AI-generated editorial illustration of fictional fabric swatches and blank documents; not a photograph of YJ facilities, a real order or certification evidence.
A scope certificate and a transaction certificate answer different questions. A scope certificate (SC) confirms an organization's certification and the products or activities within its scope. A transaction certificate (TC) verifies specified products in a transaction as certified. A supplier's SC alone does not prove that the goods delivered to you are certified.
This guide focuses on the document-based SC and TC route used in textile sourcing, with examples from Textile Exchange standards such as GRS, RCS and OCS, and the separate GOTS scheme. The schemes have their own rules. Start with the exact standard your buyer requires, rather than asking only for a factory's "sustainability certificate."
Scope certificate vs transaction certificate: the difference
Textile Exchange makes the company-versus-product distinction in its chain of custody guidance. Use the two documents together when the TC route applies.
| Buyer question | Scope certificate | Transaction certificate |
|---|---|---|
| What does it cover? | The certified organization and its defined scope. | The certified products identified in the transaction. |
| What should I check? | Entity, facilities, products, processes, standard and validity. | Seller, buyer, products, quantities and shipment references. |
| When is it useful? | When assessing a supplier and confirming the production route. | When checking certification evidence for purchased goods. |
| What is the limit? | It does not certify every order the company supplies. | It does not cover unlisted goods or give blanket permission to use a logo. |
Scope certificate verification before supplier approval
Request the current SC and the relevant product and facility pages. A certificate cover page may not contain enough detail to assess the proposed work. Textile Exchange's scope certificate policy distinguishes the organization, its products and the facilities within scope.
- Identify the certified legal entity and explain any difference from the company named in your quotation.
- Check that the required standard, product categories and processing activities cover the proposed order.
- Confirm which sites will handle the work, including relevant subcontracted processing.
- Check current status as well as validity dates, and ask the certifier about any gap affecting production or shipment.
The address on the quotation may be an office rather than the mill or sewing workshop handling your order. Ask how each relevant operation is covered. If subcontractor details are confidential, arrange confirmation with the certification body instead of assuming that a public search result lists every facility.
Match the TC to the goods you actually bought
An authentic document can still be the wrong document for your order. Check the transaction certificate against your purchase order, invoice, packing list and shipment records. Check these details, using the Textile Exchange transaction certificate policy as a reference:
- Reconcile the named seller and buyer with the actual purchasing arrangement, including any documented selling-on-behalf or buying-on-behalf arrangement.
- Match the product descriptions and material composition to the goods, with the relevant standard or grade.
- Use invoice and shipment references to identify which deliveries are covered; reconcile product or order codes where available.
- Compare quantities and units, keeping gross shipping weight, net weight and certified material weight distinct.
A TC can cover multiple shipments under the applicable conditions. Do not assume one order, one delivery and one TC are always identical. Ask the supplier to map each covered shipment and resolve any balance that is not covered. An unrelated customer's TC or a previous order's TC is not evidence for your delivery.
For GOTS, its transaction certificate policy likewise distinguishes shipment information, product details and different weights. A garment count and a certified fiber weight measure different things and cannot be compared directly. Request the reconciliation rather than treating every numerical difference as an error.
Authenticate through the right scheme
For Textile Exchange standards, use Find a Certified Company for scope certificate data. Use Authenticate a Transaction for supported TC records, entering the required details and comparing the returned values. If a record is missing or inconsistent, contact the relevant certification body. Do not rely on the record until the discrepancy is resolved. A failed search alone is not proof of fraud.
Do not use a Textile Exchange ID as proof of certification. Textile Exchange's TE-ID guidance explains that the identifier does not establish certification status. A registration number on a supplier presentation therefore cannot replace a valid SC.
For GOTS, start with its certified suppliers database and obtain the applicable SC. Use the approved certification body directory to identify the issuer and its verification route. The database currently notes that certification bodies are updating records in the new repository; refer missing information to the responsible certifier.
Obtain verification contacts from official sources rather than relying only on an email address printed on a forwarded PDF. Keep the document version, check date and response with the order record. Handle TCs as business records, not public marketing downloads: they can contain buyer, seller and shipment information.
Do not turn a fabric certificate into a garment claim
Consider a hypothetical order for pants made from certified fabric. The mill's SC and the TC for fabric supplied to a sewing factory concern that part of the supply chain. They are not, by themselves, proof that the finished pants supplied to the brand are certified.
Before production, ask how the garment-making operations and sale to your business will fit the required chain of custody. Clarify the covered entities, processing route and evidence for the finished product with the relevant certification body. Whether you choose cut-and-sew or full-package production does not answer those certification questions.
There are approved alternatives to the TC route in some cases. Textile Exchange's eTrackit guidance describes an alternative that uses verified eTransactions for covered goods. If a supplier proposes it, confirm that the order qualifies and how you will verify the transaction. A supplier's own spreadsheet or declaration is not automatically that approved alternative.
Keep certification, testing and label approval separate
An SC or TC does not replace your garment acceptance checks. Confirm fit, construction and the testing needed for the product separately, including fabric shrinkage testing where relevant. Do not present a TC as a laboratory report or a guarantee that every garment meets your specification.
Product claims also have their own approval requirements. Textile Exchange's claims and labeling guidance requires eligible product-related claims and artwork to go through the certification body's approval process. Having a supplier's certificate does not, by itself, authorize your brand's hangtag or website wording.
For GOTS, the conditions for use of signs separately address permitted claims and labeling release. Check the rules that apply to your role and product. Put the approved wording and artwork revision into your logo artwork checklist before labels are printed.
Agree the document route before placing the order
Ask the supplier to confirm the required standard, the material or finished product covered, the proposed certification route and who will arrange the transaction evidence. Agree any charges, expected document timing and who will follow up if information is missing. If the supplier says the certificate will follow later, record it as pending until you receive and verify it.
Check which policy applies to the certificate. Textile Exchange's combined SC and TC policy became effective on October 1, 2026, and becomes mandatory on April 1, 2027. During that transition, confirm the applicable policy with the issuer instead of rejecting a certificate solely because its layout differs from another supplier's.
For a YJ inquiry, state the exact standard and intended product claim when you request a quote. Include the garment brief, destination market and evidence your buyer requires. Ask for confirmation of the relevant documents and production route before committing to a certified order; this guide is not evidence that YJ holds a particular certification. The authorized certification body, not the manufacturer, issues a TC.
Frequently asked questions
Is a scope certificate enough to prove my order is certified?
No. It establishes the organization's certification scope, not the status of every order. Check the evidence covering your goods through the applicable TC route or an approved alternative, and verify that the products and transaction match your purchase.
Who issues scope certificates and transaction certificates?
The certification body authorized for the scheme issues the certificates. The manufacturer's sales team can request and share them, but its own statement or invoice cannot replace the required certification evidence.
Does every shipment need a separate transaction certificate?
Not necessarily. A TC may cover multiple shipments when the applicable scheme's conditions are met, and some movements or approved traceability routes have different requirements. Confirm the arrangement with the certification body and map the evidence to every delivery you are relying on.
When should I ask a supplier about the transaction certificate?
Raise the requirement before purchasing materials or starting production. Agree the document route, responsible party, charges and expected timing then. The issued TC needs transaction information, so a pre-production promise or an application is not a final certificate.
Can I use a certification logo after receiving a supplier's TC?
Not automatically. Check your brand's eligibility and the scheme's rules for the specific product claim, label and sales channel. Obtain the required approval before printing labels or publishing wording that presents the product as certified.
