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Getting
started:
More About Numbering
What
do I need to start using the system?
.
Who is responsible for numbering trade items?
. What to consider when numbering a trade item?
Who is responsible for numbering a trade item?
General rule:
A company (including non-profit organisation) which owns the brand
name of the product regardless of where and by whom it has been
manufactured, is responsible for the allocation of the Global Trade
Item Number (GTIN).
It will therefore be:
- The
manufacturer or supplier
-
If the company manufactures the product or has it manufactured
in any country and sells it under a brand name, which belongs
to the manufacturer or supplier.
- The
importer or wholesaler
-
If the importer or wholesaler has the product manufactured in
any country and sells it under a brand name, which belongs to
the company.
- If
the importer or wholesaler transforms the product (for example
modifying the packaging of the article).
- The
retailer
-
If the retailer has the product manufactured in any country
and sells it under a brand name, which belongs to the retailer.
Exceptions
- Items
that are not coded at source by the brand-owner.
-
If an item is not given a GTIN at source, the importer or intermediary
can, at the request of its clients, assign it a temporary GTIN.
However, it is preferable for the manufacturer to assign the number.
- Items
without a brand name and generic items
-
Items without a brand name and generic items - not private labels
- are coded at source. As different suppliers may provide identical
items as seen by the consumer it is possible that items that are
apparently identical have different GTINs. This can affect the
organisation of computer files. Examples of such items are plasterboard,
candles, drinking glasses etc.
- When
a product is made specifically for a customer and orderable only
by this customer,
- it
is permissible for a GTIN to be assigned by the customer, using
the customer's prefix.
Warning!
Some Companies produce the same article in several countries, or
in several plants. In this case the GTIN should be allocated centrally
and managed by one of the companies in the group or one of its production
facilities.
What
to consider when numbering a trade item?
General rule:
A separate unique GTIN is required for every different trade item.
This implies that each variant must be assigned a different number
whenever the variation is, in any way, apparent and significant
to any partner in the supply chain, to the final user or to the
retail customer. What is understood to be an apparent and significant
variation may differ from industry to industry.
The
basic characteristics of a trade item are:
- The
product type and variety
- The
brand name
- The
dimensions of the packaging and its nature
- The
quantity of product
- If
the trade item is a grouping, the number of elementary items contained,
and their subdivision in sub-packaging units, the nature of the
grouping (carton, pallet, box-pallet, flat-pallet…)
This
list is not exhaustive.
Once
it has been defined, the GTIN of the trade item must not change
as long as the characteristics of the trade item do not change.
A
major modification of one of the basic elements which characterize
the trade unit will generally lead to the allocation of a new GTIN.
A
multipack, made up of several identical (homogeneous multipack)
or different (heterogeneous multipack) trade items, intended for
sale as one unit, is also itself a trade unit. It is identified
by another GTIN.
When
a product is placed in a presentation pack or gift pack, the GTIN
bar-coded on the product itself must be different from that printed
on the pack.
Example:
- a bottle of whisky versus the presentation gift pack.
The
various vintages of a wine, the annual edition of a road map, a
diary or an appointment book are different trade items. In general,
for products where the date is important, different GTINs are required.
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