Global Trade Item Number GTIN

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is an identifier intended for trade items. These identifiers are used to look up merchandise or item information within a data source, repository or databases, most often by entering the number through scanning a barcode. The individuality and universality of the GTIN identifier is useful in determining which product in a database corresponds to another product in another database, especially across inter-organizational boundaries.

All books and magazine publications sold worldwide have GTIN-13 barcodes. The book barcodes are either constructed by prefixing the old ISBN 10 digit number with 978, and then recalculating the last check digit, or more recently using a GTIN issued as a full thirteen digits starting with 978.

Each sort of trade item is given its own unique GTIN – using this, products or services may be ordered, priced, sold or invoiced at any point in the manufacturing and supply chain. This includes individual trade items as well as all of their different packaging configurations.

The term Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) defines a family of GS1 / EAN / UCC international data arrangements that employ 14 digits and can be encrypted into various types of data carriers or barcodes. At the moment, GTINs are used only within bar codes, but they could also be used with ease in other many data carriers including radio frequency identification.

The GTIN is only a term of convenience and does not impact any existing international standards, nor does it place any additional requirements on scanning software or hardware. For North American companies, the UPC is an existing form of the GTIN. For the rest of the world, EAN8 and EAN13 barcode numbers are a form of GTIN.