Side by side
| UPC-A | EAN-13 | |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 12 (GTIN-12) | 13 (GTIN-13) |
| Where it is standard | US and Canada | Everywhere else |
| Issued by | GS1 US, GS1 Canada | Your country's GS1 office |
| Bars | 95 modules | 95 modules |
| Size at 100% | 37.29 × 25.91 mm | 37.29 × 25.93 mm |
| Quiet zones | 9 modules each side | 11 left, 7 right |
| Short version | UPC-E (zero-suppressed) | EAN-8 (separate number) |
Which one should a seller use?
Use the code that carries the number GS1 gave you. If you licensed a GS1 US prefix, your numbers are GTIN-12 and the barcode is UPC-A; with a prefix from GS1 UK, GS1 Germany or another office, they are GTIN-13 and the barcode is EAN-13.
You do not need both. A UPC-A sells in Europe because European scanners read it as an EAN-13 with a leading 0. An EAN-13 is accepted by US retailers and marketplaces today too; some older US systems only stored 12 digits, which is why US buyers sometimes still ask for UPC.
Turning a UPC into an EAN
Put a 0 in front: UPC 036000291452 is EAN 0036000291452, with the same check digit. Going the other way works only for EAN-13 numbers that start with 0.
Questions
- Is UPC or EAN better for Amazon?
- Either. Amazon matches the number to the brand owner in GS1's database; the barcode type does not matter.
- Can I print an EAN-13 on a product sold in the US?
- Yes. Retail scanners in the US read EAN-13.