Item Identifiers
An Item Identifier is an identification code for an item. While GS1 typically uses GTINs (8-14 digits), Hii Retail supports various types, including non-standard codes, PLUs, QR codes, and alternative SKUs.
Item Identifier Types
GTIN validation: Hii Retail validates all GTIN types for:
- Correct length (
GTIN13= 13 digits, etc.)- Valid check digit
- Uniqueness within your tenant (a GTIN can only be used for one Item)
Variable measure GTIN ranges (prefixes 02, 20-29) are not checked for duplicates.
Duplicate GTINs are logged and ignored. A Customer Notification event is sent. Subscribe to the External Events service for alerts.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
NONSTANDARD | For unsupported identifier types; avoid using intentionally. |
UUID | Universally Unique Identifier (128-bit, globally unique). |
GTIN8 | 8-digit GTIN. |
GTIN12 | 12-digit GTIN. |
GTIN13 | 13-digit GTIN (most common, standard). |
GTIN14 | 14-digit GTIN. |
PLU | Price Look-Up code, used mainly in grocery for produce. |
SKU | Stock Keeping Unit; alternative ID, not for barcodes. |
QR | QR code (matrix barcode for URLs, IDs, etc.). |
ECC140 | DataMatrix-140 (2D code, up to 1556 bytes). |
ECC200 | DataMatrix-200 (2D code, up to 2335 characters). |
ISBN | International Standard Book Number (10 or 13 digits). |
RFID | Radio-frequency identification tag. |
ISSN | International Standard Serial Number (8 digits). Can be represented alone, together with, or as a GTIN with the prefix of 977. |
GTIN | Virtual input type! This type only applies to input requests and will be mapped to the correct GTIN type during processing. See further notes here |
The GTIN input type
A Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is usually issued by GS1 and it is used to uniquely identify trade items in the supply chain. It can be encoded into various visual formats such as UPC, EAN, DataMatrix or DataBar codes.
It may also be a specific type of identifier like ISBN, ISSN, coupon code, etc. Hii Retail will be able to map these inputs to the correct type also for these.
The GTIN can be represented in different lengths such as GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13, or GTIN-14 and it may contain leading zeros to deliberately qualify for a certain length.
The intention of this generic and virtual input type is to assist integrating customers that struggle to provide the correct length on GTINs from their source PIM or ERP system.
The input MUST be a valid GTIN. If not, it will be dismissed during processing.
Example: The input will be parsed to set the correct length according to leading zeros. A 13-digit GTIN with a leading zero will be mapped to GTIN13 and will include the leading zero. The same input without the leading zero will be mapped to a GTIN12.
Status
Status manages the lifecycle of an Item Identifier.
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
ACTIVE | The identifier is active and available for use. |
DELETED | The identifier is deleted and should not be used, except for reporting or possible reactivation. |