In brief: The GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is GS1’s globally unique item identifier, formerly known as EAN in Europe. It appears in the barcode on the packaging and is the primary identifier used to match products unambiguously across manufacturers, retailers and marketplaces.
Marketplaces, retailers and the GDSN use the GTIN to match products. If it is missing or assigned to more than one product, products may be rejected or matched to the wrong listings. The GTIN is therefore maintained as a mandatory field in the PIM system and checked for uniqueness.
GTINs are licensed through GS1. Numbers purchased from other sources cause problems on many marketplaces.
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