An SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is the 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one specific pallet or carton as a unit for transport and storage. It is the only mandatory element on a GS1 logistics label, and it is encoded in a GS1-128 barcode with Application Identifier (00). The label only does its job when the same number also appears in the despatch advice sent to the receiver, because that is what links the physical pallet to the record at goods-in.
How is an SSCC different from a GTIN?
A GTIN identifies a type of product, so every case of that product can carry the same number. An SSCC belongs to a single physical unit. The pallet you ship today and an identical pallet you build tomorrow get two different SSCCs. The GS1 guideline also treats stacked pallets as independent units, each with its own number.
What do the 18 digits mean?
| Part | Length | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Extension digit | 1 digit (0-9) | The company building the SSCC |
| GS1 Company Prefix | Variable | Allocated by a GS1 Member Organisation |
| Serial reference | 16 digits together with the prefix | The company, in its own scheme |
| Check digit | 1 digit | Calculated, never chosen |
Using 0614141, the sample prefix in the GS1 General Specifications, a number looks like this: (00) 1 0614141 123456789 7. A longer prefix leaves fewer digits for the serial reference, and the extension digit exists to add capacity. The prefix makes the number globally unique, but the standard is explicit that it does not identify the origin of the unit.
How do you create an SSCC?
- Get a GS1 Company Prefix. You cannot build an SSCC without one. GS1 Sweden's guide adds that if a pallet already carries an SSCC, you use that number rather than creating another.
- Choose the extension digit. The standard gives it no fixed meaning, so it can organise numbering by line, site or year.
- Assign the serial reference in sequence. GS1 does not record which numbers you have used, so that register has to live with you.
- Calculate the check digit. Starting from the left, multiply the first 17 digits alternately by 3 and 1, add the results and subtract the total from the next multiple of ten. In the example above the total is 143, and 150 minus 143 gives a check digit of 7.
- Do not reuse the number. Under the General Specifications, an SSCC must not be reallocated within one year of the shipment date to the trading partner. Regulation or sector rules may extend that period.
Responsibility for allocating the number sits with the physical builder of the unit or the brand owner. A later party may add a label segment, but the guideline says an SSCC already present must never be replaced or changed. A worn label is reprinted with the same number.
What else can go on the pallet label?
The GS1 Logistics Label Guideline divides the label into three segments: supplier information known at packing, customer information known at order, and carrier information known at shipment. Everything beyond the SSCC is added according to need and the receiver's specification.
| AI | Data | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| (00) | SSCC | Mandatory, sits in the lowest barcode |
| (02) and (37) | GTIN and count of the contents | Homogeneous pallets only; (02) requires (37) |
| (10) | Batch or lot number | Only meaningful with the GTIN of the contents |
| (15) or (17) | Best before or expiry date | Not interchangeable; use the one that fits the product |
| (400) | Customer's purchase order number | Customer segment |
| (410) or (421) | Ship-to GLN or postal code with country | For transport and receiving |
(01) and (02) must never appear together on the same label. On mixed pallets, trade item data cannot go on the label at all, and the guideline strongly encourages electronic messaging linked to the SSCC.
What are the barcode dimensions and placement rules?
The General Specifications make GS1-128 the mandatory data carrier for logistic units. A GS1 DataMatrix or GS1 QR Code may be added, but it does not replace it. Check these values before printing:
- X-dimension: 0.495 mm to 0.94 mm, with a target of 0.495 mm.
- Bar height: At least 31.75 mm, not counting the human readable line.
- Quiet zones: At least 10X on each side.
- Orientation: Bars perpendicular to the base the unit stands on.
- Text: At least 3 mm high, with barcoded data also shown as readable text.
- Height on the pallet: Between 400 mm and 800 mm from the base. On lower pallets, as high as possible.
- Edge clearance: The barcode, including quiet zones, at least 50 mm from any vertical edge.
- Number of labels: At least one; the guideline recommends the same label on two sides of a pallet.
Stretch wrap must not cover the label. For freezer conditions, where print quality can degrade, the guideline suggests an X-dimension toward the upper end of the range. On a standard A6 label, the SSCC is not concatenated with other data in one barcode.
How does the SSCC connect to the shipping record?
The despatch advice (ASN) states which products, batches and quantities sit under each SSCC. When the receiver scans the pallet, the record appears without counting cases, and it can be matched against the order.
The errors seen most often in the field:
- Reusing an SSCC on a reprint or on a new pallet.
- Leaving the old label on a pallet that has been broken down and rebuilt.
- Generating the label's SSCC and the despatch advice number from different systems.
- Label placed under film or on a pallet corner.
- Moving to volume printing without verifying the barcode.
We cover what each scan point should write to the record in the article on setting up a product tracking system.
Where does Tagvex fit in this record?
Tagvex gathers end-of-line and shipping scans, along with changes of hands at warehouse, distributor and dealer points, in one record, and connects those records to ERP and warehouse systems through its API. The SSCC itself is a GS1 number you assign with your own company prefix. The Tagvex record does not replace that number or the despatch advice you send to your customer.
