SSCC-18 barcode
The 18-digit serial number that identifies one specific carton or pallet and ties it to the ASN.
Also known as: SSCC, Serial Shipping Container Code, (00) barcode, pallet license plate
What is SSCC-18?
The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit GS1 identifier assigned to a single logistics unit, one specific carton or pallet, and encoded in a GS1-128 barcode with Application Identifier (00). It is the key a retailer’s distribution center scans to look up what is inside, using the 856 advance ship notice you sent before the truck arrived. A GTIN says what something is; an SSCC says which one.
Encodes: 18 numeric digits: an extension digit, the GS1 Company Prefix and serial reference, and a check digit. Carried in GS1-128 as element string (00), so the human-readable line shows 20 digits.
How SSCC-18 is structured
Eighteen digits, three of which are structural. The company prefix and serial reference share a fixed sixteen-digit block, so a longer prefix leaves fewer serials, which is why GS1 added an extension digit.
| Part | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Extension digit | 1 digit | 0 through 9, assigned by the brand to multiply serial capacity. It has no other meaning and is not a packaging-level indicator. |
| GS1 Company Prefix | 7 to 10 digits | The same prefix your GTINs use. Identifies who assigned the SSCC and is what makes it globally unique. |
| Serial reference | 6 to 9 digits | Prefix plus serial always total sixteen digits. Assigned sequentially from a controlled counter so no two units ever share a number. |
| Check digit | 1 digit | GS1 mod 10 across the first seventeen digits. |
Specifications
- Data
- 18 numeric digits
- Check digit
- GS1 mod 10, the 18th digit
- Carrier symbology
- GS1-128 with Application Identifier (00)
- X-dimension
- 0.495 mm to 1.016 mm
- Bar height
- 32 mm minimum
- Placement on cartons
- At least 19 mm from any vertical edge, bottom of the bars at least 32 mm above the base
- Placement on pallets
- Bottom of the bars 400 mm to 800 mm above the floor, at least 50 mm from a vertical edge, on two adjacent sides
- Uniqueness
- One SSCC per logistics unit; never reassigned for at least one year after shipment, and longer where the retailer requires it
- EDI counterpart
- The MAN segment (MAN*GM*…) in each pack or tare level of the 856 ASN
Dimensions are GS1 General Specifications targets. Confirm against the retailer’s current routing guide before a print run.
Where it is used
- The carton and pallet shipping label every EDI retailer requires
- The MAN segment of the 856 ASN, linking each physical unit to its contents
- Scan-based receiving at the DC: one scan resolves the carton to its ASN line items
- Cross-dock and store-ready routing where cartons are scanned but never opened
- Amazon Vendor Central shipments, as an alternative to the AMZNCC carton ID
Assigned by the system when the carton closes
An SSCC is serialized, so it is created at pack time by whichever system owns the counter: the WMS, the OMS, or the EDI platform. It is written to the label and to the 856 in the same step. If a 3PL packs and labels for you, their system assigns the SSCC and your ASN must consume it rather than generate a second one. Two systems minting SSCCs from separate counters is the fastest route to a duplicate.
Retailers whose routing guides call for it
Each retailer page covers the transaction sets, labeling rules, and reported chargebacks behind the requirement.
Mistakes that cost money
Label SSCC that does not match the 856
The single most common ASN chargeback. The DC scans the carton, finds no matching MAN segment, and receives it manually at your expense.
Duplicate SSCCs across warehouses or partners
Two facilities drawing from overlapping ranges, or a brand and its 3PL both generating, produce collisions the retailer sees as a re-used number.
Re-using a serial inside the retention window
GS1 requires at least a year before an SSCC is reassigned. Several retailers require longer. A short counter that wraps early breaks this silently.
Encoding 18 digits without the (00) Application Identifier
A plain Code 128 of the same digits is just a number. Without FNC1 and AI 00 the scanner will not treat it as an SSCC.
Wrong hierarchy level in the ASN
A pick-and-pack 856 carries the SSCC on each carton; a standard-pack 856 may carry it on the pallet with cartons underneath. Sending the label structure the routing guide did not ask for fails validation.
ASN arriving after the truck
The SSCC lookup only works if the 856 is in the retailer’s system before the carton is scanned. Late ASNs turn a compliant label into an unknown carton.
How Endless handles SSCC-18
EndlessEDI assigns SSCCs from one company-wide series, prints the GS1-128 label, and builds the 856 from the same shipment record, so the number on the carton is the number in the ASN by construction. Pre-ship validation checks the label set against the retailer’s routing guide, and agents track ASN timing against the delivery appointment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an SSCC and a GTIN?
A GTIN identifies a kind of trade item: this product, in this pack size. An SSCC identifies one specific physical unit: this carton, on this truck, with these contents. A pallet of identical cases carries one GTIN-14 on every case and a different SSCC on each case or on the pallet label.
Is the SSCC-18 the same thing as the UCC-128 label?
Close. The label is a GS1-128 (formerly UCC-128) logistics label. The SSCC is the 18-digit number printed in the (00) barcode on that label. People say UCC-128 label and SSCC-18 interchangeably because the SSCC is the part of the label the retailer scans.
Who assigns the SSCC when a 3PL ships my orders?
Whoever closes the carton, in practice. If the 3PL labels, their system assigns the SSCC and must pass it back to you (or your EDI platform) so the 856 carries the same value. If your platform generates the label and sends it to the 3PL to print, the SSCC originates with you. Either works; two sources at once does not.
What happens if the SSCC on the carton does not match the ASN?
The retailer’s DC cannot resolve the carton to its contents, so it is received manually or set aside. That costs an ASN-accuracy chargeback, a delay that can count against OTIF, and sometimes a rejected delivery. Matching the label to the 856 is the entire point of the number.
Do I need a new SSCC if I relabel or repack a pallet?
Yes if the contents change. A repacked unit is a new logistics unit and gets a new SSCC, and the ASN must describe the new configuration. Replacing a damaged label with an identical one for the same contents keeps the same SSCC.
Related symbologies
Definitions in the glossary
- Advance Ship Notice (EDI 856 / ASN)→
An electronic packing list sent to the buyer before a shipment arrives.
- GS1-128 Label (Shipping Label)→
The standardized carton shipping label retailers require, carrying an SSCC.
- SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)→
A unique 18-digit code identifying an individual shipping carton or pallet.
Browse the full barcode symbology guide.
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