Home/Global Barcodes/GLN
GS1 Coding · Party and Location Identification

GLN Global Location Number · Party Identification in the Supply Chain

Give every entity in the supply chain a globally unique identity: companies, warehouses, stores, delivery points. GLN is the common language for party identification in EDI documents, traceability, and compliance declarations.

GLN · Global Location Number13 digits
6901234560008

GLN identifies parties such as companies / warehouses / stores,not printed as an EAN-13 product barcode symbol; common carriers are GS1-128 barcodes or electronic document fields. Example numbers include a mod10 check digit; actual numbers are assigned by member organizations.

Management Organization and System Background

Who manages this coding system

GLN (Global Location Number) is a 13-digit code in the GS1 system that identifiescompanies, warehouses, stores, loading points, and other location entities. It is not used for retail product checkout, but is the common identity for "parties and locations" in supply chain documents and electronic information exchange.

Our role:Bangma International is the "most trustworthy member unit" of the Hong Kong, International, and China product coding associations, and asan association member organizationprovides agency application services for enterprises.We do not represent any official institution, and enterprises may also apply directly to member organizations.

Where it is read

Electronic documents

EDI / messages

Identifies the shipper, receiver, and delivery location in supply chain electronic data interchange

Traceability compliance

Regulatory declaration

Party and location identification in traceability systems for food, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Warehouse and distribution collaboration

Warehouse and Store

In a multi-warehouse, multi-store system, location identity is used in conjunction with product codes (GTIN)

Code structure and parameters

GLN and EAN-13 are both 13 digits + mod10 check, but the object identified is a party and location, not a product.

CompositionNumber of digitsMeaning
GS1 Prefix3 digitsIdentifies the member organization that assigned the code (same system as the EAN-13 prefix)
Party Reference Number9 digitsIdentifies the enterprise / location party, assigned by the member organization
Check digit1 digitCalculated using the mod10 algorithm, used for machine-readable verification
Object

Party rather than product

GLN identifies enterprises and locations (legal entities, functional entities, physical locations), not products.

Structure

13 digits + mod10 check digit

Like EAN-13, it uses a mod10 check, but its purpose and data carrier are different.

Carrier

Often used in conjunction with GS1 data carriers

GLN can be printed as a barcode (such as GS1-128) or written into electronic documents, chosen according to the application scenario.

Four types of application matters

A barcode is not something that is done once and then finished — when company information changes, when the right to use the codes needs to be maintained, or when the business is transferred, the corresponding procedures must be handled.

New application: obtain codes from scratch

STEP 01

Confirm requirements

The types of parties to be identified (company / warehouse / store) and their quantity

STEP 02

Prepare documents

Prepare according to the registration documents of the location of the applying entity; see the checklist on the right

STEP 03

Submission and review

Submit the application to the GS1 member organization and wait for the company prefix to be assigned

STEP 04

Assignment and use

After obtaining the code segment, assign a dedicated GLN to each location party

Commonly used document checklist

  • Full set of company registration documents (certificate of incorporation / business registration certificate, etc., depending on the local entity type)
  • Director's phone number and email
  • ID documents of directors and shareholders
  • Registration form (provided by our company; in some countries/regions it is actually not required)
The document checklist is subject to the current requirements of the member organization; during business coordination, each item will be checked one by one to avoid repeated supplementary submissions.

Change: when company information changes, it must be updated accordingly

The following situations require a change:

  • Change of enterprise name
  • Change of registered address
  • Change of legal representative / director
  • Change of contact information
Risks of not changing in time: the coding information is inconsistent with the registered information, which may be questioned during channel review or filing, affecting listing.

Key points for handling

Point 01

Handle with change certificate

A change certificate issued by the local registration authority must be provided

Point 02

The code itself remains unchanged

The company prefix remains unchanged; only the enterprise information in the system is updated

Point 03

Handling of packaging inventory

Already printed packaging can usually continue to be used, with no need to reprint the barcode graphic

Renewal: usage rights need to be maintained

Member organizations differ in how they maintain code usage rights (annual membership fee system or validity period renewal system), subject to the current policy of that member organization. If not maintained on time, the code may be suspended or reclaimed, and the normal circulation of goods in channels will be affected.

It is recommended to 3 monthsbefore expiration, initiate renewal to avoid interruption caused by material preparation or system processing time.

Reminder services we provide

  • Registration and reminders for barcode expiry dates
  • Renewal document verification and submission on your behalf
  • Confirmation of barcode status after renewal
  • Unified ledger management for barcodes across multiple markets

Customers who have already processed through Bangma International can register for expiry reminders free of charge.

