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EAN-13: The International Retail Barcode Standard

The EAN-13 (European Article Number, 13-digit) is the global standard barcode for retail products sold outside North America — and is fully accepted in the US, EU, Asia, and on platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and eBay. If you sell internationally, or export products to European or Asian retailers, EAN-13 is the format you need. This generator creates print-ready EAN-13 labels in bulk from any spreadsheet, 100% in-browser with no data upload.

Anatomy of an EAN-13: What Each Digit Means

An EAN-13 barcode encodes exactly 13 numerical digits. Unlike a UPC-A (12 digits), the EAN-13 adds a leading digit that encodes a country or issuer prefix, making it the only barcode format accepted by all GS1 member countries. Here is how the 13 positions break down:

Position(s)NameLengthMeaning
1–3GS1 Prefix2–3 digitsCountry / issuing organization (e.g., 000–019 = USA, 300–379 = France, 690–699 = China)
4–7Company Prefix4–6 digitsYour unique GS1 manufacturer/company number
8–12Product Reference3–5 digitsUnique product identifier you assign per SKU
13Check Digit1 digitAuto-calculated via weighted modulo-10 algorithm. Our generator computes this automatically.

Structure per GS1 General Specifications v24.0. Digit counts may vary based on company prefix length assigned by GS1.

Common GS1 Country Prefixes (EAN-13 Leading Digits)

The first 2–3 digits of an EAN-13 identify the GS1 Member Organization that issued the company prefix — not necessarily where the product was manufactured. This is a common misconception. A product made in China can have a US prefix if the brand is registered with GS1 US.

GS1 Prefix RangeGS1 Member OrganizationNotes
000–019GS1 USAlso encodes standard UPC-A (leading 0 = UPC-A compatible)
030–039GS1 USDrug / pharmaceutical products
050–059GS1 USCoupons
300–379GS1 FranceFrench companies
400–440GS1 GermanyGerman companies
450–459, 490–499GS1 JapanJapanese products
471GS1 Taiwan—
489GS1 Hong Kong—
690–699GS1 ChinaChinese companies
730–739GS1 Sweden—
754–755GS1 Canada—
800–839GS1 ItalyItalian companies
840–849GS1 Spain—
850GS1 Cuba—
890GS1 India—
900–919GS1 Austria—
978–979International ISBN AgencyBooks (Bookland EAN)
977International ISSN AgencyPeriodicals / magazines

Source: GS1 Global — Company Prefix & GS1 Member Organization Prefixes. Prefix list is periodically updated by GS1.

EAN-13 vs UPC-A: Which Do You Need?

Both formats encode a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) and are scannable by all modern POS systems. The right choice depends on where you sell:

FeatureEAN-13UPC-A
Digit count13 digits12 digits
Geographic scopeGlobal (GS1 worldwide)North America (GS1 US/Canada)
Retail acceptanceAll countriesUS & Canada primarily
Amazon USAccepted (prefix 0)Standard format
Amazon EU/UK/JPRequiredNot accepted directly
ShopifyFully supportedFully supported
ISBN / ISSNYes (prefix 978/977)No
Backwards compatibleUPC-A = EAN-13 with leading 0—

If you already have UPC-A codes and need EAN-13, simply prepend a 0 to each 12-digit UPC to create a valid 13-digit EAN-13. Our generator handles this automatically — just enter your 12-digit UPC and it will generate the correct EAN-13. Alternatively, see our UPC-A generator for North America-specific retail.

Who Uses EAN-13 Barcodes?

🌍 International Retailers

Carrefour, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, and all major European and Asian supermarket chains require EAN-13 on all physical products.

📦 E-Commerce Exporters

Sellers on Amazon EU, eBay global, AliExpress, and Shopify international stores must use EAN-13 as the product identifier (GTIN).

📚 Publishers & Media

Books use ISBN-13 (a subset of EAN-13 with prefix 978 or 979). Magazines use ISSN encoded as EAN-13 with prefix 977.

💊 Pharmaceuticals & Food

EU regulations mandate EAN-13 GTINs on medicinal products (FMD directive) and food products for traceability.

🏭 Manufacturers

OEM and private-label manufacturers supplying global supply chains use EAN-13 to ensure their products are scannable in any country.

🛒 Shopify & WooCommerce

Both platforms support EAN-13 natively as a product barcode field for inventory sync, POS integration, and Google Shopping feeds.

Print Size Requirements for EAN-13

Important — EAN-13 is physically larger than Code 128: GS1 specifies that a standard EAN-13 at 100% magnification is 37.29 mm wide × 25.93 mm tall. At the minimum allowed 80% magnification, it is 29.83 mm × 20.74 mm. This means the popular Avery 5160 (1" × 2⅝") label is too small for a full-size EAN-13. Use Avery 5163 (2" × 4") or Avery 5164 (3⅓" × 4") for full-size EAN-13 barcodes. See our label size guide for a full template comparison.

EAN-13 Frequently Asked Questions

EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the international extension of the North American UPC-A standard. EAN-13 uses 13 digits while UPC-A uses 12. An EAN-13 is essentially a UPC-A with an extra leading digit representing the country or region prefix (e.g., 0 for the US, 5 for the UK, 69 for China). All modern retail scanners worldwide can read both formats.
If you are selling in major international retail chains (Carrefour, Tesco, Walmart international, etc.), your EAN-13 must use a GS1-issued company prefix to guarantee global uniqueness. For direct-to-consumer channels, Amazon (with an exemption), Shopify stores, or internal inventory tracking, self-generated EAN-13 codes may be acceptable — always verify with the specific platform or retailer first.
The 13th digit of an EAN-13 is a check digit calculated using a weighted modulo-10 algorithm: multiply alternating digits by 1 and 3 (starting from the left), sum all the products, subtract the sum from the next multiple of 10. Our generator calculates and appends the correct check digit automatically — you only need to supply the first 12 digits.
Yes. Amazon accepts EAN-13 as a valid Product ID (ASIN lookup) for its international marketplaces (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, etc.). For the US marketplace, Amazon may still accept EAN-13 since it is backwards-compatible with UPC-A when the leading digit is 0. However, Amazon has increasingly required GS1-verified GTINs; always check the specific category requirements in Seller Central.
According to GS1 General Specifications, EAN-13 barcodes should be printed at 100% magnification, which corresponds to a width of 37.29mm and a height of 25.93mm. The minimum acceptable magnification is 80% (29.83mm × 20.74mm). For label sheets, the Avery 5163 (2" × 4") is ideal for EAN-13 at full size, while the Avery 5160 (1" × 2⅝") works only for reduced-size EAN-13 labels used in limited-space packaging.
Yes — generating the barcode image is always free with our tool. Whether you need a GS1-issued number is a separate question: the barcode image itself is just a visual representation of whatever 13-digit number you provide. If you are using internally-assigned numbers (for warehouse tracking, prototyping, or platforms that allow self-assigned GTINs), you can generate as many EAN-13 barcodes as you like at no cost. Our tool never charges per barcode.
When an EAN-13 barcode starts with the digit 0 (prefix 000–019, the GS1 US range), it is mathematically identical to a UPC-A with the leading zero dropped. Older POS systems and scanners configured in "UPC-only" mode may strip the leading zero and report only 12 digits. This is a scanner configuration issue, not a problem with your barcode. Modern scanners and software (including all current Amazon and Shopify integrations) correctly read and report all 13 digits.