unique ID for tracking and tracing logistics units in the supply chain.
🎯 What does an SSCC do?
An SSCC is the key that links the physical pallet to all the digital information about it. In practice:
- Unique identification - every logistics unit gets one number that is not in use anywhere else in the world at the same time
- Tracking & tracing - the unit is followed at every scan point (production, warehouse, carrier, customer)
- Link to messages - the SSCC appears in electronic messages such as the EDI despatch advice (DESADV), so the receiver knows in advance what is on each pallet
- Customer requirement - many retailers, wholesalers and pharmaceutical distributors refuse deliveries without an SSCC label, including deliveries to GMP sites
The SSCC itself carries no product information. The contents (GTIN, batch number, quantity, best-before date) are held in additional fields on the label and in the systems that use the SSCC as their key.
🧱 How is an SSCC structured?
An SSCC always consists of 18 digits, preceded by Application Identifier (00):
(00) 3 8712345 000000001 2
| Element | Length | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (00) | 2 digits (not part of the SSCC) | Application Identifier signalling that an SSCC follows |
| Extension digit | 1 digit (0–9) | Only increases numbering capacity; according to GS1 it has no further meaning |
| GS1 Company Prefix | typically 7–10 digits | Unique to your organisation, issued by the national GS1 member organisation (Dutch prefixes start with 870–879) |
| Serial reference | remainder of the 16 digits | Sequence number your company increments per unit |
| Check digit | 1 digit | Modulo-10 check over the preceding 17 digits |
The company prefix and serial reference share 16 positions between them. With a 7-digit prefix, 9 digits remain for the serial reference (10⁹ numbers, ×10 with the extension digit); with a 10-digit prefix only 6 remain. High-volume shippers therefore often choose a shorter prefix.
How is the check digit calculated?
Multiply the 17 digits from left to right alternately by 3 and 1, add the results and round up to the next
multiple of ten. For 3 8712345 000000001 the sum is 68, so the check digit is 2. A barcode scanner, WMS or PLC can thus reject a misread or mistyped
number immediately.
🏷️ What does an SSCC pallet label look like?
The GS1 logistic label consists of up to three sections: supplier, customer and carrier. Each section has human-readable text at the top and barcodes at the bottom. The SSCC is the only mandatory element; when the label carries several barcodes, the SSCC belongs in the lowest one.
| Requirement | Typical value under GS1 guidelines |
|---|---|
| Label size | At least A6 (105 × 148 mm); A5 (148 × 210 mm) is often the better choice when more data is shown |
| Labels per pallet | Two identical labels on two adjacent sides (one short, one long side) |
| Barcode height | Between 400 and 800 mm above the base of the pallet |
| Distance from vertical edge | At least 50 mm, including quiet zones |
| Minimum bar height | 32 mm |
| Barcode type | GS1-128 with AI (00); optionally (02) GTIN of contents, (37) count, (10) batch, (15) best-before date |
On a mixed pallet only the SSCC appears; the receiver reads which items are on it from the DESADV. On a homogeneous pallet the supplier can add the GTIN, quantity and lot number on the label itself.
🔄 What is the difference between SSCC, GTIN and serial number?
| Key | Identifies | Length | Typical carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTIN | A product type (all identical items share the same GTIN) | 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits | EAN-13, ITF-14, GS1 DataMatrix |
| GTIN + serial number | One specific instance of a product | GTIN + up to 20 characters | GS1 DataMatrix |
| SSCC | One specific logistics unit, regardless of contents | 18 digits | GS1-128, RFID (EPC SSCC-96), GS1 QR Code |
An SSCC belongs to the packaging, not to the product: as soon as a pallet is broken down and rebuilt, the new unit gets a new SSCC. GS1 specifies that an SSCC must not be reallocated for at least one year after the shipment date; regulation or sector agreements, for example in healthcare, may extend that period. An SSCC also stays the same for the entire life of the logistics unit.
🔗 How does SSCC work with EDI, WMS and ERP?
| System or standard | Role of the SSCC |
|---|---|
| ERP | Sales order and delivery; often the source of the number range |
| WMS | Generates or reserves SSCCs, prints labels, records put-away, storage location and dispatch |
| MES | At the end of the line, links the cartons and batches produced to the pallet SSCC |
| EDI (DESADV, RECADV) | The despatch advice describes the contents per SSCC; the receiving advice reports per SSCC what actually arrived |
| EPCIS | GS1 standard for sharing events (packed, shipped, received) around an SSCC between supply chain partners |
| RFID | The SSCC is encoded in a UHF tag as an EPC (SSCC-96), so pallets can be read without line of sight |
The classic flow is: the supplier ships pallets with SSCC labels and sends a DESADV at the same time; at the dock the receiver scans only the SSCC and books in the whole pallet with a single scan. Without an SSCC every carton would have to be scanned or counted separately. In this way the SSCC also supports supply chain management and real-time inventory management.
