GS1 barcode types are standard symbols that carry a product's identity (the GTIN) at each packaging level: EAN-13 at the till, ITF-14 or GS1-128 on cases, GS1-128 with an SSCC on pallets, GS1 DataMatrix on medicines and a GS1 QR code for consumers. The right choice depends on where the code is scanned and what data it carries.
Key takeaways
- EAN-13 carries only the product identity (GTIN) and is scanned at the retail till; it holds no batch, serial number or expiry date.
- On case and pallet labels, GS1-128 uses Application Identifiers to carry the GTIN, SSCC, batch, expiry date and weight together.
- In Türkiye, the "karekod" on medicine packs is a GS1 DataMatrix holding the GTIN, serial number, batch and expiry under the İTS system.
- GS1 Türkiye allocates barcode numbers with the prefixes 868 and 869; randomly generated internal numbers are generally rejected by retailers.
- The right barcode type is chosen by mapping packaging levels, scan locations and required data, then piloting with real labels.
Why barcode choices go wrong
Most suppliers meet barcodes through a retailer's listing requirement: a number is obtained, printed on the pack and forgotten. The trouble starts later: the logistics provider wants a scannable case code, a large customer expects an SSCC on every pallet label, and an export buyer insists that batch and expiry date sit inside the barcode rather than next to it.
When barcode requests multiply, teams either print home-grown internal codes for each request or reuse the retail barcode on cases and pallets. Both lead to mis-scans, rejected pallets and ERP records that cannot be linked. Choosing a barcode type is really a decision about which data gets read where.
How does the GS1 system work? Number first, symbol second
In the GS1 system the barcode is only a carrier; what matters is the identification key inside it. Three keys do most of the work:
- GTIN (Global Trade Item Number): identifies every product variant that is sold or invoiced. The consumer unit, inner pack and outer case each get their own GTIN.
- SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code): a unique 18-digit number for each pallet or shipping unit, to which the pallet's contents are linked.
- GLN (Global Location Number): identifies a company, warehouse or delivery point, and is used in EDI and e-document flows.
GTINs, SSCCs and GLNs are all built on a company prefix issued by the national GS1 member organisation. For companies registered in Türkiye that is GS1 Türkiye, and according to GS1 Türkiye the prefixes it allocates are 868 and 869. Once you hold a prefix, numbering discipline across your product records is your responsibility, which is why a barcode project is really a master data management project.
What does the wrong barcode cost?
A barcode error looks like one item failing to scan; the real cost builds up along the supply chain, where shipments, receipts and invoices stop agreeing.
In a 2018 study by the Auburn University RFID Lab and GS1 US, 69% of orders shipped from brands to retailers contained data errors when RFID was not used, while companies using RFID reached 99.9% order accuracy. (GS1 US and Auburn University RFID Lab, EPC/RFID Retail Supply Chain Data Exchange Study)
The wider lesson of the Auburn study is how many errors creep in when case-level data is keyed by hand or not encoded to a standard. We look at when RFID genuinely beats barcodes in our guide to RFID inventory and asset tracking.
Recalls tell a similar story. In the ETQ Pulse of Quality in Manufacturing 2024 survey of more than 750 quality leaders and project managers in the US, UK and Germany, 73% had experienced at least one recall in the previous five years. If the batch number is not inside the barcode, finding the affected cases means reading labels one by one, which becomes painfully obvious during a product recall drill.
Retail itself is changing, and as of 2026 the move to 2D barcodes is under way. According to GS1 US's Sunrise 2027 page, the initiative supports retailers in making sure their point-of-sale systems can read and process next-generation 2D codes, with 2027 positioned as a milestone in the transition. The same page cites a 2025 GS1 US consumer survey in which 79% of consumers said they were more likely to buy products with a scannable QR code offering extra product information.
What are the GS1 barcode types? A comparison
The table below summarises which GS1 barcode type is used at which packaging level and in which scanning environment.
| Barcode type | Typical use | Data carried | Where it is scanned |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 / UPC-A | Consumer unit, retail till | GTIN only | Till scanner, handheld |
| EAN-8 | Very small packs | Short GTIN | Till scanner |
| ITF-14 | Corrugated outer case | Case GTIN | Warehouse; tolerates rough printing |
| GS1-128 | Case and pallet labels | GTIN, SSCC, batch, expiry, weight, etc. | Warehouse, dispatch, goods-in |
| GS1 DataBar | Fresh variable-weight items, small items | GTIN plus variable data (weight, expiry) | Till scanner |
| GS1 DataMatrix | Medicines, medical devices, small parts | GTIN, serial, batch, expiry | 2D imager |
| GS1 QR code / Digital Link | Consumer engagement, 2D retail transition | GTIN plus web address and variable data | Phone camera, 2D till scanner |
Two patterns stand out in the table. EAN-13 only answers "what is this product?" and carries no batch, serial or expiry. Wherever variable data is needed, GS1-128 or a 2D symbol takes over.
