Let’s briefly explain what are the GTIN, MPN, EAN, UPC codes, which are the most curious by those who are new to electronic commerce.
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number): A widely used unique product identifier. There is a GTIN number defined for each product and each option (variant) of the product.
MPN (Manufactured Product Code): Manufacturer part number. It is a code consisting of letters and numbers created by the manufacturer and printed on the product, used to identify commercial products such as MPN, GTIN.
UPC (Universal Product Code): A 12-digit barcode commonly used for retail packaging in the United States. Although there are several different types of barcodes, the UPC symbol appears on nearly every retail product in the US and is the most versatile and acceptable type of product code in this part of the world. It consists of a barcode with the GTIN-12 number underneath.
EAN (European Article Number): It is a 12 or 13 digit product identification code. Each EAN uniquely identifies the product, manufacturer and attributes; Typically, the EAN is printed as a barcode on a product label or packaging. An EAN code is a unique combination of digits used to identify an object on the basis of a European system.
Which products require a GTIN?
All products with a manufacturer-assigned GTIN must be submitted with the gtin attribute.
You can check out this post on google about unique product identifiers.
Which products do not need a GTIN number?
Store brand products
Spare parts
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts or replacements for OEM parts
Custom-made items (e.g., custom-made t-shirts, artwork, and handmade items)
Books published before the ISBN was adopted as an ISO standard in 1970
Classic or antique items
Why should you use GTIN, MPN, EAN, UPC codes in e-commerce?
It enables products to be recognized by Google,
In shopping ads, the right product is shown to the right audience.
What are the GTIN types?
The GTIN can be in different formats depending on the country and product it is used in:
UPC (in North America / GTIN-12): 12 digit number
EAN (in Europe / GTIN-13): 13 digit number
JAN (in Japan / GTIN-13): 8 or 13 digit number
ISBN (for books): 13 digit number*
ITF-14 (for multipacks / GTIN-14): 14 digit number
Of the GTIN formats, EAN-13 is widely used in Europe. Since UPC is mostly used in America, it is rarely met in Europe.