What Is a Case Pack?
A case pack refers to how your individual products are packaged together for shipping to a retailer. Most retailers don't receive products one unit at a time — they receive them in cases (also called cartons or master packs). Understanding your case pack structure is essential for accurate EDI documents.
Here's a common example:
- Each (unit) — One bottle of Vanilla Extract 4oz. This is what the consumer buys off the shelf. Identified by a UPC (12-digit barcode).
- Inner Pack — 6 bottles shrink-wrapped together. Not all products have inner packs — it depends on your packaging setup.
- Master Carton (case) — A shipping box containing 24 bottles (or 4 inner packs of 6). This is what gets loaded onto a pallet and shipped to the retailer's warehouse. Identified by a GTIN-14 code.
UPC vs. GTIN-14: What's the Difference?
Your individual product has a UPC (the barcode a consumer scans at checkout). Your shipping case has a GTIN-14 (sometimes called an ITF-14 or SCC-14). The GTIN-14 is derived from your UPC by adding a packaging indicator digit at the front and recalculating the check digit.
| Level | Identifier | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Each (unit) | UPC-A (12 digits) | 012345678901 |
| Inner Pack | GTIN-14 (indicator 1–7) | 10012345678908 |
| Master Carton | GTIN-14 (indicator 1–7) | 20012345678905 |
Good to know: The leading digit (1, 2, etc.) is the "packaging indicator" and distinguishes different packaging levels of the same product.
Why Retailers Need This Information
When a retailer orders from you, they need to know exactly what's arriving at their warehouse. Your Advance Ship Notice (856) includes detailed carton-level information:
- How many cases are in the shipment
- What's inside each case (product and quantity)
- The GTIN-14 for each case
- The weight and dimensions of each case
Warehouse workers use this information to receive, scan, and shelve your products efficiently. If the ASN says a case contains 24 units but only 18 are inside, the retailer's receiving system flags a discrepancy — and you get a chargeback.
Setting Up Case Pack Info in RetailReady
In your Products table, each product has a GTIN-14 field where you can enter the barcode for your shipping case. You can also record Unit Weight for the individual item. When creating shipments, you'll enter carton-level details (contents, weight, dimensions) directly in the shipment's carton packing section.
Common Errors to Avoid
Packaging mistakes are one of the top causes of chargebacks for new EDI suppliers. Watch out for:
- Wrong case quantity — If you changed your case pack from 24 to 12 but didn't update RetailReady, every ASN will report the wrong number of units per case.
- Missing GTIN-14 — Some retailers require the GTIN-14 on the ASN and on the physical GS1-128 shipping label. If it's missing, the shipment may be refused at the dock.
- Mismatched weights — If your stated case weight doesn't match the actual weight, the carrier may adjust freight charges, and the retailer may flag the discrepancy.
Take the time to measure and weigh an actual case of each product, and enter those real numbers into RetailReady. Guessing leads to problems.