A Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) serves as a unique identifier for a product. These numbers, often referred to as ‘barcode numbers’, ‘EANs’ or ‘UPCs’ are commonly found beneath barcodes on products worldwide.
GTINs can be used to identify any item, online and offline, in a wide range of sectors, including medical devices and materials used in construction.
A common misconception is that the first three digits of a GTIN tell you where the product was manufactured or sold. In fact, the first three digits indicate from which GS1 Member Organisation the prefix came. 500-509 means the prefix was licensed by GS1 UK.
Together with the country prefix, the next few digits make up the GS1 Company Prefix, the unique number licensed to a GS1 member when they join.
The item reference needs to be different for each product line you trade.
The last digit of a GTIN is a check digit which ensures that the number is correctly composed.
In the UK and Europe, GTINs typically consist of 13 digits, while in the US, they’re 12-digits long. Shorter 8-digit numbers are also part of the GTIN family and are used to identify smaller products. Different packaging levels, such as cases, can also be identified by GTIN-14s.
GTINs are licensed from GS1 organisations globally. Licencing numbers ensures their uniqueness and means they can be traced back to the brand owner. If GTINs are obtained from any other source, you may experience problems with your trading partners, major retailers and marketplaces such as Amazon.