🏭 How do you implement SSCC in production and logistics?
In OT environments the challenge lies at the end of the production line, where the physical pallet and the digital record meet. A proven approach:
- Apply for a GS1 Company Prefix from your national GS1 organisation (for example GS1 Nederland or GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg) and choose a prefix length that matches the expected number of pallets per year.
- Assign numbers from one place - a single system (usually the WMS or ERP) manages the counter, so two lines never print the same number.
- Aggregate during palletising - the line control or the MES registers every carton with its GTIN and batch; when the pallet is closed, those cartons are linked to the SSCC as children (parent-child relationship). In pharmaceuticals a vision camera reads the serial numbers of the packs at this stage.
- Print and apply - an automatic label applicator places the two labels on adjacent sides at the correct height.
- Verify - a fixed scanner reads the label back immediately and rejects pallets with an unreadable or duplicate SSCC; periodic barcode verification monitors print quality.
- Send the DESADV only after the final scan, so the message and the physical shipment are guaranteed to match.
Common mistakes include reusing numbers after a system migration, a manually set extension digit that differs per line, labels placed over the stretch-wrap overlap where they tear, and a DESADV sent before the pallet was complete. In the European pharmaceutical chain, the Falsified Medicines Directive (Directive 2011/62/EU), implemented through Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161, has required a unique identifier on each pack of prescription medicines since 9 February 2019; aggregation to the SSCC of case and pallet is not mandatory there, but it is common because it speeds up receiving considerably.
✅ Advantages of SSCC
- Globally unique ID for every shipping item, without a central database thanks to the company prefix
- Fast, error-free identification by scanning instead of counting
- Seamless integration with suppliers, customers and logistics service providers via EDI and EPCIS
- Traceability and recall readiness - in case of a quality issue you know immediately which pallets carry a batch and where they went, which matters for HACCP and compliance
- Automation of receiving, storage and dispatch
❓ Frequently asked questions
How many digits does an SSCC have?
An SSCC always has 18 digits: an extension digit, the GS1 Company Prefix, a serial reference and a check digit. In a GS1-128 barcode it is preceded by Application Identifier (00), so the human-readable text starts with “(00)“. Those two digits are not part of the SSCC itself.
Can I reuse an SSCC?
Under the GS1 specifications an SSCC must not be reallocated for at least one year after the shipment date. Sector rules or legislation, for example in healthcare, may extend that period. With a sufficiently long number range, reuse is not necessary in practice anyway.
Do I need a GS1 membership for SSCC numbers?
Yes, an SSCC is only valid when it is built from a GS1 Company Prefix belonging to your own organisation. You obtain that prefix from your national GS1 organisation, such as GS1 Nederland or GS1 UK. Within that prefix you create SSCCs yourself without further registration, until the numbering capacity of your prefix runs out.
What is the difference between an SSCC and a GTIN?
A GTIN identifies a product type, so all identical items share the same GTIN. An SSCC identifies one specific logistics unit, such as a pallet, regardless of what is on it. Two identical pallets therefore carry the same contents GTIN but always a different SSCC.
Can an SSCC be stored in an RFID tag or QR code?
Yes, the SSCC can be encoded as an EPC (SSCC-96) in a UHF RFID tag, so pallets can be read without line of sight at a dock door. GS1 DataMatrix and GS1 QR Code also support AI (00). On the pallet label the GS1-128 barcode remains the standard carrier, because every logistics scanner can read it.
Who creates the SSCC: the supplier or the carrier?
The SSCC is created by the party that builds the logistics unit, usually the shipper or manufacturer. Carriers and receivers use that SSCC as their key and add their own data in the carrier section of the label. Only when a pallet is broken down and rebuilt does the new builder issue a new SSCC.
📌 In summary
An SSCC is a unique 18-digit serial number that identifies every logistics unit and makes it traceable across the entire chain. Through the GS1-128 pallet label, EDI messages and aggregation in MES and WMS, the SSCC connects the physical pallet with the digital records, making it a crucial part of modern supply chains, especially for automation, product safety and Compliance.