How many digits is an SSCC?

Eighteen: an extension digit, the GS1 company prefix, a serial reference and a check digit. In a barcode it is preceded by the application identifier (00).

Can an SSCC be reused?

Not within one year of the shipment date, under GS1's rules — and longer where regulation or an industry requires it.

Who assigns the SSCC?

The company that physically builds the logistic unit, or the brand owner of it, using its own GS1 company prefix.

Term

SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)

An SSCC, or Serial Shipping Container Code, is GS1's 18-digit number that identifies one logistic unit — a pallet, case or parcel — uniquely worldwide. It is printed as a GS1-128 barcode with application identifier (00) on the GS1 logistic label, and links the physical unit to the shipping notice and receiving records.

Also called Serial Shipping Container Code, SSCC-18, SSCC number, AI (00)Updated 13 October 2026

The 18 digits

Part	Digits	What it is
Extension digit	1	0–9, chosen by the company to extend the serial range
GS1 company prefix	Varies	Makes the code unique worldwide; its length depends on the national GS1 office
Serial reference	The rest	The company's own serial number
Check digit	1	Calculated from the other 17

GS1 says the prefix makes the SSCC unique worldwide but does not identify where the unit came from. The physical builder of the logistic unit, or its brand owner, is responsible for allocating the SSCC, and a number must not be reallocated within one year of the shipment date — longer where regulation or an industry requires it.

Worked example: the check digit

First 17 digits 7 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 0 0 1 1 × alternating 3,1,3,1… = 21+9+0+1+6+3+12+5+3+2+9+4+15+0+0+1+3 = 94 · nearest equal or higher multiple of ten: 100 · 100 − 94 = check digit 6 → SSCC 790123451234500116

GS1's standard method for all fixed-length numeric keys, applied to the sample SSCC on GS1's logistic label guideline.

On the label

The SSCC is the single mandatory element on every GS1 logistic label and always appears in the lowest barcode, encoded in GS1-128, a subset of Code 128. Labels are typically A6 (105 × 148 mm) or 4 × 6 inches. Because the SSCC on each pallet matches the one in the advance shipping notice, a receiver can scan the pallet and know its contents without opening it.

The mistake people make

Printing SSCCs under someone else's prefix. GS1 warns that when a cloud labelling service generates SSCCs with the IT provider's company prefix rather than the shipper's own, it is an incorrect use of the standards — the numbers are not the shipper's to guarantee unique.

FAQ