SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)
An 18-digit GS1 code that identifies one unique logistics unit, such as a pallet or box.
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The SSCC is the "license plate" of a logistics unit. Every pallet, roll container, or box that leaves your warehouse gets its own globally unique 18-digit number. Any party in the chain (carrier, distribution center, retailer) can track exactly this one unit, regardless of its contents.
The structure is fixed: an extension digit, your GS1 company prefix, a serial reference, and a check digit. On the label, the SSCC appears in a GS1-128 barcode with Application Identifier (00), plus human-readable text at the bottom of the logistics label.
In practice, the SSCC is the key that links your physical shipment to the digital despatch advice (EDI/DESADV). The retailer scans one code at receipt and immediately knows which order, items, and batches are arriving. An SSCC error means manual sorting work and often a retailer fine. Label software that increments the serial automatically and builds the code from your ERP prevents duplicate or invalid SSCCs.
Source: GS1
Frequently asked questions — SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)
How many digits does an SSCC have?
An SSCC has 18 digits: an extension digit, your GS1 company prefix, a serial reference and a check digit.
Where does the SSCC appear on the label?
In a GS1-128 barcode with Application Identifier (00), plus printed in human-readable form at the bottom of the logistics label.
What is the difference between an SSCC and a GTIN?
The SSCC identifies one physical logistics unit (such as a pallet or box); the GTIN identifies a type of trade item.
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