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Short answer: An EPC (Electronic Product Code) is the unique identifier written into an RFID tag's memory, and SGTIN-96 is the GS1 encoding scheme that retail RFID mandates in India normally ask for. It packs your GS1 Company Prefix, an item reference and a serial number into 96 bits — usually shown as 24 hexadecimal characters — so every individual garment or carton carries its own identity, not just a product code.
This guide is for Indian apparel, footwear, FMCG and accessories suppliers whose retail customer has just mandated RFID-tagged, serialised shipments, and for the operations and IT teams who now have to deliver it. No prior GS1 knowledge is assumed.
What exactly is an EPC, and how is it different from the barcode on my label?
The barcode carries a GTIN, which identifies the product. The EPC in the RFID tag carries an SGTIN, which identifies the individual item — the same GTIN plus a serial number. Two identical size-M black t-shirts share one barcode, but each must carry a different EPC.
The GTIN is printed as an EAN-13 or ITF-14 barcode. The EPC is written into the EPC memory bank of a UHF Gen2 (ISO/IEC 18000-63) chip, which in India operates in the 865–867 MHz band allotted for RFID. One label usually carries both — barcode on the face, encoded EPC in the inlay behind it — so tills keep scanning barcodes while the stockroom counts by RFID.
| Attribute | GTIN (printed barcode) | SGTIN EPC (in the tag) |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A product or SKU | One physical item |
| Unique per unit? | No — shared by all units | Yes — the serial makes it unique |
| Typical format | 13 or 14 digits, e.g. 8901234567890 | 24 hex characters, e.g. 30361F49C8377540000F4241 |
| Check digit | Included and printed | Not stored — software recalculates it |
How is an SGTIN-96 actually built?
SGTIN-96 is a set of fields totalling 96 bits: a fixed header that identifies the scheme, a short filter value, a partition value, your GS1 Company Prefix, the item reference including its indicator digit, and a serial number. The company prefix and item reference always share the same 44 bits between them — the partition value says where the split falls. Those 96 bits are written as 24 hex characters into the tag.
A worked example, using a company prefix from the 890 range issued in India:
- GS1 Company Prefix: 8901234 (7 digits)
- Item reference: 56789, with indicator digit 0, so the field value is 056789
- Printed GTIN-13: 8901234567890 (the trailing 0 is the check digit)
- Serial number: 1000001 for the first unit, 1000002 for the next, and so on
- Filter value: 1, a point-of-sale trade item
- Resulting EPC: 30361F49C8377540000F4241
GS1 also writes the same identity as urn:epc:id:sgtin:8901234.056789.1000001, which is the form most middleware and EPCIS systems exchange internally. Note that the check digit never appears in the EPC — it is recalculated, not stored — so a hex string that looks nothing like your barcode still decodes back to exactly that GTIN.
The serial field is large enough that running out of numbers is not a practical concern at retail volumes, so the only real discipline is never reusing one. If your customer needs alphanumeric serials, GS1 defines SGTIN-198, which stores a longer alphanumeric serial but requires a chip with a larger EPC memory bank — confirm that before you buy inlays.
Which partition and filter value should I use?
The partition value tells a reader where your company prefix ends and the item reference begins, because GS1 prefixes vary in length. You do not choose it freely — it follows from how many digits your prefix has, and encoding software sets it automatically once the prefix is entered correctly.
| Partition | Company Prefix digits | Prefix bits | Item reference digits (incl. indicator) | Item reference bits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 12 | 40 | 1 | 4 |
| 1 | 11 | 37 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | 10 | 34 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | 9 | 30 | 4 | 14 |
| 4 | 8 | 27 | 5 | 17 |
| 5 | 7 | 24 | 6 | 20 |
| 6 | 6 | 20 | 7 | 24 |
The filter value is a hint to readers about packaging level, so a dock-door portal can ignore item tags and count only cases. The values you will meet most often are 1 for a retail point-of-sale item, 2 for a full case, 4 for an inner pack, 6 for a unit load such as a pallet, and 0 for anything else. Take it from your customer's tagging specification rather than guessing.
Why do retailers insist on serialised EPCs — can't I just repeat one number?
No, and duplicate EPCs are a common reason supplier files get rejected. RFID counting works by collecting unique EPCs, so 500 t-shirts sharing one EPC report as one item, not 500. Serialisation is what turns a radio read into a stock count, which is why retailers audit supplier files for uniqueness before approving you.
Serialised EPCs also deliver what the retailer bought RFID for: faster cycle counts, accurate omnichannel stock, exit-gate loss prevention and shipment verification at receiving. Our guide to RFID in apparel and fashion retail in India covers the store-side workflow.
- Allocate serial ranges centrally — one system owns the counter, not each packing line.
- Never restart serials at 1 for a new season, style or purchase order.
- If a label is misprinted or voided, retire that serial; do not re-issue it.
- Keep an as-shipped file mapping EPC to GTIN, PO, carton and dispatch date.
- Treat a reworked or re-tagged garment as a new serial, and log the change.
What does a GS1 India membership actually give me?
