UPC vs EAN: Differences, Leading Zero and Which to Use
UPC and EAN are two retail barcode standards that identify the same kinds of products. UPC has 12 digits and is used in the United States and Canada. EAN-13 has 13 digits and is used almost everywhere else. A UPC is simply an EAN-13 with a zero in front, so the two systems are compatible and modern scanners read both.
The differences
| UPC-A | EAN-13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 12 | 13 |
| Main region | United States, Canada | Europe, Asia, Latin America and the rest of the world |
| GTIN name | GTIN-12 | GTIN-13 |
| Structure | Number system digit, company prefix and item number, check digit | Country-style prefix, company and item number, check digit |
| Also used for | Retail products | Retail products, ISBN books |
An EAN-13 starts with a prefix that GS1 uses to route numbers by member organization, such as 00 to 13 for the US and Canada, 40 to 44 for Germany, and 978 and 979 for books. The prefix describes which GS1 office issued the number, not necessarily where the product was made.
The leading zero
A UPC-A written as 036000291452 is the same product as the EAN-13 0036000291452. The extra zero at the front is how the 12-digit code fits in a 13-digit system. This works in the other direction only if the EAN starts with a zero, because then the 13-digit number can be written as a 12-digit UPC.
That is why a US company can sell its UPC product in Europe without a new number, and why systems that ask for an EAN accept your UPC if you pad it. The GS1 website describes how all of these numbers are part of one GTIN family.
The check digit comes out the same too. Weights alternate across the number, and the leading zero does not change the sum, so a valid UPC stays valid after you add the zero.
Do the barcodes look different?
Barely. Both are drawn with the same bar widths and guard patterns, and both read as the same symbol family. The UPC prints its first and last digits outside the bars; the EAN-13 prints its first digit outside the bars on the left. A scanner reads the bars and decodes either one.
Which one should you use?
- Selling in the US and Canada only: UPC-A. It is the standard, and retailers expect it.
- Selling internationally or in Europe and Asia: EAN-13, or a UPC that your channel accepts as a 13-digit number with a leading zero.
- Books: an EAN-13 with a 978 or 979 prefix, which is the ISBN barcode. Use the ISBN barcode generator.
- Marketplaces such as Amazon: they accept either. Check the listing form for which formats it takes.
You can usually start with the type that matches where you buy your numbers. If your GS1 membership is in the US, you get UPC numbers. A GS1 office elsewhere issues EAN numbers.
Quick way to create each
The UPC barcode generator draws a 12-digit code, and the EAN-13 generator draws a 13-digit one. Both calculate or verify the check digit and export PNG or SVG. Barcode Ready draws them in your browser without uploading your numbers.
Common mistakes
- Dropping the leading zero when pasting into a spreadsheet. Format the cell as text.
- Using a 12-digit number in an EAN field without padding it.
- Assuming the prefix tells you where a product was made.
- Printing a barcode too small. Both formats have a recommended nominal size, and scaling between 80 and 200 percent is the usual allowed range.
If a scanner reads your UPC on a screen but not in print, check size, contrast and quiet zones before changing the number.