GTIN

Information and description

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number, GS1 Article Number) is used to give products and services unique identities. By encoding the GTIN (the digits) into a barcode, the number can be read using a scanner.

To facilitate electronic commerce, it is recommended that all packages of a product be assigned a GTIN, providing each with a unique identity. A unique identity for every package ensures consistent unit, price, and related conditions.

It is also mandatory to include packaging details such as length/depth, width, height, volume, and weight. When these values are linked to the respective package GTIN, they enable effective planning for store layout, warehousing, logistics, and transportation. As this is an essential part of the trading process, it should lead to improved efficiency for all involved parties.

Types of GTIN

Regulations

• A GTIN is unique to a specific packaging level for a given item number.

• A GTIN may not occur more than once from the same supplier.

• Different suppliers may submit the same item with the same GTIN, for example wholesalers, but no conflict occurs because their supplier numbers differ.

Reuse

A GTIN must not be reused. This means that once a GTIN has been assigned to a packaging level, it can never be used for any other packaging, even if the original item has been discontinued. Read more at GS1.

Changes

When changes are made to a product’s and/or packaging’s attributes, complete article information must be sent to update the data for the recipient. For changes to attributes such as dimensions, content or brand, specific GTIN rules apply. Certain changes require that the packaging be assigned a new GTIN.

Corrections

When corrections are made, the recipient of the article information can compare the corrected message with previously submitted information, based on the GTIN, to identify what has been changed.

Deletion

When information is deleted, the recipient can be informed that the supplier has removed the article information from their system. To keep data synchronized between supplier and buyer, the buyer must also remove the information.

Changing GTIN on the Primary Package

Basic rule

The field for the GTIN on the primary Package is locked. If the GTIN changes, a new article number must be created.

Exception 1: New article

If the supplier initially submitted an incorrect GTIN, a correction may be made if the article qualifies as a new article (definition below).
The article must not have been registered in Finfo’s database for more than six months. This rule applies regardless of whether the supplier has already re-labelled the product or printed materials.

Exception 2: The article is not a construction product

If the supplier has submitted an incorrect GTIN for a product that is not classified as a construction product (as defined below), the GTIN may be corrected.

Definition (Construction Products Regulation – CPR): Any product or kit produced and marketed to be permanently incorporated into construction works, and whose performance affects the performance of the works with respect to the essential requirements for construction works.

Examples

• If a supplier submits a GTIN already assigned to another article or package in Finfo’s system, they will receive an error message during data import.

• If the same GTIN is used on more than one package/article within the same file, an error message will appear already during FTP upload.

• If a GTIN already exists on another package of the same or different article, it cannot be reused.

• Even if an article has been discontinued, its GTIN cannot be reused. While archived articles in Finfo do not trigger an error, customers may still have the product active in their systems, causing GTIN conflicts when new data is imported.

• GTINs stored in Finfo as previous GTINs (field EAN2) may not be reassigned to any other article or package on the same article.

Note: This applies even if the supplier has already printed and distributed new packaging with a GTIN that exists on other products.

Changing GTIN on Secondary/Tertiary Package

The basic rule is that if the package contents change, the new package must be assigned a new GTIN. However, it is allowed to change the GTIN if the quantity remains the same.

Correcting GTIN

The supplier must submit a case to Byggmaterialhandlarna describing the current article information and the intended change. The case must include a cross-reference list containing the article number, supplier description 1 and 2, and both the current and new GTIN. The case will then be reviewed for approval.

Examples

Example 1

A supplier registers an article in Finfo using a GTIN received from a subcontractor. When the product arrives, they discover the GTIN information was incorrect.

Example 2

A supplier’s subcontractor initially has no GTINs, so the supplier uses GTINs from its own number series. Later, the subcontractor begins using GTINs.

Example 3

A supplier has entered the wrong GTIN on a package, e.g., a GTIN for a secondary package was mistakenly used on the primary package.

Example 4

A supplier has specified the wrong unit for a primary package, e.g., used RLE instead of M. The GTIN assigned corresponds to the new unit (M). RLE should instead be registered as the secondary package for the same article with a different GTIN.

Example 5

A subcontractor has changed the GTIN on a primary package of an existing article number.

Example 6

A supplier uses a GTIN on a package that already exists in the recipient’s system for another article/package previously discontinued.

Changed package dimensions

If the primary package changes its dimensions by more than 20%, a new article number and GTIN must be created. Read more on GS1’s website.

GTIN Rules

Minor Change

A minor change refers to adjustments in ingredients or characteristics that replace the existing item but do not require updates to consumer-facing information (i.e., information not regulated by legislation).

Examples

• Changes for cost-related reasons that do not affect the item’s characteristics, such as taste or viscosity.

• A new button color on a garment.

Major Change

This rule applies to significant changes in ingredients or characteristics that alter the item, for example when the consumer would be expected to distinguish the new item from the old one, when regulations require updates, or when the change is substantial from a consumer perspective.

Examples

• Changing a flavor from lemon to lime, or replacing wheat flour with oats in a chocolate bar.

• Changes to consumer information required by legislation, such as allergen declarations or nutrition claims.

• Removing sugar to make a product sugar-free, or adding/removing an allergen.

• Changing characteristics or functionality in a way that significantly impacts the consumer.

• Changing a room spray’s scent from orange to cherry, or adding bleach to a detergent.

Functional Change

This applies to major changes in functionality, such as when the change introduces new functions.

Examples

• A new version of software.

• New features on electronic devices.