Application Identifiers: the language inside the barcode
What makes GS1-128, DataMatrix and the GS1 QR code useful is that data is tagged with Application Identifiers shown in brackets. The most common are (01) GTIN, (00) SSCC, (10) batch or lot, (17) expiry date, (21) serial number and (3103) net weight in kilograms.
Thanks to Application Identifiers, a single scan at goods-in captures product, batch and expiry at once. FIFO and FEFO stock rotation is only reliable when nobody has to type expiry dates by hand.
How do you choose the right barcode type? Seven steps
- Map your packaging hierarchy. List consumer unit, inner pack, case and pallet with quantities at each level; every saleable level gets its own GTIN.
- Decide where each code will be read. Retail till, loading dock, production line or a shopper's phone.
- Write down the data it must carry. If batch, serial number, production or expiry date, or weight is required, EAN-13 is not enough; you need GS1-128 or DataMatrix.
- Collect customer and regulatory requirements. Add retailer labelling manuals, large buyers' pallet label specifications and sector rules, such as serialised 2D codes on medicines.
- Fix the numbering rules in master data. GTINs are issued from one place in the ERP item master, a changed variant gets a new number, and retired numbers are never reassigned to a different product.
- Specify print and label conditions. Size, quiet zone, contrast, substrate and printer resolution; corrugated board and a glossy label need different settings.
- Pilot and verify. Test real labels with the scanners on site and, where possible, grade them against ISO/IEC 15416 (linear) and ISO/IEC 15415 (2D) before rolling out across the range.
Common barcode mistakes
- Using the retail EAN-13 as the only code on the case, and mixing up case and consumer-unit GTINs.
- Printing batch and expiry as human-readable text only, not encoding them in the barcode.
- Treating random internal numbers as GTINs; retailers and marketplaces generally do not accept them.
- Printing the same pallet code every time instead of a fresh SSCC, so two pallets look identical in the system.
- Shrinking the label until the quiet zone is clipped, or printing in low-contrast colours.
Rack and location labels are a separate subject from product barcodes; we cover how to structure location codes in our warehouse bin location system guide.
Barcode choices by sector: retail, food, pharma and manufacturing
Retail and e-commerce: EAN-13 is still the core symbol on consumer units, and brands preparing for 2D can add a QR code in GS1 Digital Link format alongside it. Marketplaces and B2B portals match products by GTIN, so the number on the pack must equal the number in the item record; see our piece on B2B e-commerce and ERP integration.
Food: Carrying batch and expiry in GS1-128 on cases and pallets is what makes traceability and FEFO workable. Our guide to food traceability and digital HACCP shows how batch records are built from raw material to dispatch.
Pharmaceuticals and medical products: In Türkiye, medicine packs are tracked through the national Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System (İTS), and packs carry a GS1 DataMatrix, locally called "karekod", holding the GTIN, serial number, batch and expiry date. How that data is protected under inspection is covered in our article on GMP data integrity and ALCOA.
Manufacturing and automotive: Where the part is small or the surface is harsh, DataMatrix applied by direct part marking (laser or dot peen) is the usual choice. Our production traceability guide explains how line-side scans feed the traceability chain.
How Digital Bridge runs barcode projects
We start from the process, not the symbol. During discovery we review your packaging hierarchy, your customers' labelling requirements and your current ERP item records, then write a coding standard stating which barcode type, with which Application Identifiers, is printed at each level.
Next comes a pilot on a single product family or a single dispatch line. Label templates are generated automatically from ERP data, industrial data terminals and printers are chosen for site conditions, and scan errors are logged throughout the pilot. The selection criteria in our article on handheld terminal stock counts apply here too.
On the integration side we keep barcode data in one place. Goods-in, dispatch and count scans flow into warehouse and inventory management (WMS) software and from there into your ERP system, while line scans are tied to batch records through a production traceability system. Connections between the different applications are built as part of our system integration work; for how a WMS works overall, see our warehouse management system guide.
Whether you need an off-the-shelf labelling module or a bespoke workflow, we decide using the framework in custom vs off-the-shelf software. More guides are collected on our Software Development topic page.
Next step
Unsure which barcode types your products need? Let us review your packaging hierarchy and customer labelling requirements together; we will prepare a written proposal covering the coding standard at item, case and pallet level and a pilot plan. Get in touch through our contact page or call 0850 346 41 09.