ITF-14 is a 14-digit GS1 GTIN barcode used on shipping cartons (the carton level above the consumer unit). Most AU retailers require ITF-14 on every shipping carton, scannable on at least two adjacent sides, with a minimum print quality of Grade C.
The longer version.
ITF-14 (Interleaved 2 of 5) encodes the GTIN-14, which identifies the trade item at the carton level — 'a carton of 12 × 350g jars' rather than 'one 350g jar' (which would have its own EAN-13/UPC at consumer level). ITF-14 is the workhorse barcode of retail logistics. It's printed directly on the carton corrugate (typically with bearer bars top and bottom), needs a quiet zone of 10× module width on both sides, and must verify at print Grade C or better on a calibrated GS1 verifier.
Key facts.
Why it matters.
- Coles, Woolworths and most AU major retailers require ITF-14 on cartons
- Failed barcode scanning at receipt = chargeback or rejected delivery
- Cheap printing on brown corrugate is the #1 cause of barcode grade failures
Common pitfalls.
- Verifying ITF-14 on the supplier's office printer instead of production-run cartons
- Insufficient quiet zone (whitespace either side of the barcode)
- Wrong GTIN-14 hierarchy (the carton GTIN should differ from consumer GTIN)
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