Application Identifiers (AI) – GS1 128
The AI (Application Identifier) is inserted with the GS1-128 format system. It is a number placed at the beginning of a data string to indicate the application what kind of data is being read.
For example, it is possible to encode the weight of 35.97 kg with a standard barcode by simply coding the number 3597, however the application will not distinguish if the value read is a weight, a time, a price or something else. The Application Identifiers solve this problem.
The GS1 specifications define many AIs, including serial numbers or expiration dates.
GS1 Application Identifier table
The following table contains a list of valid AI (Application Identifiers). Some AI are followed by an “n” or a “y”: this means that the AI can be added to a single digit with the following meanings:
- n: a single digit indicating the length of the data field.
- y: a single digit indicating the number of decimal places.
| Code | Description | Data length (without AI) |
| 00 | Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) | 18 |
| 01 | Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) | 14 |
| 02 | GTIN of Contained Trade Items | 14 |
| 10 | Batch/Lot Number | variable, up to 20 |
| 11 | Production Date | 6 |
| 12 | Due Date | 6 |
| 13 | Packaging Date | 6 |
| 15 | Best Before Date (YYMMDD) | 6 |
| 17 | Expiration Date | 6 |
| 20 | Product Variant | 2 |
| 21 | Serial Number | variable, up to 20 |
| 22 | Secondary Data Fields | variable, up to 29 |
| 23n | Lot number n | variable, up to 19 |
| 240 | Additional Product Identification | variable, up to 30 |
| 241 | Customer Part Number | variable, up to 30 |
| 242 | Made-to-Order Variation Number | variable, up to 6 |
| 250 | Secondary Serial Number | variable, up to 30 |
| 251 | Reference to Source Entity | variable, up to 30 |
| 253 | Global Document Type Identifier | variable, 13F17 |
| 254 | GLN Extension Component | variable, up to 20 |
| 30 | Count of items | variable, up to 8 |
| 310y | Product Net Weight in kg | 6 |
| 311y | Product Length/1st Dimension, in meters | 6 |
| 312y | Product Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in meters | 6 |
| 313y | Product Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in meters | 6 |
| 314y | Product Area, in square meters | 6 |
| 315y | Product Net Volume, in liters | 6 |
| 316y | Product Net Volume, in cubic meters | 6 |
| 320y | Product Net Weight, in pounds | 6 |
| 321y | Product Length/1st Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 322y | Product Length/1st Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 323y | Product Length/1st Dimension, in yards | 6 |
| 324y | Product Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 325y | Product Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 326y | Product Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in yards | 6 |
| 327y | Product Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 328y | Product Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 329y | Product Depth/Thickness/3rd Dimension, in yards | 6 |
| 330y | Container Gross Weight (kg) | 6 |
| 331y | Container Length/1st Dimension (Meters) | 6 |
| 332y | Container Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension (Meters) | 6 |
| 333y | Container Depth/Thickness/3rd Dimension (Meters) | 6 |
| 334y | Container Area (Square Meters) | 6 |
| 335y | Container Gross Volume (Liters) | 6 |
| 336y | Container Gross Volume (Cubic Meters) | 6 |
| 340y | Container Gross Weight (Pounds) | 6 |
| 341y | Container Length/1st Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 342y | Container Length/1st Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 343y | Container Length/1st Dimension in, in yards | 6 |
| 344y | Container Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 345y | Container Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 346y | Container Width/Diameter/2nd Dimension, in yards | 6 |
| 347y | Container Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in inches | 6 |
| 348y | Container Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in feet | 6 |
| 349y | Container Depth/Thickness/Height/3rd Dimension, in yards | 6 |
| 350y | Product Area (Square Inches) | 6 |
| 351y | Product Area (Square Feet) | 6 |
| 352y | Product Area (Square Yards) | 6 |
| 353y | Container Area (Square Inches) | 6 |
| 354y | Container Area (Square Feet) | 6 |
| 355y | Container Area (Square Yards) | 6 |
| 356y | Net Weight (Troy Ounces) | 6 |
| 357y | Net Weight/Volume (Ounces) | 6 |
| 360y | Product Volume (Quarts) | 6 |
| 361y | Product Volume (Gallons) | 6 |
| 362y | Container Gross Volume (Quarts) | 6 |
| 363y | Container Gross Volume (U.S. Gallons) | 6 |
| 364y | Product Volume (Cubic Inches) | 6 |
| 365y | Product Volume (Cubic Feet) | 6 |
| 366y | Product Volume (Cubic Yards) | 6 |
| 367y | Container Gross Volume (Cubic Inches) | 6 |
| 368y | Container Gross Volume (Cubic Feet) | 6 |
| 369y | Container Gross Volume (Cubic Yards) | 6 |
| 37 | Number of Units Contained | variable, up to 8 |
| 390y | Amount payable (local currency) | variable, up to 15 |
| 391y | Amount payable (with ISO currency code) | variable, 3–18 |
| 392y | Amount payable per single item (local currency) | variable, up to 15 |
| 393y | Amount payable per single item (with ISO currency code) | variable, 3–18 |
| 400 | Customer Purchase Order Number | variable, up to 30 |
| 401 | Consignment Number | variable, up to 30 |
| 402 | Bill of Lading number | 17 |
| 403 | Routing code | variable, up to 30 |
| 410 | Ship To/Deliver To Location Code (Global Location Number) | 13 |
| 411 | Bill To/Invoice Location Code (Global Location Number) | 13 |
| 412 | Purchase From Location Code (Global Location Number) | 13 |
| 413 | Ship for, Deliver for, or Forward to Location Code (Global Location Number) | 13 |
| 414 | Identification of a physical location (Global Location Number) | 13 |
| 420 | Ship To/Deliver To Postal Code (Single Postal Authority) | variable, up to 20 |
| 421 | Ship To/Deliver To Postal Code (with ISO country code) | variable, 3–15 |
| 422 | Country of Origin (ISO country code) | 3 |
| 423 | Country or countries of initial processing | variable, 3–15 |
| 424 | Country of processing | 3 |
| 425 | Country of disassembly | 3 |
| 426 | Country of full process chain | 3 |
| 7001 | NATO Stock Number (NSN) | 13 |
| 7002 | UN/ECE Meat Carcasses and cuts classification | variable, up to 30 |
| 7003 | expiration date and time | 10 |
| 7004 | Active Potency | variable, up to 4 |
| 703n | Processor approval (with ISO country code); n indicates sequence number of several processors | variable, 3–30 |
| 8001 | Roll Products: Width/Length/Core Diameter/Direction/Splices | 14 |
| 8002 | Mobile phone identifier | variable, up to 20 |
| 8003 | Global Returnable Asset Identifier | variable, 14–30 |
| 8004 | Global Individual Asset Identifier | variable, up to 30 |
| 8005 | Price per Unit of Measure | 6 |
| 8006 | identification of the components of an item | 18 |
| 8007 | International Bank Account Number | variable, up to 30 |
| 8008 | Date/time of production | variable, 8–12 |
| 8018 | Global Service Relation Number | 18 |
| 8020 | Payment slip reference number | variable, up to 25 |
| 8100 | Coupon Extended Code: Number System and Offer | 6 |
| 8101 | Coupon Extended Code: Number System, Offer, End of Offer | 10 |
| 8102 | Coupon Extended Code: Number System preceded by 0 | 2 |
| 8110 | Coupon code ID (North America) | variable, up to 30 |
| 90 | Mutually Agreed Between Trading Partners | variable, up to 30 |
| 91–99 | Internal Company Codes | variable, up to 30 |