Transfer: barcodes transfer together with the business

During mergers and acquisitions, brand transfers, or business restructuring, the company prefix can be transferred as an asset together with the business. The transfer requires a joint application by both parties and completion of changes to entity information and ownership.

After the transfer is completed, the original company may no longer continue to use that barcode segment; packaging already printed with that barcode requires a corresponding handling plan.

Applicable scenarios

  • Integration of brands and product lines after mergers and acquisitions
  • The brand owner transfers barcode assets to a contract manufacturer or licensee
  • Disposal of barcode assets before company deregistration
  • Change of entity for cross-border e-commerce

Fees and turnaround time

Fee composition

The total fee usually includes: the barcode service fee charged by the member organization (based on tier and number of years) + agency service fee. Factors affecting the fee:

  • Number of GLNs required (company / warehouse / store and other location parties)
  • Processing period / membership tier
  • Whether additional matters such as changes or transfers are required
  • Whether to apply in combination with product barcodes (GTIN)
Fees to be confirmed by our business teamWe do not provide general quotations. After you submit your requirements, a coding consultant will give you a clear plan and a detailed fee breakdown based on your actual situation.

Timeline reference

New application

Subject to the member organization's processing progress

Once all documents are complete, the review and allocation process begins; timelines vary by country

Change / renewal

Usually faster than a new application

No new code allocation is involved, so the process is relatively simple

Transfer

Requires cooperation from both parties

Involves ownership confirmation; the timeline depends on how prepared both parties' materials are

The above is a description of the process sequence and does not fabricate specific numbers of days. The actual timeline is subject to the accepting organization's current announcements and processing progress, and we will keep you updated at every stage during the process.

GLN Global Location Number FAQ

Does a GLN have an expiration date?+
The right to use a GLN is maintained in the same way as product codes, following the membership of the member organization or the current policy, subject to the public notice of that member organization. When the entity information changes, the GLN itself remains unchanged; simply process the information change.
Can a company have only one GLN?+
Yes. The minimum usage is to assign one GLN to the company entity; when supply chain documents need to distinguish specific locations such as shipping warehouses and receiving stores, additional GLNs are assigned to each location. The quantity is determined by actual business needs.
Will a GLN be printed on product packaging?+
Usually not. A GLN identifiesentities and locations, and mainly appears in electronic documents, waybill labels and system fields. When it needs to appear in barcode form, the common practice is to print it as the data content of GS1-128, rather than printing it on the front of retail packaging like a product code.
What is the relationship between a GLN and a product barcode?+
A product barcode (GTIN) answers "which product is this", while a GLN answers "which entity/location is this". In supply chain documents, traceability and platform warehousing systems, the two often appear together: GLN identifies the shipper and receiver, and GTIN identifies the product.

Application Guide · Full coverage of 140 member organizations

The application materials and processing procedures for a GLN are highly consistent among member organizations in different countries, with differences mainly in processing pace and language. The following applies to all 140 member organizations in the table below; click the button at the end of each row to submit an application request for the corresponding country.

STEP 1 · Materials

What materials are required for the application?

① Company registration documents or business license; ② Applicant contact information (contact person, phone, email); ③ List of locations to be coded (headquarters, factories, warehouses, stores and other locations requiring a GLN).

STEP 2 · Process

What is the application process?

① Confirm the GS1 member organization corresponding to the target market; ② Submit materials and the location list; ③ The member organization reviews and assigns the GLN code; ④ Activate the registration and declare its use in scenarios such as EDI documents and platform certification as needed.

STEP 3 · Timeline

Time to acceptance (processing period)

Processing timelines vary across member organizations, and this site makes no commitment regarding the number of days; after submitting your request, a coding consultant will sync with you node by node based on the current processing progress, and fees are subject to business confirmation.

