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# GLN and other identifiers in EDI

The GLN (Global Location Number) is a 13-digit number that identifies a company or location uniquely worldwide; in Germany, it used to be called the ILN (Internationale Lokationsnummer). In Germany, it is issued by GS1 Germany. In EDI, it often identifies the sender, recipient, delivery location and invoicee. You will also come across other identifiers: the GTIN for items, the SSCC for packages, the Odette ID, the AS2 ID and the DUNS number. This page explains how they fit together.

## GLN and ILN are the same number

The Aachen Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Aachen) sums up the renaming briefly: “EAN became GTIN, ILN became GLN”
(our translation). So if a German customer asks for your ILN in an older implementation guide, it means your GLN.

According to GS1 Germany, the GLN identifies companies, locations, warehouses, plants, loading bays or organisational
units. A company can have one GLN for its head office and a separate one for each warehouse. This allows deliveries and
invoices to be assigned to the right place automatically.

Since 1 July 2022, a GLN that has been assigned may no longer be passed on to another company or location (with a few
exceptions). If you are looking for a company's GLN, you can find it via the “Verified by GS1” service; according to
GS1 Germany, up to 30 queries a day are free of charge.

## Structure of the GLN and the check digit

A GLN always consists of 13 digits in three parts:

| Part | Digits | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 company prefix | 7, 8 or 9 | issued by GS1, permanently assigned to your company |
| individual number range | 5, 4 or 3 | assigned by you, for example for locations |
| check digit | 1 | calculated from the other digits |

The shorter the company prefix, the more numbers of your own you can create: according to GS1 Germany, 1,000 with 9
digits and up to 100,000 with 7 digits.

The check digit protects against typing errors. GS1 describes the method as follows: multiply the digits from right to
left alternately by 3 and 1, add up the results and subtract the sum from the nearest equal or higher multiple of ten.

An example with the fictitious number 952000000001 (prefix 952, which GS1 has reserved for examples):

```
Digits:       9  5  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1
Factor:       1  3  1  3  1  3  1  3  1  3  1  3
Product:      9 15  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  3   Sum 29
Check digit:  30 minus 29 = 1, so GLN 9520000000011
```

The same calculation applies to the GTIN and SSCC. This allows software to detect typing errors as soon as data is read
in.

## What a GLN costs

GS1 Germany offers two options (prices according to the GS1 Germany website, as of 16 October 2026, excl. VAT). Prices
from GS1 organisations in other countries differ.

- **GLN type 1:** a single GLN for your own company only, for example for EDI. €105 in the first calendar year, €92 per
  year from the second year. You cannot create GTINs or SSCCs with it.
- **GS1 Complete:** a type 2 GLN with a company prefix, from which you create further GLNs, GTINs for items and SSCCs
  for packages. Annual fee from €160, plus a one-off fee from €250 for provision.

If you only receive orders and send invoices via EDI, type 1 is often enough. If your customer requires labels with an
SSCC or items with a GTIN, you need the company prefix.

## GTIN for items, SSCC for packages

The GTIN (Global Trade Item Number, formerly EAN) identifies an item. The common GTIN-13 form has 13 digits, just like
the GLN. According to GS1 Germany, the two can only be told apart by the context in which they appear. In a purchase
order, the GTIN is in the line item, the GLN in the header with the parties involved.

The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code), known in Germany as the NVE (Nummer der Versandeinheit), identifies a
logistic unit: a carton, a pallet, a parcel. It has 18 digits and appears as a barcode on the shipping label. The
despatch advice can give the SSCC for each package. When the package is scanned at the loading bay, the recipient then
matches it to the despatch advice. Fictitious example: `395200000000001231`.

You will find more about the messages in which these numbers appear under
[EDI message types](https://edi-service.eu/en/knowledge/edi-message-types/).

## Odette ID, AS2 ID and DUNS

Not every identifier in EDI comes from GS1. Three others are common:

- Odette ID: the address in the automotive industry's OFTP2 network, 25 characters long; an “O” in the first position
  indicates an identifier issued by Odette. Odette's “OFTP Code” is used exclusively for OFTP2 servers. Details under
  [OFTP2 explained](https://edi-service.eu/en/knowledge/oftp2/).
- AS2 ID: the name of your system in AS2 connections, 1 to 128 characters, case-sensitive. RFC 4130 gives the DUNS
  number as an example; the GLN or an agreed name are also possible. Details under [AS2 explained](https://edi-service.eu/en/knowledge/as2-protocol/).
- DUNS number: a nine-digit company number from Dun & Bradstreet. According to D&B, it is available free of charge.

