What Is EAN-13?
Definition
EAN-13 is the most common 13-digit 1D retail barcode. "EAN" originally stood for European Article Number; today, because it's used globally, it's known as the International Article Number.
EAN-13 shares its structure with GTIN-13: the barcode itself is the symbology, while the 13-digit number it carries is the GTIN identity. Almost every product you see in a supermarket carries this barcode.
To validate an EAN-13 number or compute its check digit, use the EAN-13 checker.
Structure
An EAN-13 number has three logical parts: the leading GS1 prefix, the middle item reference, and the trailing single check digit. The prefix indicates which GS1 member office allocated the number.
For example, a prefix starting with 869 indicates the number was allocated by the GS1 office in Türkiye. The digits after the prefix contain the company prefix assigned to the business and the item number that business defines.
An important distinction: the prefix shows where the number was allocated, not where the product was made. A barcode starting with 869 does not prove the product was manufactured in Türkiye.
Check digit
The 13th digit is a check digit computed from the first 12 using the GS1 modulo-10 method. Its purpose is to catch whether the number was entered incorrectly while typing or scanning.
In the calculation the digits are multiplied right to left by weights 1 and 3, summed, and the check digit = (10 − (sum mod 10)) mod 10. To see it step by step, use the check digit calculator.
Mistyping a single digit almost always produces a different check digit, so the error is caught immediately; however, this method does not catch every kind of error (for example some digit transpositions).
EAN-13 and UPC
A 12-digit UPC-A can be represented as a valid EAN-13 by prefixing a 0. That's why many systems store UPC numbers padded to 13 digits, and the two types are compatible.
Both belong to the GTIN family: EAN-13 is a GTIN-13 and UPC-A is a GTIN-12. To handle different lengths in one structure, see the GTIN validator.
For more about UPC, read what is UPC.
When it's used
EAN-13 is the standard for individual retail units scanned at a store checkout; it suits most retail products from clothing to food, cosmetics to books. If there's enough room on the packaging, it's the default choice.
If the packaging is too small to physically fit an EAN-13, the 8-digit EAN-8 is used instead. At the case and carton level, ITF-14 is preferred.
To produce a print-ready EAN-13 image, use the barcode generator.
Important limit
Creating a valid EAN-13 barcode does not mean the number is registered to a product or owned by you. Any tool can produce an image with a correct check digit, but that is not an official allocation.
Products sold in retail chains need a unique, registered GTIN, obtained by applying to GS1. This site does not issue official GS1 numbers.
To check whether a number is actually registered, use GS1's official services such as Verified by GS1.