GTIN
Global Trade Item Number
A GTIN is the number printed under a product’s barcode, the code that identifies that exact product wherever in the world it is sold.
- Barcode number
What it means
GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It is the number printed under a barcode. GS1, which runs the barcode system, says a company can use it “to uniquely identify all of its trade items”. By trade items, GS1 means anything that is priced, ordered or invoiced.1 The manufacturer assigns it, so the same kettle carries the same GTIN in every shop that sells it.2
It comes in four lengths, and GS1 names each one:3
- GTIN-12, also called the UPC: 12 digits, mostly used in North America
- GTIN-13, also called the EAN: 13 digits, mostly used in Europe and the rest of the world
- GTIN-14: 14 digits, used for cases and packaging
- GTIN-8: 8 digits, used for smaller items
So an EAN or a UPC already is a GTIN, and nothing needs converting. Each size and colour of a product has its own GTIN,4 and the last digit is always a check digit.
Think of it like this
A GTIN works like a paint maker’s colour code. Every tin mixed to that code is the same colour, whichever shop sells it, and a new shade gets a new code.
For example
A supplier sends one row for a hoodie in three sizes, with the barcode 5012345678900 copied down all three. Each size has its own GTIN, so at best one of those rows is right. Only the packaging or the manufacturer can say which.
Why it matters
Channels use the GTIN to recognise a product they already know. Google says products with missing or incorrect GTINs “may have limited visibility”. It is just as firm about guessing: “If you’re unsure of a GTIN, don’t submit one.”4
Not to be confused with
Sources
- GS1. Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).
- Google Merchant Center Help. About unique product identifiers.
- GS1 GO Customer Service Portal. What is the difference between a GTIN, barcode, EAN and UPC?.
- Google Merchant Center Help. GTIN [gtin].