How do I verify a GRS transaction certificate for zippers?

Q: How do I verify a GRS transaction certificate for zippers?

A transaction certificate is issued for a specific shipment. It should name the seller and the buyer, the certified product, the quantity, the recycled content, the reference to the seller's scope certificate and the issue date. It is not a general certificate of compliance, so a copy from last year or for another customer proves nothing about your goods.

Verification has three steps. First, check that the seller's scope certificate is valid on the shipment date and covers the product category you bought. Second, check that the quantity on the transaction certificate does not exceed the certified volume available to that seller, because certifiers track balances for this reason. Third, confirm the document with the issuing certification body, since transaction certificates carry a reference that can be checked.

File the transaction certificate with the invoice, the packing list and the scope certificate. If the recycled content or the material source changes, a new transaction certificate is needed; an old one cannot be reused for a new shipment.