GTIN identifies what the product is. GLN identifies who made it, who is buying it, or where it is going. Both are GS1 identifiers with the same check digit algorithm, but they answer fundamentally different questions and appear in different contexts within your data.
The fundamental difference
GS1 designed two families of identifiers to answer two different questions:
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GTIN (Global Trade Item Number): "What is this product?" Assigned to trade items: a specific SKU, a packaging variant, a case pack. A Schneider Electric iC60N B16 circuit breaker has a GTIN. The box of 6 has a different GTIN. The pallet of 120 has yet another.
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GLN (Global Location Number): "Who is this entity or where is this place?" Assigned to companies, departments, warehouses, and delivery points. Schneider Electric's French headquarters has a GLN. Their logistics center in Grenoble has a different GLN. Rexel's purchasing department has its own GLN.
A product catalog uses GTINs. An EDI transaction uses both: GTINs for the line items and GLNs for the buyer, seller, and delivery location.
Format comparison
| Property | GTIN | GLN |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Identifies a trade item (product) | Identifies an entity or location |
| Lengths | 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits | Always 13 digits |
| Check digit | Modulo-10 (last digit) | Modulo-10 (last digit) |
| Assigned by | Brand owner using GS1 prefix | Entity itself using GS1 prefix |
| Printed on | Product packaging (barcode) | Not typically printed on products |
| Used in | Catalogs, POS, marketplaces | EDI, master data, GDSN |
Both use the same GS1 modulo-10 check digit algorithm. A 13-digit GTIN and a 13-digit GLN are structurally identical. The only way to know whether 4012345000009 is a GTIN or a GLN is the context in which it appears.
Where each appears in practice
In a BMEcat catalog
<!-- GLNs identify the trading partners -->
<SUPPLIER>
<SUPPLIER_ID type="gln">4012345000009</SUPPLIER_ID>
<SUPPLIER_NAME>Hager SE</SUPPLIER_NAME>
</SUPPLIER>
<!-- GTINs identify the products -->
<ARTICLE>
<ARTICLE_ID>MCB-B16</ARTICLE_ID>
<EAN>4010330369125</EAN> <!-- This is a GTIN-13 -->
</ARTICLE>
In an EDI ORDERS message
NAD+BY+4398765000014::9' <!-- GLN: the buyer -->
NAD+SU+4012345000009::9' <!-- GLN: the supplier -->
LIN+1++4010330369125:EN' <!-- GTIN: the product being ordered -->
In a PIM system
Your PIM stores GTINs as product attributes. It stores GLNs in the supplier master and customer master. When you create a purchase order, the system uses the supplier's GLN for routing and the product's GTIN for line item identification.
How they work together
Consider a typical electrical distribution transaction:
- A distributor (identified by their GLN) orders products (identified by GTINs) from a manufacturer (identified by their GLN).
- The manufacturer ships to a warehouse (identified by a different GLN).
- The distributor receives the goods and scans the GTINs to match them against the order.
- The distributor's ecommerce site displays the products using their GTINs.
- A contractor purchases a product and scans the GTIN at the point of sale.
At every step, GLNs and GTINs play distinct roles. The GTIN travels with the product. The GLN identifies the parties and locations involved in moving that product.
Common confusion points
"Can a number be both a GTIN and a GLN?"
Theoretically, yes. A 13-digit number like 4012345000009 is structurally valid as both a GTIN-13 and a GLN. In practice, GS1 allocates number ranges to avoid collisions. A company's GLN and the GTINs they assign to their products will share the same GS1 company prefix, but the location reference portion will differ. Still, systems should always store the identifier type alongside the value.
"My supplier sent a 13-digit number. Is it a GTIN or a GLN?"
Check the context. If it is in a product field (EAN, barcode, article number), it is a GTIN. If it is in a party field (supplier ID, buyer ID, ship-to), it is a GLN. If the field label is ambiguous, check the length: if it is 8, 12, or 14 digits, it can only be a GTIN, since GLNs are always 13 digits.
"Do I need both?"
If you do any electronic data exchange, yes. Your GLN identifies your company in transactions. GTINs identify every product you buy or sell. Most electrical distributors have at least one GLN (for their legal entity) and handle thousands of GTINs from their supplier base.
Validation
Both identifiers use the same modulo-10 check digit, so the validation logic is nearly identical. The difference is that GTIN validation must also check length (accepting 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits), while GLN validation accepts only 13 digits.
Validate your GTINs with the free GTIN validator and your GLNs with the free GLN validator. Both tools check format, length, and the GS1 modulo-10 check digit instantly.
Summary
Think of it this way: your warehouse has a GLN. The products inside it have GTINs. Your company has a GLN. The items in your catalog have GTINs. EDI messages use both to connect the right products to the right parties at the right locations. Getting either one wrong breaks the chain.