UPC vs EAN Barcodes: Key Differences for Retailers
UPC vs EAN: what's the difference, which one you need, and how they relate to each other. A practical guide for retailers, e-commerce sellers, and product manufacturers.
If you’re selling products in retail, you’ve likely encountered both UPC and EAN barcodes. They look similar, serve the same purpose, and are often confused — but there are important differences that matter depending on where you sell.
The Short Answer
- UPC-A = 12-digit barcode, primarily used in North America
- EAN-13 = 13-digit barcode, used internationally (including North America)
- EAN-13 is a superset of UPC-A — a UPC-A is technically a valid EAN-13 with a leading zero added
In practice, most modern barcode scanners worldwide read both formats interchangeably. If you’re starting fresh, EAN-13 is the safer choice because it works everywhere.
UPC-A: The North American Standard
UPC (Universal Product Code) was developed in the United States in the early 1970s as the first standardized barcode system for grocery retail. First scanned in a US supermarket in 1974, UPC-A quickly became the standard for retail in North America.
UPC-A barcode structure:
0 12345 67890 5
└── Number System (1 digit)
└── Manufacturer prefix (5 digits)
└── Product code (5 digits)
└── Check digit (1 digit)Total: 12 digits
A UPC-A barcode encodes 12 numeric digits. The check digit (last digit) is calculated using a weighted sum algorithm to verify the barcode was scanned correctly.
Generate a free UPC-A barcode →
EAN-13: The International Standard
EAN (European Article Number) was developed in 1976 as an extension of UPC-A to support international product identification. The “13” refers to the 13 digits encoded — one more than UPC-A.
EAN-13 barcode structure:
590 1234 56789 5
└── GS1 Prefix/Country code (3 digits)
└── Company prefix (4 digits)
└── Item reference (5 digits)
└── Check digit (1 digit)Total: 13 digits
The first 2-3 digits are the GS1 prefix, which identifies the GS1 member organization that assigned the company prefix — not necessarily the country where the product is manufactured or sold.
Generate a free EAN-13 barcode →
How UPC and EAN Relate to Each Other
Here’s the key insight: UPC-A is mathematically equivalent to EAN-13 with a leading zero.
A UPC-A number like 012345678905 becomes EAN-13 0012345678905 by adding a leading zero.
This is why modern scanners handle both transparently:
- A scanner reads an EAN-13 barcode:
0012345678905 - Your inventory system sees
012345678905(UPC-A) because leading zeros are typically stripped - Both refer to the same product
This backward compatibility was intentional — it let the US retail industry adopt EAN-13 globally without breaking existing UPC-A systems.
Practical Differences That Matter
Digits
- UPC-A: 12 digits
- EAN-13: 13 digits
Visual appearance
Both look like parallel lines with numbers underneath. EAN-13 typically has a narrower “quiet zone” on the left side because it encodes one more digit in the same physical space.
Global acceptance
- UPC-A: Accepted everywhere in North America, and by most modern scanners worldwide
- EAN-13: Accepted everywhere worldwide without exception
GS1 prefix
- UPC-A company prefixes start with digits assigned by GS1 US
- EAN-13 prefixes can start with any GS1 prefix (000-899)
- Most US companies have prefixes starting with 0, making their EAN-13 numbers start with 0 (matching their UPC-A with a leading zero)
Which One Should You Use?
Use EAN-13 if:
- You’re selling internationally or plan to expand globally
- Your target market is Europe, Asia, Australia, or Latin America
- You want a single barcode that works everywhere without question
- You’re starting fresh with no existing UPC infrastructure
Use UPC-A if:
- You’re exclusively selling in the United States or Canada
- You have existing UPC-A numbers from a legacy system
- Your specific retailer or platform explicitly requires UPC-A
For Amazon specifically:
Amazon accepts both UPC-A and EAN-13 from GS1-registered company prefixes. If you’re a US seller, UPC-A is the default. If you’re an international seller, EAN-13 is fine.
UPC-E: The Compact Version
UPC-E is a compressed version of UPC-A used when space is limited (small packages like lipstick, pens, small candy bars). UPC-E suppresses leading zeros and trailing zeros to create a shorter 6-digit code (8 characters including guard bars).
It’s derived from a full 12-digit UPC-A — your inventory system should expand it back to UPC-A for processing.
Generate a free UPC-E barcode →
EAN-8: The Compact EAN
Similarly, EAN-8 is a shortened version of EAN-13 for very small packages. It encodes 8 digits instead of 13. Companies must apply to their national GS1 organization specifically to use EAN-8 numbers, which are only assigned when the packaging genuinely cannot fit a standard EAN-13.
Generate a free EAN-8 barcode →
Getting Your Own UPC or EAN Number
Both UPC-A and EAN-13 number ranges are managed by GS1 (the Global Standards Organization). To legally use these barcodes on retail products:
- Join GS1: Register at gs1.org (or your national GS1 organization)
- Get a Company Prefix: A unique prefix identifying your company
- Assign product codes: You control the remaining digits for each product
- Generate your barcode: Use our generator to create the barcode image
Cost: GS1 membership fees vary by country and number of products. In the US (gs1us.org), annual fees range from $250 for 10 GTINs to $10,500 for unlimited GTINs.
Common Questions
Can I use a UPC I bought from a third-party reseller? Technically the barcode will scan, but Amazon and many retailers have policies against non-GS1-registered UPCs. These “recycled” codes may be flagged as counterfeit or mismatched.
Do I need separate UPC and EAN numbers for the same product? No. If you have an EAN-13, it works everywhere. If you have a UPC-A, prepend a zero to get the EAN-13 equivalent — they refer to the same product globally.
What if my scanner doesn’t read EAN-13? Very old scanners (pre-2005) may not read EAN-13. If you’re in the US and using legacy scanner hardware, check if a firmware update is available. Most scanner manufacturers added EAN-13 support years ago.
Summary
| UPC-A | EAN-13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 12 | 13 |
| Primary market | North America | Global |
| Works in the US | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works in Europe | Mostly | ✓ |
| Managed by | GS1 US | GS1 (global) |
| Check digit | Required | Required |
If you’re building a product line from scratch and care about global reach, go with EAN-13. If you’re in the US and already have UPC-A numbers, they’ll work everywhere modern scanners are deployed.
Start generating your barcodes today with our free EAN-13 or UPC-A generator.
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