Shipping Container Code

Companies assign the Shipping Container Code (identified as the SCC-14 in North America and EAN-14 outside of North America) to an intermediate pack for a specific product. For example, cans of soda are sold in various configurations. One possible configuration is four 6-packs in each case. Therefore, the case would have an intermediate pack identifier (SCC-14) on it.

The SCC, similar to the UPC, is a fixed code that identifies the specific number of consumer packs of a specific product. The SCC code on the case of soda represents four consumer packs, each with six sodas or a total of 24 sodas.

The SCC-14 code consists of:

• A single-digit packaging indicator that identifies the packaging.

  This identifier is assigned by the company and may vary from product to product. This identifier is fixed and has these values:

  • Zero indicates that the product ID on the SCC is different than the product identification on the UPC codes that are contained within the package.

  • Codes 1 though 8 indicate company-defined packaging. For example, a 1 might mean a case containing six packs and a 2 might mean a case containing 12-pack boxes.

  • Code 9 indicates that the amount of product inside the package varies from package to package even though the same product identification is in the UPC codes of the consumer pack that is contained within the package.

• A seven-digit company (or manufacturer) ID that is assigned by the UCC or the EAN.

• A five-digit product ID that is assigned by the company.

• A single-digit check character.

In the system, an SCC code is equivalent to an item code for a specific unit of measure. For any item, one UPC code exists, but several SCC codes exist.