This article will define the master case/carton barcode and help you to locate this barcode on your containers.
What is a Master Case/Carton?
What is a Master Case/Carton Barcode?
Difference Between Individual Product & Master Case/Carton Barcodes
What is a Master Case/Carton?
This refers to the outer box that contains your goods in the largest quantity (beside a pallet). A Master Case/Carton is what you would expect to come straight from the manufacturer.
What is a Master Case/Carton Barcode?
A Master Carton/Case barcode is placed on the outside of the Master Case/Carton, allowing our 3PL to identify and scan multiple units. The master carton or case barcode must be different from the unit barcode.
Only one barcode should be visible on the outer case and only one barcode should be visible on the unit packaging. If both the case barcode and the unit barcode are the same, it is considered non-compliant and will cause inventory issues. (Image below shows example of master carton/case barcode.)
NOTE: The case barcode and the unit barcode CANNOT be the same. This will make the shipment non-compliant and will cause inventory issues.
Difference Between Individual Product & Master Case/Carton Barcodes
- The Master Case/Carton barcode is used to receive (check-in) your shipment of multiple units of your product at the warehouse.
- The UPC, ASIN, and/or SKU Barcode is a unique code for your product that allows the warehouse to ship (check out) your individual product units at the warehouse's packing station.
- Example of Individual Product Barcode below.
NOTE: To comply with our Receiving guidelines, all your products (Individual units, master cartons/cases, sub master cartons/cases) should always arrive previously barcoded.If the cases arrive unbarcoded, the warehouse will have to relabel the cases at $0.18 USD/case and $0.25 CAD/case in addition to the labor cost fees.
Click HERE for more information on how to avoid receiving fees.
If you are shipping B2B (Wholesale orders), please have your cases correctly labeled to avoid fees.