GS1 Trade Item Key Including Zero Suppressed GTINs

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What is a GSI Trade Item Key?

There are a series of attributes used to share the actual GTIN number which is on the product and/or its packaging. Using these attributes will help the Recipient understand what their barcode readers should be reading related to the product in question.

In this group of attributes, the supplier will list the GTIN number in the barcode and identify its GTIN format. The main types used will be GTIN-14 (used in ITF, GS1 Data Matrix, GS1-128, etc. barcodes), GTIN-13 (used in EAN-13 barcodes), and GTIN-12 (used in UPC-A barcodes). Other types such as Zero Suppressed GTIN and GTIN-8 have very specialized uses.

Important to Remember: A GTIN-12 is typically used in a UPC-A barcode and is sometimes called “UPC”

What is a Zero Suppressed GTIN?

A Zero Suppressed GTIN is a GTIN-12 that has been formatted to be 8 digits. GS1 has developed a formula (specified in the GS1 General Specifications) by which this suppression can be accomplished.

To utilize a Zero Suppressed GTIN, a UPC-E barcode would be used instead of a UPC-A barcode. When a barcode reader scans a Zero Suppressed GTIN, it will uncompress the GTIN to its GTIN-12 format for database utilization.

Important to Remember:  The Zero Suppressed GTIN can not be used with all GS1 Company Prefixes, for example, a low-capacity prefix does not have a GTIN range that allows Zero Suppressed GTINs. While a Zero Suppressed GTIN is built from a GTIN-12, not all GTIN-12s can be Zero Suppressed.

Why Use the UPC-E?

Many brands use a UPC-E for “real estate” purposes on the consumer product or its packaging.  The UPC-E only carries 8 digits making it a smaller barcode. A UPC-E barcode can be used with either a GTIN-8 or a Zero Suppressed GTIN, which are different.

What types of UPC-E are available?

There are several formats of a UPC-E. All have a base of the GTIN in an 8-digit format (GTIN-8 or Zero Suppressed GTIN).

o   UPC-E- Base format for a barcode utilizing a GTIN-8 or Zero Suppressed GTIN

o   UPC-E Composite- The UPC-E is accompanied by a 2D composite code for additional information such as Batch Number or Expiration Date.

o   UPC-E with Five-Digit Add On- The UPC-E is accompanied by 5 digits representing supplementary information about the product. 

o   UPC-E with Two-Digit Add On- The UPC-E is accompanied by 2 digits representing supplementary information about the product

Where can I find more details about the UPC-E and other Barcodes?

Please visit the GS1 General Specifications via https://www.gs1.org/docs/barcodes/GS1_General_Specifications.pdf