Shipping label compliance
Accurate, partner-specific shipping labels that stay aligned with shipment data
Shipping label compliance involves more than printing a barcode. Each label must contain the information required by the receiving trading partner and correctly identify the goods being shipped. ECOM helps you create accurate, trading partner-specific labels that stay aligned with your shipment data and the Advance Ship Notice, as part of one coordinated workflow from order processing to shipping documentation and performance monitoring.
What is shipping label compliance?
Shipping label compliance means producing carton and pallet labels that meet a trading partner's published requirements, including the layout, required fields, barcodes, human-readable text and placement. In retail EDI the label is usually a GS1-128 label carrying a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC). GS1 logistics guidance links the SSCC on a logistics label to the corresponding ASN information, so receiving systems can associate each scanned shipping unit with its shipment details.
Outcomes
What you can expect
Fewer labeling errors
Labels populated from connected business systems and validated before printing help reduce missing fields and wrong identifiers.
Faster receiving, less relabeling
When each label matches its shipping unit and the ASN, partners can receive by scan, and fewer cartons need to be relabeled.
Lower exposure to label deductions
Labels that follow each partner's rules help reduce exposure to label-related deductions and the disputes that follow.
Approach
How ECOM delivers it
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Trading partner label formats
Apply customer-specific layouts, required fields, barcode formats, and carton or pallet labeling rules.
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Automated label population
Populate purchase order numbers, vendor numbers, ship-from and ship-to addresses, item identifiers, quantities, and shipment references from connected business systems.
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Carton and pallet identification
Associate each labeled logistics unit with its contents and shipment records.
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Label-to-ASN consistency
Check that shipping container identifiers and packing details on labels match the corresponding Advance Ship Notice.
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Pre-print validation
Identify missing fields, invalid identifiers, and inconsistent shipment information before labels are released.
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Controlled printing and reprinting
Support warehouse printing workflows while preserving the relationship between a label, its shipping unit, and its transaction history.
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Template management
Maintain approved label versions and apply changes to the appropriate trading partner or shipping operation.
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Label certification during onboarding
GS1-128 carton and pallet labels are checked against the ASN data and each retailer's label requirements before go-live.
Learn the basics
What a GS1-128 shipping label carries
This is general industry practice. Each partner's label or routing guide sets the exact layout, zones and data it requires, so always start from the partner's own guide.
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The SSCC
The Serial Shipping Container Code is an 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one carton or pallet. It is the link between the physical label and the ship notice.
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Ship-from and ship-to addresses
The supplier's shipping location and the partner's receiving location, printed as text so people at the dock can read them.
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Carrier and routing data
The carrier name, a ship-to postal code barcode and the bill of lading or PRO number, where the partner's guide asks for them.
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Order and store data
The purchase order number, vendor number and department, and for store-ready or cross-dock shipments, the final store or distribution center.
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Readable barcodes
Barcodes must print at a size and quality that scanners can read. Smudged, truncated or covered barcodes count as label errors.
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Placement
Partners specify where the label goes on each carton and pallet, and whether pallets need a label on more than one side.
Common problems
The label errors partners report most
Most label deductions come from a small number of recurring problems. Each one has a cause that can be fixed at the source.
How to prevent retail EDI chargebacks-
SSCC does not match the ship notice
The carton label and the ASN were produced from different data, so the partner cannot receive the carton electronically.
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Missing or duplicate labels
Cartons ship without a label, or two cartons carry the same SSCC because numbers were reused or a label was printed twice.
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Wrong format or missing fields
The label uses another partner's layout or leaves out data, such as the marked-for store, that this partner requires.
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Unreadable or misplaced labels
Poor print quality, labels on the wrong face, or labels covered by stretch wrap stop the scan at the dock.
Where ECOM fits
Related ECOM products and services
These recorded capabilities of ECOM products and services support this workflow. Your configuration decides which apply.
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PRISM-WebEDI
PRISM-WebEDI prints UCC barcode shipping labels, pick, pack and shipping slips and bills of lading for partners without EDI systems.
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Trading partner onboarding
Label certification checks GS1-128 carton and pallet labels against the ASN data and each retailer's label requirements before go-live.
Scenarios
Common scenarios
Store and distribution center shipments
Ship cartons and pallets to retail distribution centers with labels in each retailer's required format.
Warehouses and 3PLs
Your warehouse, a 3PL or a co-packer prints the labels, and the SSCCs and packing details still reach the ASN.
Suppliers without EDI systems
Smaller suppliers print UCC barcode labels and shipping documents from a browser portal instead of building their own.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee there will be no label chargebacks?
No. Each partner sets its own label requirements and penalties. ECOM helps reduce labeling errors and exposure to label-related deductions by validating labels before release and keeping them consistent with the ASN.
Can our warehouse or 3PL print the labels?
Yes. Controlled printing and reprinting support warehouse workflows while keeping each label tied to its shipping unit and transaction history, including when a 3PL prints.
What do you need to set up a partner's labels?
Usually the partner's label or routing guide, sample shipments, and the carton and pallet data your warehouse or ERP records when orders are picked and packed.
Which functions will we have?
Available functions depend on the configured solution, connected data sources, and trading partner requirements. ECOM confirms the scope with you during discovery.
Check your labels against a partner's guide
Tell us which partners you ship to and send a sample label and ship notice. An ECOM specialist will review them against the partner's requirements.