A lot number (also called a batch number) is a code for a group of identical goods made or received together under the same conditions. It is printed on the packaging next to “LOT” or “L” and the best-before date. With it, a manufacturer or seller finds exactly which units are affected by a recall, a defect or an expiry date, and who bought them.
For a store, the lot number matters the moment you need to answer “which box did we sell to this customer”. Without it, a recall means pulling everything off sale, and a claim against the supplier cannot be backed up. Below: where to find the number, how it differs from a serial number, SKU and EAN, how a GS1-128 barcode encodes it, and how to track lots.
When people ask about this
A supplier reports a defect in one batch, a marketplace asks for the lot number of a product with a shelf life, or a customer returns an item and you need to know which delivery it came from. People search “what is a lot number”, then “where is the lot number on the package” and “lot number vs serial number”.
The most common confusion is between a lot number and a serial number. A lot is a group; a serial number is one specific unit.
Where to find the lot number on the packaging
It is usually next to the best-before or production date and marked with one of these prefixes:
- LOT or L, the most common marking in the EU;
- Batch, B or BN in English labelling;
- Ch.-B. or Charge on German labels;
- (10) in the text under a GS1-128 barcode, the application identifier for the batch number.
Sometimes the number is embossed on the bottom of a bottle, on a box flap or in a package seam with no prefix at all. If you cannot find it, the lot number is on the supplier’s delivery note or certificate for that shipment.
Lot number vs serial number, SKU and EAN
| Code | What it identifies | How many units | Who assigns it |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN / GTIN | The product model | All units of the model | The manufacturer via GS1 |
| SKU | The item in your catalog | All units of the item | You |
| Lot / batch number | A group made or received together | Dozens to thousands | The manufacturer or warehouse |
| Serial number | One specific unit | One | The manufacturer |
A simple rule: if two identical products carry different codes, those are serial numbers; if the same code, it is a lot number, SKU or EAN.
What a GS1-128 (UCC/EAN-128) barcode is
GS1-128 is a barcode that encodes several data fields in one line, each with its own application identifier in brackets. It is printed on cases and pallets rather than on individual consumer packs.
| Identifier | What it holds | Format |
|---|---|---|
| (01) | GTIN, the product number | 14 digits |
| (10) | Batch or lot number | up to 20 characters |
| (11) | Production date | YYMMDD |
| (17) | Expiry date | YYMMDD |
| (21) | Serial number | up to 20 characters |
Example string: (01)04012345678901(17)261231(10)L2411 is a product with GTIN 04012345678901, expiring on 31.12.2026, lot L2411. The GTIN and lot are sample values. A regular EAN-13 barcode on a consumer pack carries only the product number, without the lot or date.
How to track lots: 4 rules
- Record the lot at goods receipt. The lot number and expiry date go in with the receipt, not later. Check: every receipt of a product with a shelf life has a lot.
- Ship the oldest first. FIFO ships the lot that arrived first; FEFO ships the lot with the nearest expiry date. For food and cosmetics FEFO is safer. Check: no newer lot is on the shelf or in a shipment while an older one is in stock.
- Keep lots physically apart. Two lots of one product in one box undo the tracking.
- Link the lot to the sale. To find buyers in a recall, the sales document must show which lot the goods came from.
Lot tracking without a separate spreadsheet
With batch tracking switched on in Elbuz, every goods receipt, stock posting or stock count creates a batch: with quantity, purchase price, an expiry date counted from the receipt date by the product’s shelf life, and its own internal EAN-13 barcode. When you sell, stock is written off from the oldest batch first. How warehouses and stock work: ecommerce inventory management; internal barcodes for labels: EAN-13 barcode generator.
Where it falls short: in Elbuz a batch is the receipt document; there is no separate field for the manufacturer’s lot number, and Elbuz does not generate GS1-128 barcodes.
Inventory in ElbuzBatches, expiry dates and a movement log, 14 days free
Frequently asked questions
What does LOT mean on packaging?
It is the lot number: the code by which the manufacturer and seller find a group of goods made or received together.
Is a lot number the same as a batch number?
In practice, yes: both mean a group of goods made or received together. Some industries call a production run a batch and a shipped quantity a lot.
What is the difference between a lot number and a serial number?
A lot number is shared by a group of identical goods; a serial number is unique to each unit.
What is (10) in a barcode?
It is the GS1 application identifier for the batch or lot number: in a GS1-128 barcode the lot number follows (10).
Is a lot number required?
For many categories, yes: food, cosmetics and medicines, and for non-food consumer products in the EU the GPSR requires a type, batch or serial number on the product. More in GPSR.
What is the difference between FIFO and FEFO?
FIFO ships the lot that arrived first; FEFO ships the lot with the nearest expiry date.