Which identifier your partner expects is stated in its EDI implementation guide. Different identifiers often apply at
different levels, for example an Odette ID for the connection and a supplier number in the message.

## Where the identifiers appear in an EDIFACT message

In EDIFACT under the retail standard EANCOM, the GLN appears in two places. In the interchange header (segment UNB), it
identifies the sender and recipient, followed by the qualifier `14` for GS1. In the message itself (segment NAD), it
names the parties involved, such as the buyer (`BY`) and supplier (`SU`), with the qualifier `9` for GS1. A fictitious
example:

```
UNB+UNOC:3+9520000000011:14+9520000000028:14+261016:1430+REF0001'
...
NAD+BY+9520000000028::9'
NAD+SU+9520000000011::9'
NAD+DP+9520000000035::9'
```

Here the supplier (GLN 9520000000011) sends a message to its customer (9520000000028); the goods go to the customer's
warehouse (`DP`, delivery party, 9520000000035). All numbers are example numbers with the prefix 952. How an EDIFACT
message is structured overall is explained in [EDIFACT explained](https://edi-service.eu/en/knowledge/edifact/).

## Identifiers with edi-service.eu

When setting up with edi-service.eu, the AI reads the identifiers from your partner's documents: GLN, Odette ID, AS2
ID. You confirm your own identifiers once, and after that they are stored in the configuration. You apply for a GLN or
Odette ID yourself from GS1 or Odette; we cannot do that for you. What is included in the price is set out in the
[FAQ](https://edi-service.eu/en/faq/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the ILN the same as the GLN?
ILN is the old German name; today the number is called GLN. The renaming did not change the number itself.

### Do I definitely need a GLN for EDI?
If your partner uses EANCOM, you need one: there, the GLN is used for the sender and recipient. Other partners specify
other identifiers, such as an Odette ID or their own supplier number. What your partner requires is stated in its
implementation guide.

### How much does a GLN cost?
At GS1 Germany, a single GLN (type 1) costs €105 in the first calendar year and €92 in subsequent years, excl. VAT (as
of 16 October 2026). With GS1 Complete, which also covers GTINs and SSCCs, the annual fee starts at €160. GS1
organisations in other countries set their own prices.

### How do I check whether a GLN is correct?
Recalculate the check digit or use GS1's free check digit calculator. The “Verified by GS1” service shows who a GLN
belongs to.

Do you have your customer's implementation guide and are unsure which identifiers you need? [Send an enquiry](https://edi-service.eu/en/enquiry/)

## Sources
- GS1 Germany: “GLN (Global Location Number)”, <https://www.gs1-germany.de/standards/identifikation/unternehmen-gln/> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1 Germany: “GLN” (offers and prices), <https://www.gs1-germany.de/produkte-services/gln/> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- IHK Aachen: “GTIN/EAN-Nummernsysteme und Strichcodes”, <https://www.ihk.de/aachen/innovation/dokumente-innovation-und-umwelt/gtin-ean-nummernsysteme-und-strichcodes-606096> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1: “GS1 Prefixes” (952: “Used for demonstrations and examples of the GS1 system”), <https://www.gs1.org/prefixes> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1: “How to calculate a check digit manually”, <https://www.gs1.org/how-calculate-check-digit-manually> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1: “Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC)”, <https://www.gs1.org/standards/id-keys/sscc> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1: “EANCOM 2002 S3, Segment UNB”, <https://gs1.org/sites/gs1/files/docs/eancom/ean02s3/part2/quotes/052.htm> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GS1 in Europe: “eDESADV V2.0, Segment NAD”, <https://www.gs1-germany.de/internet/common/files/eEurope_english/desadv/english/all/h544.htm> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Odette International: “Odette ID”, <https://www.odette.org/odette-id> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- RFC Editor: “RFC 4130” (AS2 names), <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4130> (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Dun & Bradstreet: “D-U-N-S Number”, <https://www.dnb.com/en-us/smb/duns.html> (retrieved 16 October 2026)