UPC vs EAN
They look the same, scan the same and are the same system. What differs is a leading digit, a geography and a piece of history.
On this page
The short answer
UPC-A is a 12-digit code, EAN-13 is a 13-digit code, and a UPC-A is simply an EAN-13 with a leading zero. Since 2005, retail systems worldwide have been expected to handle both. If you are starting today, you are being issued a GTIN and the symbology follows from where you sell.
Where each came from
UPC came first, in the United States in the 1970s. EAN was created to extend it internationally, adding a digit so country prefixes could be allocated. Both are now administered by GS1 as part of the GTIN family — GTIN-12 for UPC-A, GTIN-13 for EAN-13.
Compared
| UPC-A | EAN-13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 12 (GTIN-12) | 13 (GTIN-13) |
| Primary region | US and Canada | Worldwide |
| Relationship | A UPC-A padded with a leading zero is a valid EAN-13 | |
| Check digit | GS1 modulo 10, same algorithm | |
| Nominal width | about 37.29 mm | about 37.29 mm |
| Compressed form | UPC-E | EAN-8 (a separate short number) |
The prefix is not a country of origin
The first digits identify the GS1 member organisation that issued the number, not where the product was made. A company can join GS1 in one country and manufacture anywhere. Claims that "barcodes beginning 690 mean made in China" are wrong for exactly this reason.
Which do I need?
- Selling only in the US or Canada: UPC-A is expected, and it is what US retailers ask for.
- Selling in Europe, Asia, Australia and most other markets: EAN-13.
- Selling everywhere: one GTIN works. Modern point-of-sale reads both; ask your largest retailer what they want printed.
- Very small packages: UPC-E or EAN-8, both of which have extra constraints.
Both share one check digit
The final digit is a modulo-10 checksum over the preceding digits, with alternating weights of 3 and 1. It is the same maths for UPC-A, EAN-13, EAN-8 and ITF-14, which is why one validator covers them all.
Where the number comes from
GTINs are licensed from GS1. Numbers resold cheaply by third parties are usually reassigned from old company prefixes, and major retailers verify prefix ownership in GS1's registry — which is where those numbers fail. Generating a barcode image here does not allocate a number to you.
Sources
GTIN structure, check-digit calculation and symbol dimensions are defined in the GS1 General Specifications (gs1.org).