140 member organizations in total

Country / RegionRegionGS1 member organizationApply
AlbaniaEuropeGS1 AlbaniaConsultation & Application
AlgeriaAfricaGS1 AlgeriaConsultation & Application
AndorraEuropeGS1 AndorraConsultation & Application
AngolaAfricaGS1 AngolaConsultation & Application
ArgentinaSouth AmericaGS1 ArgentinaConsultation & Application
ArmeniaAsiaGS1 ArmeniaConsultation & Application
AustraliaOceaniaGS1 AustraliaConsultation & Application
AustriaEuropeGS1 AustriaConsultation & Application
AzerbaijanAsiaGS1 AzerbaijanConsultation & Application
BahrainAsiaGS1 BahrainConsultation & Application
BangladeshAsiaGS1 BangladeshConsultation & Application
BelarusEuropeGS1 BelarusConsultation & Application
BelgiumEuropeGS1 BelgiumConsultation & Application
BeninAfricaGS1 BeninConsultation & Application
BoliviaSouth AmericaGS1 BoliviaConsultation & Application
Bosnia and Herzegovina—GS1 Bosnia and HerzegovinaConsultation & Application
BotswanaAfricaGS1 BotswanaConsultation & Application
BrazilSouth AmericaGS1 BrazilConsultation & Application
BruneiAsiaGS1 Brunei DarussalamConsultation & Application
BulgariaEuropeGS1 BulgariaConsultation & Application
Burkina FasoAfricaGS1 Burkina FasoConsultation & Application
CambodiaAsiaGS1 CambodiaConsultation & Application
CameroonAfricaGS1 CameroonConsultation & Application
CanadaNorth AmericaGS1 CanadaConsultation & Application
ChileSouth AmericaGS1 ChileConsultation & Application
ChinaAsiaGS1 ChinaConsultation & Application
ColombiaSouth AmericaGS1 ColombiaConsultation & Application
Congo—GS1 CongoConsultation & Application
Costa RicaNorth AmericaGS1 Costa RicaConsultation & Application
CroatiaEuropeGS1 CroatiaConsultation & Application
CubaNorth AmericaGS1 CubaConsultation & Application
CyprusAsiaGS1 CyprusConsultation & Application
Czech Republic—GS1 Czech RepublicConsultation & Application
DenmarkEuropeGS1 DenmarkConsultation & Application
Dominican Republic—GS1 Dominican RepublicConsultation & Application
EcuadorSouth AmericaGS1 EcuadorConsultation & Application
EgyptAfricaGS1 EgyptConsultation & Application
El SalvadorNorth AmericaGS1 El SalvadorConsultation & Application
EstoniaEuropeGS1 EstoniaConsultation & Application
EthiopiaAfricaGS1 EthiopiaConsultation & Application
FinlandEuropeGS1 FinlandConsultation & Application
FranceEuropeGS1 FranceConsultation & Application
GabonAfricaGS1 GabonConsultation & Application
GeorgiaAsiaGS1 GeorgiaConsultation & Application
GermanyEuropeGS1 GermanyConsultation & Application
GhanaAfricaGS1 GhanaConsultation & Application
GreeceEuropeGS1 GreeceConsultation & Application
GuatemalaNorth AmericaGS1 GuatemalaConsultation & Application
GuineaAfricaGS1 GuineaConsultation & Application
HondurasNorth AmericaGS1 HondurasConsultation & Application
Hong Kong, China—GS1 Hong KongConsultation & Application
HungaryEuropeGS1 HungaryConsultation & Application
IcelandEuropeGS1 IcelandConsultation & Application
IndiaAsiaGS1 IndiaConsultation & Application
IndonesiaAsiaGS1 IndonesiaConsultation & Application
IranAsiaGS1 IranConsultation & Application
IraqAsiaGS1 IraqConsultation & Application
IrelandEuropeGS1 IrelandConsultation & Application
IsraelAsiaGS1 IsraelConsultation & Application
ItalyEuropeGS1 ItalyConsultation & Application
JamaicaNorth AmericaGS1 JamaicaConsultation & Application
JapanAsiaGS1 JapanConsultation & Application
JordanAsiaGS1 JordanConsultation & Application
KazakhstanAsiaGS1 KazakhstanConsultation & Application
KenyaAfricaGS1 KenyaConsultation & Application
South KoreaAsiaGS1 KoreaConsultation & Application
KuwaitAsiaGS1 KuwaitConsultation & Application
KyrgyzstanAsiaGS1 KyrgyzstanConsultation & Application
LatviaEuropeGS1 LatviaConsultation & Application
LebanonAsiaGS1 LebanonConsultation & Application
LibyaAfricaGS1 LibyaConsultation & Application
LiechtensteinEuropeGS1 LiechtensteinConsultation & Application
LithuaniaEuropeGS1 LithuaniaConsultation & Application
