GLN
Global Location Number. The 13-digit GS1 standard identifier used to designate any party unambiguously in an EDI exchange.
Definition
The GLN is a 13-digit numeric identifier issued by GS1. It identifies globally and uniquely three kinds of entities: a legal entity (company, association), an internal function (accounts payable team, central purchasing unit) or a physical location (warehouse, receiving dock, delivery point). Its structure: GS1 country prefix, company code, location code, Modulo-10 (Luhn) check digit. In EDIFACT, the GLN is the main identifier carried by the NAD segment, qualified by the ICD 0088 code in element 3055.
Origin
Originally called EAN Location Number (or EAN UCC GLN) before the 2005 merger between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC) that formed GS1, the GLN reuses the same 13-digit format as the legacy EAN-13 used on product barcodes. This shared format means a GLN fits in any system designed for EAN-13. GS1 maintains a worldwide registry of GLNs through its 116 national member organisations (GS1 France, GS1 Germany, GS1 US, etc.).
Example in context
In an EDIFACT ORDERS message sent to a supplier, the buyer identifies each of its delivery points with a distinct GLN:
Qualifier BY (Buyer) carries the GLN of the corporate buyer,
DP (Delivery Point) the GLN of the target store's receiving
dock, IV (Invoicee) the GLN of the invoicing centre. Code
list qualifier 9 states that the identifier follows the GS1
convention.