EAN-13 vs UPC-A: Which Barcode Does Your Product Need?
If you are selling a physical product, you will encounter EAN-13 and UPC-A at some point - and probably be confused about which one you need. Both are GS1 retail barcodes that encode a unique product identifier. Both look similar. And most modern scanners read both. The difference comes down to geography, marketplace requirements, and how the GTIN is structured.
What is UPC-A?
UPC-A (Universal Product Code version A) is a 12-digit barcode that has been the standard for retail products in the United States and Canada since 1974. It was originally managed by the Uniform Code Council (now GS1 US). UPC-A encodes a GTIN-12: a globally unique trade item number that identifies both the company that makes the product and the specific product variant.
The 12 digits break down as: a number system digit (the first digit, indicating the product category), a company prefix (assigned by GS1, typically 6-10 digits), an item reference (assigned by the company), and a single check digit calculated from the others.
What is EAN-13?
EAN-13 (European Article Number, 13 digits) was developed in 1976 as an international extension of the UPC system. It encodes a GTIN-13 - essentially a UPC-A with a leading country prefix digit added, making it 13 digits. EAN-13 is the standard in Europe, Australia, Asia, Latin America, and most of the rest of the world.
Crucially, every UPC-A code has an equivalent EAN-13 representation: just prepend a 0 to the 12-digit UPC-A code. 012345678905 (UPC-A) = 0012345678905 (EAN-13). Modern scanners and point-of-sale systems handle this conversion automatically.
Key differences
- Digit count: UPC-A has 12 digits; EAN-13 has 13.
- Geographic origin: UPC-A was designed for North America; EAN-13 for international use.
- GS1 prefix: EAN-13 includes a 3-digit GS1 prefix that broadly indicates the country of the GS1 member organisation (not the country of manufacture).
- Barcode width: EAN-13 barcodes are slightly wider than UPC-A because they encode one extra digit.
- Compatibility: both formats use the same underlying bar encoding; most scanners read both interchangeably.
Which one do you need?
For products sold exclusively in the United States and Canada, either UPC-A or EAN-13 works. Major US retailers (Walmart, Target, Amazon US) accept both. A GS1 US company prefix gives you GTIN-12 codes that are typically represented as UPC-A in the US and as EAN-13 internationally.
For products sold internationally or in markets outside North America, you need EAN-13. Most European retailers, Australian supermarkets, and Asian e-commerce platforms expect EAN-13. GS1 member organisations in those countries issue GTIN-13 prefixes directly.
For Amazon: Amazon accepts both UPC-A and EAN-13. When listing a product, enter the 12 or 13-digit GTIN. Amazon's catalogue treats them as equivalent for the same product.
Check digit calculation
Both UPC-A and EAN-13 use the same check digit algorithm. For UPC-A: the 11-digit payload is weighted alternately x3 (odd positions from right) and x1 (even positions from right); the sum modulo 10 subtracted from 10 gives the check digit. The EAN-13 generator and UPC-A generator on this site calculate the check digit automatically when you enter 12 or 11 digits respectively.
Important: do not invent retail barcodes
EAN-13 and UPC-A codes for retail products must be assigned through GS1. Using a code you invented or purchased from a non-GS1 reseller risks conflicting with another company's products in retailer databases, causing rejection, delisting, or point-of-sale errors. To sell in major retail channels, obtain a GS1 company prefix from GS1 US, GS1 UK, or your local GS1 member organisation.
For internal inventory, testing, warehouse labels, or closed systems where you control the scanner, you can use any value. The generators on this site are ideal for these use cases.
Generate your barcodes
Use the EAN-13 Generator or UPC-A Generator to create barcodes from your GTIN. Both tools auto-calculate the check digit from 12 (EAN) or 11 (UPC) digits, validate completed codes, and download as high-resolution PNG or scalable SVG for print.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my UPC-A code in Europe?
Yes. A UPC-A code is technically a GTIN-12 and can be represented as an EAN-13 by prepending a 0. Your GS1-licensed UPC-A codes work internationally - you just need to print the EAN-13 version (13 digits) on products sold in markets where EAN-13 is expected. Most GS1 member systems make both representations available.
Is ISBN a barcode?
Yes. An ISBN-13 (International Standard Book Number) is an EAN-13 barcode with the prefix 978 or 979. Books use a specialised subset of the EAN-13 system managed through GS1 and national ISBN agencies. Use the ISBN Barcode Generator for books and publications.
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