LuxembourgEuropeGS1 LuxembourgConsultation & Application
Macao, China—GS1 MacaoConsultation & Application
North MacedoniaEuropeGS1 MacedoniaConsultation & Application
MalaysiaAsiaGS1 MalaysiaConsultation & Application
MaltaEuropeGS1 MaltaConsultation & Application
MauritaniaAfricaGS1 MauritaniaConsultation & Application
MauritiusAfricaGS1 MauritiusConsultation & Application
MexicoNorth AmericaGS1 MexicoConsultation & Application
MoldovaEuropeGS1 MoldovaConsultation & Application
MongoliaAsiaGS1 MongoliaConsultation & Application
MontenegroEuropeGS1 MontenegroConsultation & Application
MoroccoAfricaGS1 MoroccoConsultation & Application
MozambiqueAfricaGS1 MozambiqueConsultation & Application
MyanmarAsiaGS1 MyanmarConsultation & Application
NamibiaAfricaGS1 NamibiaConsultation & Application
NepalAsiaGS1 NepalConsultation & Application
NetherlandsEuropeGS1 NetherlandsConsultation & Application
New ZealandOceaniaGS1 New ZealandConsultation & Application
NicaraguaNorth AmericaGS1 NicaraguaConsultation & Application
NigeriaAfricaGS1 NigeriaConsultation & Application
NorwayEuropeGS1 NorwayConsultation & Application
OmanAsiaGS1 OmanConsultation & Application
PakistanAsiaGS1 PakistanConsultation & Application
PanamaNorth AmericaGS1 PanamaConsultation & Application
ParaguaySouth AmericaGS1 ParaguayConsultation & Application
PeruSouth AmericaGS1 PeruConsultation & Application
PhilippinesAsiaGS1 PhilippinesConsultation & Application
PolandEuropeGS1 PolandConsultation & Application
PortugalEuropeGS1 PortugalConsultation & Application
QatarAsiaGS1 QatarConsultation & Application
RomaniaEuropeGS1 RomaniaConsultation & Application
RussiaAsiaGS1 RussiaConsultation & Application
RwandaAfricaGS1 RwandaConsultation & Application
Saudi ArabiaAsiaGS1 Saudi ArabiaConsultation & Application
SenegalAfricaGS1 SenegalConsultation & Application
SerbiaEuropeGS1 SerbiaConsultation & Application
SingaporeAsiaGS1 SingaporeConsultation & Application
SlovakiaEuropeGS1 SlovakiaConsultation & Application
SloveniaEuropeGS1 SloveniaConsultation & Application
South AfricaAfricaGS1 South AfricaConsultation & Application
SpainEuropeGS1 SpainConsultation & Application
Sri LankaAsiaGS1 Sri LankaConsultation & Application
SudanAfricaGS1 SudanConsultation & Application
SwedenEuropeGS1 SwedenConsultation & Application
SwitzerlandEuropeGS1 SwitzerlandConsultation & Application
SyriaAsiaGS1 SyriaConsultation & Application
Taiwan, China—GS1 TaiwanConsultation & Application
TajikistanAsiaGS1 TajikistanConsultation & Application
TanzaniaAfricaGS1 TanzaniaConsultation & Application
ThailandAsiaGS1 ThailandConsultation & Application
TogoAfricaGS1 TogoConsultation & Application
Trinidad and TobagoNorth AmericaGS1 Trinidad and TobagoConsultation & Application
TunisiaAfricaGS1 TunisiaConsultation & Application
TurkeyAsiaGS1 TurkeyConsultation & Application
TurkmenistanAsiaGS1 TurkmenistanConsultation & Application
UgandaAfricaGS1 UgandaConsultation & Application
UkraineEuropeGS1 UkraineConsultation & Application
United Arab Emirates—GS1 United Arab EmiratesConsultation & Application
United KingdomEuropeGS1 United KingdomConsultation & Application
United StatesNorth AmericaGS1 USConsultation & Application
UruguaySouth AmericaGS1 UruguayConsultation & Application
UzbekistanAsiaGS1 UzbekistanConsultation & Application
VenezuelaSouth AmericaGS1 VenezuelaConsultation & Application
VietnamAsiaGS1 VietnamConsultation & Application
YemenAsiaGS1 YemenConsultation & Application
ZambiaAfricaGS1 ZambiaConsultation & Application
ZimbabweAfricaGS1 ZimbabweConsultation & Application

Note: The member organization directory is compiled based on publicly available GS1 information; a GLN identifies a company entity and a physical location and is not printed on packaging as a product barcode symbol. Entries marked in orange in the table are for Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, and Taiwan, China.

Related Services and Knowledge

—