GTIN
The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is the GS1 identifier that uniquely identifies a product (trade item) anywhere in the world. It is the number encoded in the familiar retail barcode (EAN or UPC), and comes in lengths GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 and GTIN-14 for different packaging levels — each pack, case and pallet configuration of a product gets its own GTIN.
Because a GTIN means the same product to every trading partner, it is the anchor for product data in ordering, invoicing, warehousing and traceability. In logistics the GTIN identifies what is in a carton or on a pallet, linking the physical goods to the item master data.
The GTIN gives every product one unmistakable identity that every partner recognises, which is what makes automated ordering, scanning, stock control and recall possible. Without a shared item number, each partner would need its own product codes and constant translation between them.
Is a GTIN the same as a barcode?
Not quite: the GTIN is the identifying number; the barcode is the machine-readable symbol that encodes it. Scanning the barcode reads the GTIN, which then looks up the product data.