GS1 India is the Indian member organisation of GS1 and the body that issues an Indian company its GS1 Company Prefix — the licensed number block from which you create your own GTINs and, from those, your SGTIN EPCs. Without a prefix of your own you cannot legitimately issue EPCs, because the prefix is what stops your numbers colliding with another company's.
Membership typically covers the licensed prefix, capacity to create a defined quantity of GTINs, access to GS1 standards and data services, and use of related identifiers such as GLNs for locations and SSCCs for logistic units. Fees, the size of the number block and what is bundled are all set by GS1 India and change from time to time, so confirm the current terms with GS1 India directly rather than relying on a figure quoted online.
Two common mistakes: encoding under a prefix borrowed from a customer or label vendor, which is not permitted; and applying afresh when your packaging or QA team already holds a prefix.
How do I encode the tags — printer-encoder, desktop encoder, or pre-encoded stock?
Most suppliers tagging in-house use an RFID printer-encoder: a thermal transfer printer with a built-in UHF module that writes the EPC into the inlay and prints the barcode, size and MRP on the same label in one pass, verifying each tag before it leaves the printer. Desktop encoders and pre-encoded stock cover the other two cases.
| Approach | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| RFID printer-encoder | Print-and-apply in your own packing hall | Needs correct label pitch and inlay position |
| Desktop encoder plus pre-printed labels | Samples, rework, low volumes | Manual matching of printed GTIN to encoded EPC |
| Pre-encoded tags from your supplier | Suppliers with no in-house printing | You hand over serial ranges; longer lead time |
A workable in-house flow looks like this. Your ERP issues a job file of GTIN, serial range and quantity. Label software such as BarTender or NiceLabel builds the label and the EPC once you enter the prefix, item reference, indicator digit and serial source. The printer writes, reads back, then voids and reprints any failure, so operators only handle good labels. A well-set-up line voids only a small fraction of labels; persistent voids usually point to inlay position or RF power rather than bad tags. The as-encoded file returns to your system and feeds the ASN or EPCIS file at dispatch, which is where most projects stall — see our guide to RFID software and middleware integration.
India RFID Store supplies the whole chain: UHF RFID inlays and labels in hangtag, care-label and carton formats, RFID printers and printer-encoders, and desktop RFID readers and encoders for sample rooms and rework benches. Tag pricing is volume-driven and depends on inlay type and quantity; our RFID tag price guide for India sets out realistic ranges.
What should I check before the first RFID-tagged shipment leaves?
Run a small pilot — a few hundred pieces of one style — and validate it end to end before you scale. The checks below catch most of the problems that hold up a first shipment, and all can be done in-house with a handheld or desktop reader.
- Decode sample tags and confirm the EPC maps back to the printed GTIN, with the right partition and filter value.
- Verify every serial in the batch is unique, including across styles and colours.
- Confirm the retailer's required tag placement, label format and inlay type — some specify a tested inlay or a published performance grade.
- Read a full sealed carton and confirm every unit is detected, not just most of them.
- Test metallic and liquid-adjacent items separately; foil-backed packs and metal hardware need on-metal tags, not a paper inlay.
- Send a test EPC file to your customer and get written confirmation it parses before full production.
GS1 standards, retailer tagging manuals and Indian radio rules all change over time. Treat this article as orientation, and verify the current EPC Tag Data Standard and your customer's tagging specification against the official GS1 and GS1 India sources — plus current WPC and BIS requirements for any reader hardware — before you commit to a production run.
Facing an RFID mandate from a retail customer? Identium Tech Solutions has been in the auto-ID industry since 2010 and manufactures BIS and WPC certified RFID readers in India, and India RFID Store can match inlays, printer-encoders and readers to your customer's specification. Request RFID samples and encode a test batch against your own GTINs before committing to volume.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own GS1 membership if my retail customer already has one?
Yes, in almost every case. The EPCs on your goods must derive from a GS1 Company Prefix licensed to your company, because the prefix is what makes the numbers globally unique. Encoding under someone else's prefix creates collisions and is not permitted by the standard.
What is the difference between SGTIN-96 and SGTIN-198?
SGTIN-96 stores a numeric serial in 96 bits and is the default for retail item tagging. SGTIN-198 uses 198 bits so the serial can be alphanumeric and longer, but it needs a chip with enough EPC memory — check the inlay specification first.
Can I reprint a label if a tag fails encoding?
Yes — reprint with a fresh serial number and retire the failed one. RFID printer-encoders generally detect a failed write, overprint the label as void and move to the next one automatically. Never reuse the serial from a voided label.
Will tags encoded in India work at an overseas retailer?
The EPC data is global and identical everywhere. The radio side differs: India uses the 865–867 MHz band while other regions use nearby bands, so choose inlays specified for global or wide-band operation if goods will be read in multiple regions.
How long does it take to go from mandate to first compliant shipment?
For a supplier that already holds a GS1 prefix, it is usually a matter of weeks rather than months: source and test inlays, install and configure a printer-encoder, wire serial allocation into your ERP, run a pilot and get the EPC file approved. Obtaining a prefix for the first time normally extends that.
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