What is EAN-13 Barcode?
EAN-13 (European Article Number) is a 13-digit barcode standard used worldwide for retail product identification. It's the international version of UPC-A and is managed by GS1. EAN-13 barcodes are found on virtually all consumer products, enabling point-of-sale scanning, inventory management, and supply chain tracking. The barcode encodes a country code, manufacturer code, product code, and check digit.
Why Use EAN-13 Barcodes?
Global Standard
EAN-13 is the international retail standard used in over 100 countries for product identification.
Point of Sale
Essential for retail checkout systems. All modern POS scanners support EAN-13 barcodes.
Retail Requirement
Most retailers require EAN-13 barcodes for products. It's mandatory for selling in major retail chains.
GS1 Managed
Managed by GS1 organization, ensuring unique product identification and global compatibility.
How to Use EAN-13 Barcodes
- Get GS1 Company Prefix: Register with GS1 to obtain your unique company prefix (first 7-9 digits). This ensures your barcodes are globally unique.
- Assign Product Numbers: Assign unique product numbers (next 3-5 digits) for each product variant.
- Enter 12 Digits: Input your 12-digit EAN-13 number (without check digit). The check digit is automatically calculated.
- Customize & Print: Style your barcode, then print on product packaging. Ensure proper sizing and contrast for scanning.
Frequently Asked Questions
For commercial retail use, yes. You need a GS1 company prefix to ensure your barcodes are globally unique. For internal/testing purposes, you can generate EAN-13 barcodes, but they won't be valid for retail sales.
EAN-13 has 13 digits (includes country code), UPC-A has 12 digits (US/Canada focused). EAN-13 is used internationally, UPC-A primarily in North America. EAN-13 is backward compatible with UPC-A scanners.
Yes! Modern UPC-A scanners can read EAN-13 barcodes. EAN-13 is designed to be backward compatible with UPC-A scanning systems.
EAN-13 encodes: country code (first 2-3 digits), manufacturer code (next 4-5 digits), product code (next 5 digits), and check digit (last digit). It doesn't encode price or other product details - just identification.
Books use ISBN-13, which is based on EAN-13 format but with a specific country code (978 or 979). The barcode structure is the same, but ISBN-13 includes book-specific information.
EAN-13 barcodes should be printed at 100% magnification (37.29mm wide) or between 80% and 200% of standard size. Height should be at least 15mm. Print at 300+ DPI for best scanning results.
You can generate EAN-13 barcodes for testing or internal use, but for retail sales, you must have a valid GS1 company prefix. Retailers will reject products without valid GS1-issued barcodes.
GS1 company prefix costs vary by country and number of products. Contact your local GS1 organization for pricing. Costs typically range from $100-$1000+ annually depending on your needs.
EAN-13 barcodes should be printed in high contrast (typically black bars on white background) for reliable scanning. While colored barcodes are possible, they must maintain sufficient contrast. Red and yellow don't scan well.
Yes! If you're logged in, you can edit saved EAN-13 barcodes and update the encoded data, colors, size, or other settings. The barcode will be regenerated with the new information.
