Master cases or cartons refers to the outer box that contains your goods in the largest quantity (beside a pallet). A Master Case/Carton is what you would expect to come straight from the manufacturer.
Requirements
A Master Case/Carton barcode is placed on the outside of the Master Case/Carton, allowing the warehouse to identify and scan multiple units. The Master Case/Carton barcode must be different from the unit barcode.
Only one barcode should be visible on the outer case, and only one barcode should be visible on the unit packaging. (Image below shows an example of a Master Case/Carton barcode.)
The case barcode and the unit barcode cannot be the same. This makes the shipment non-compliant and can cause inventory issues.
Individual Product vs. Master Case/Carton Barcodes
- The Master Case/Carton barcode is used to receive (check-in) your shipment of multiple units of your product at the warehouse.
- The UPC, ASIN, and/or SKU barcode is a unique code for your product that allows the warehouse to ship (check out) your individual product units at the packing station.
- Example of Individual Product Barcode below:
If cases arrive without barcodes, the warehouse will have to label the boxes. This may incur fees.