How to Print a Compliant Pallet Label for Walmart in 5 Steps
Printing a Walmart-compliant GS1-128 pallet label is not complicated once you understand the requirements. The problem is that most packing houses are printing labels using generic WMS templates or Microsoft Word — and those labels fail at Walmart's dock because they don't meet the barcode quality, data structure, or placement requirements that Walmart enforces through its SQEP (Supplier Quality Excellence Program).
This guide covers the exact five-step process for printing a compliant Walmart pallet label — from assembling the data to applying the label to the pallet.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you print a single label, confirm you have these four things in place:
1. A GS1 Company Prefix from GS1 US. This is the foundation of your SSCC and GTIN. Without a real GS1 Company Prefix, you cannot generate a valid SSCC, and Walmart will detect the invalid prefix at receiving. GS1 US prefixes start at $250/year at gs1us.org.
2. A Zebra thermal printer. Model doesn't matter much — ZD420, ZD620, ZT411, and ZT421 are all common in food distribution. What matters is that it's a thermal printer (direct thermal or thermal transfer), not an inkjet. No inkjet labels for cold chain shipments, ever.
3. Your item's GTIN-14 registered in Walmart's system. The GTIN must be in Walmart's item master (Retail Link) before you can ship. If you're not sure what your GTIN is or whether it's registered, log into Retail Link and check your item setup.
4. The PO number and Walmart DC number for this shipment. Both are in your Walmart purchase order.
Step 1: Assemble Your Label Data
Before anything prints, collect these data points for this specific shipment:
- SSCC: Generate a new, unique SSCC using your GS1 Company Prefix + a sequential serial reference + calculated check digit. Never reuse an SSCC.
- GTIN-14: Pull from your item setup. Confirm it matches Retail Link.
- Lot Number: Your internal batch/harvest identifier for this production run.
- Pack Date: Today's date or the date this product was packed. Format: YYMMDD.
- Best Before Date: The use-by date. Format: YYMMDD.
- Count: Number of cases on this pallet.
- Walmart DC number (Ship-To): From the PO.
- PO Number: From the purchase order.
Step 2: Validate Before You Generate
Before you generate the barcode, validate your data:
- SSCC: 18 digits, correct check digit, unused previously
- GTIN: 14 digits, matches Retail Link item master
- Lot number: Not blank, not "N/A"
- Dates: In YYMMDD format, pack date is not in the future, best before date is after pack date
This step takes 30 seconds and catches errors before they become chargebacks. Tag Verify does this automatically — enter your shipment data, and the platform validates every field against current Walmart requirements before generating the barcode.
Step 3: Generate the Barcode
The barcode must be generated as a GS1-128 (Code 128 with Application Identifiers), not as a UPC, not as a Code 39, not as a QR code. The Application Identifiers must appear in this sequence: (00) SSCC, (02) GTIN, (10) Lot, (13) Pack Date, (15) Best Before, (30) Count, (400) PO Number.
Variable-length fields must be terminated with an FNC1 character so the scanner knows where one field ends and the next begins. This is handled by compliant barcode generation software — it is not something you configure manually.
The barcode must include the Application Identifiers in human-readable text above or below the barcode symbol, in parentheses, with the data printed alongside each AI.
Step 4: Print to Your Zebra Printer
Print settings:
- Label size: 4 inches x 6 inches
- Print resolution: 203 DPI minimum, 300 DPI preferred
- Print speed: Reduce speed if print quality is inconsistent (slower speed = higher quality)
- Darkness: Set to the lowest value that produces solid, consistent black bars
After printing, scan the label with a handheld scanner and confirm: the barcode decodes correctly, the data displayed on the scanner matches what you entered, and the SSCC is correct.
If the scanner doesn't read it on the first pass, don't ship it. Reprint.
Step 5: Apply the Label Correctly
Placement on the pallet:
- Lower-left corner of each face of the pallet
- Bottom edge of label: 15 to 40 inches from the floor
- Apply on all four sides if possible; at minimum on the side that will face the dock door
- Apply after stretch wrapping, not before — wrap can shift and cover the barcode
Do not apply labels over seams, staples, strapping, or anything that creates a surface irregularity under the label. Bubbles, wrinkles, or surface bumps cause the barcode to fail the scan quality grade.
Before the Truck Leaves
Walk the load and verify every pallet has a label. Confirm your ASN (EDI 856) has been transmitted and acknowledged. Confirm every SSCC on the physical pallets matches an SSCC in the ASN. Confirm the ASN transmission timestamp is at least 30–60 minutes before the scheduled delivery appointment.
Tag Verify handles Steps 1 through 4 in a single workflow. Enter your shipment data, validate, generate, and print to your Zebra printer — all from one browser window. No separate barcode software, no manual SSCC calculation, no guessing whether the format is correct.
Generate your next Walmart pallet label at tagverifyapp.com — free, no account required.