SPICE™ Glossary / GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)

A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a GS1 identifier that uniquely identifies a trade item, such as a product, pack or case, wherever it is sold or shipped.

A GTIN lets every company in a supply chain refer to the same item with the same number. The brand owner creates GTINs from a company prefix licensed from GS1, so each number is unique worldwide. GTINs are encoded in the barcodes scanned at checkout and in warehouses, and they appear in EDI documents such as the purchase order (EDI 850), the ASN (EDI 856) and the price/sales catalog (EDI 832).

GTINs come in several lengths:

GTIN-12, used in UPC-A barcodes, common in North America
GTIN-13, used in EAN-13 barcodes
GTIN-8, for small packages
GTIN-14, often used for cases and other shipping units

Each packaging level gets its own GTIN: a single unit, an inner pack and a case are different trade items. Problems arise when the wrong level is used on an order or ASN, when GTINs are reused for changed products, or when a buyer’s cross-reference between GTINs and its own SKUs is out of date.

How SPICE™ handles it

SPICE Catalog™ collects supplier product data, including GTINs and pack hierarchy, validates it and cross-references supplier products and GTINs to your SKUs, departments, classes and other item attributes. Missing or inconsistent identifiers are flagged before a record is published, so orders and shipments reference the right item.

Related terms

SKU (stock keeping unit)

Data pool (GDSN)

New item setup

Price/sales catalog (EDI 832)

Advance ship notice (ASN, EDI 856)

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a GTIN and a UPC?

A UPC is a barcode format that carries a 12-digit GTIN (GTIN-12). GTIN is the broader term for the family of GS1 item numbers, which also includes 8-, 13- and 14-digit versions.

Who assigns a GTIN?

The brand owner, usually the manufacturer, assigns GTINs from its own GS1 company prefix. Retailers and distributors don't create GTINs for a supplier's products; they map them to their own SKUs.