Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC)

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Introduction

The Serial Shipping Container Code or the SSCC is used throughout the supply chain as an entity identifier for item tracing and internal control. It is the only mandatory field on a UCC/EAN logistics label.

SSCC contains 18 digits started with an extension digit and ended with a check digit. The check digit is calculated according to the UCC/EAN algorithm ( same as UPC/EAN check digit). If you need to calculate the check digit, click here.

A SSCC number has the following structure:

1. The first digit is the Package Type (P).  0=Case or carton. 1=Pallet (Larger than a case). 2=Container (larger than a pallet). 3=Undefined. 4=Internal company use. 5-8=Reserved. 9=Variable container. This number is not the same as the package indicator in a SCC-14 number.
2. The next 16 digits are the manufacturer code, followed by the serial number of this container. The manufacturer code (or company code) is assigned by UCC/EAN organization (now GS1). The serial number identifies this merchandise container and assigned by the manufacturer.
3. The SSCC-18 check digit. Do not confuse it with Code128 check digit. The check digit is to ensure that the data is correctly entered. It is part of the data encoded into the barcode.

SSCC Barcode

The SSCC is usually coded with UCC/EAN-128 symbology. The Application Identifier (AI) for this type of barcodes is 00. Below shows an example SCC-18 barcode (created with Monterey Barcode Creator 3.3).

The spaces in human readable text are not required but highly recommended because they help to identify the different parts of the number. In the example above, the 18 digits are divided into four parts: 0 is the country code for US and Canada; 0718908 is the manufacturer code. The following part is the serial number for this merchandise container (562723189). At the end of this number is the check digit (6).

Check Digit Calculation

SSCC check digits are calculated the same way as UPC-A/EAN-13 check digits. Here are the steps to calculate SSCC-18 check digits:

1. From the right to left, start with odd position, assign the odd/even position to each digit.
2. Sum all digits in odd position and multiply the result by 3.
3. Sum all digits in even position.
4. Sum the results of step 3 and step 4.
5. divide the result of step 4 by 10. The check digit is the number which adds the remainder to 10.

A web-based free utility to calculate SSCC check digit can be found here.