Key takeaways
- An SSCC-18 is an 18-digit number that identifies one shipping unit, a carton or a pallet, anywhere in the world.
- The same SSCC must appear in your 856 ship notice (the
MAN*GMsegment) and on the carton’s GS1-128 barcode. - Building the labels from the same data as the ASN is the surest way to avoid label and ASN mismatch chargebacks.
What is an SSCC-18?
SSCC stands for Serial Shipping Container Code. It is the GS1 number for a logistics unit: each carton or pallet you ship gets its own, never reused. When the receiving dock scans it, the retailer’s system looks it up in your 856 ship notice and knows what is inside without opening the box.
How are the 18 digits built?
| Part | Digits | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Extension digit | 1 | A digit you choose, often 0, to extend your number range |
| GS1 company prefix | 7 to 10 | Licensed to your company by GS1; it makes the number unique to you |
| Serial reference | The rest, to 17 | A number you assign, one per shipping unit, never repeated |
| Check digit | 1 | Calculated from the first 17 digits (GS1 mod 10) |
The company prefix is the part you cannot invent. It comes with your GS1 membership, the same one that gives you your UPCs. A label made with someone else’s prefix, or a made-up one, can collide with another supplier’s cartons.
Where does the SSCC go in the 856?
HL*3*2*P~ PO4*1*12*EA~ MAN*GM*00106141412345678908~ HL*4*3*I~ LIN**UP*012345678905~ SN1**12*EA~
Each carton (or pallet) is a level in the 856 tree, and its MAN segment with the GM qualifier carries the SSCC. The retailer matches the scan to this segment. If the label says one number and the ASN another, the carton is counted by hand.
What goes on a GS1-128 shipping label?
- Ship from and ship to addresses.
- The purchase order number the carton belongs to.
- The carrier, often by its SCAC code.
- The SSCC barcode in GS1-128, with the application identifier
(00)in front of the 18 digits, plus the same number in readable text.
Labels are usually printed 4 × 6 inches on a thermal printer. Many retailers add their own zones, such as a store or distribution centre number, in their routing guide. Check it before your first shipment; the retailer requirements pages link to the main ones.
The mismatch that costs money Labels printed from one system and an ASN built in another drift apart: a carton re-packed at the last minute, a label reprinted with a new number, an ASN sent before the truck was loaded. Retailers charge for the manual count. See the most common EDI chargebacks.
Labels in Weredi
When you build an 856 in Weredi, each carton and pallet gets its SSCC from your GS1 company prefix and a counter that never repeats, and the labels print from that same packing: a 4 × 6 PDF with a label per carton and a placard per pallet. The barcode is the number in the ASN, so they can’t disagree. Until you enter your GS1 prefix, labels use a reserved test prefix and are marked as not for production.
Questions
What is the difference between SSCC-18 and GS1-128?
SSCC-18 is the number that identifies a carton or pallet. GS1-128 is the barcode symbology used to print it on the label, with the application identifier (00) in front.
Do I need a GS1 membership for SSCC labels?
Yes. The SSCC contains your GS1 company prefix, which only GS1 can license to you. It is the same prefix behind your UPCs.
Can I reuse an SSCC number?
No. Each shipping unit gets its own SSCC, and GS1 recommends not reusing one for at least a year.
Why do retailers charge for label errors?
An unreadable label, or one that doesn’t match the 856, forces the dock to open and count the carton by hand. Retailers pass that cost on as a compliance chargeback.