Carton Codes (ITF-14 Barcodes)
If you supply your product to retailers in cartons or cases, they’ll usually want an ITF-14 barcode on the box. It’s separate from the retail barcode on the inside of the product.
When the carton arrives at their warehouse, staff scan the ITF-14, and their system records how many units are in the carton (24 cans, 12 bottles, whatever the case holds) without anyone opening the box.
You don’t need one if your cartons are only for your own shipping and storage, or if the case itself is sold to shoppers as a single unit, and your retailer hasn’t asked for one. A case of wine purchased in full by a customer requires a retail barcode, not an ITF-14.
Watch our short video to learn more about ITF-14 Carton Codes.
Download Sample ITF-14 Barcode images (zip file)
How many do you need?
One per case configuration, not one per product. If you ship the same product in cases of 12 and cases of 24, that’s two ITF-14 codes. The number indicates how many units are inside, so each pack size needs its own.
Up to 10 different ITF-14 codes can be generated from a single retail barcode.
Matching your carton codes to your barcodes
Each ITF-14 is built from your retail barcode number, so you can tell at a glance which goes with which.
Ignore the final digit of your retail number; that’s a checksum. Look at the three digits before it. Your ITF-14 ends with those same three digits, plus its own check digit, and starts with a 1.
For example, EAN 0799439079083 ends in 908 before its checksum. The matching ITF-14 is 10799439079080. When our system generates the images, the check digit appears in the barcode itself but not in the filename, so the file would be named 1079943907908.
Printing your carton barcode
Carton codes are bigger than retail barcodes and have their own size rules. How large yours needs to be depends on where it’ll be scanned (automated conveyor scanning at a distribution centre has stricter minimums than a handheld scanner) and on whether you’re printing directly onto corrugated board or onto a label.
We supply your images at full size. If you need to scale them down to fit your carton, check the permitted range first.
ITF-14 print specifications — sizes, bar heights, quiet zones and bar width ratio.
Common questions
Do I need a retail barcode first? Yes, the ITF-14 is generated from it. If you don’t have one, buy the retail barcode and add the carton code to the same order.
Does every retailer require one? No. Some do, some don’t. Ask your retailer before purchasing one.
Do they expire? No. One payment, yours for life.
Not sure what you need? Email us, and we will reply within one business day.
ITF-14 Carton Barcode