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What Is an EAN? The 13-Digit International Article Number Explained
EAN is the 13-digit global retail barcode standard managed by GS1. Here is what it means, where it's used, and how to get one for your products.
EAN stands for European Article Number (also International Article Number). It is a 13-digit retail barcode standard managed by GS1, used worldwide on virtually every consumer product sold outside North America. North America uses the 12-digit UPC-A instead — but every modern scanner reads both formats interchangeably.
EAN-13 is the most common variant. EAN-8 is a compressed 8-digit version for small packaging where EAN-13 won't fit. Both encode a GS1-registered GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) that uniquely identifies your product across every retailer globally.
How an EAN-13 is structured
13 digits split into: (1) GS1 country prefix — 2 or 3 digits indicating the GS1 affiliate that issued the prefix (e.g., 50 = UK, 590 = Poland, 978 = books). NOTE: This identifies registration country, not manufacturing country. (2) Company number — assigned by GS1 to your brand. (3) Product code — assigned by you within your prefix. (4) Check digit — single mod-10 digit at the end.
EAN vs UPC: when to use each
If you sell only in North America: UPC-A (12 digits) is sufficient. If you sell anywhere else, or plan international expansion: EAN-13. EAN-13 works everywhere INCLUDING North America (every NA scanner reads it as a UPC-A with leading zero). UPC-A works at NA scanners but EU/Asia scanners may be configured for 13-digit codes only. EAN-13 is the safer global choice.
How to get an EAN for your product
Register with your country's GS1 affiliate: gs1uk.org (UK), gs1.de (Germany), gs1.fr (France), gs1us.org (US — yes, US sells EANs too), gs1.org for global. GS1 assigns you a Company Prefix; you create EAN-13s in that namespace. Pricing varies by country — GS1 UK starts around £119/year, GS1 Germany has tiered annual licensing, GS1 US starts at $30/year for a single GTIN.
EAN and Amazon EU listings
Amazon EU marketplaces (UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, PL, SE) prefer EAN-13 as the Product ID. Amazon will accept UPC-A on EU listings, but EAN-13 is the cleaner choice. Amazon verifies your EAN against the GS1 database — resold EANs from third-party brokers usually fail this check and the listing gets rejected. Always register the EAN to your brand at your national GS1 office.
FAQ
Can I use EAN in the USA?
Yes. Every modern US scanner reads EAN-13 — it's treated as a UPC-A with a leading zero internally. Amazon US, Walmart, Target, and Google Shopping all accept EAN-13 product identifiers.
What are EAN barcodes?
EAN (European Article Number, also International Article Number) is the 13-digit global retail barcode standard managed by GS1. Used worldwide except in North America, where 12-digit UPC-A is the equivalent. Same underlying GS1 system, just one digit longer and including a country-code prefix.
How do I create an EAN barcode?
Two steps: (1) Get a GS1-registered EAN-13 number from your country's GS1 affiliate. (2) Paste the 13-digit number into our EAN-13 generator above and download as PNG, SVG, or PDF. The generator computes the check digit automatically.
How do I get an EAN code for my product?
Register with your country's GS1 office — gs1uk.org (UK), gs1.de (Germany), gs1.fr (France), gs1us.org (US), or gs1.org globally. GS1 assigns you a Company Prefix; you create EAN-13 codes in that namespace. Pricing starts around $30/year (US) to £119/year (UK).
Does Amazon accept EAN barcodes?
Yes, on every Amazon marketplace including Amazon US. EAN-13 is the preferred Product ID for Amazon EU (UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, PL, SE). Amazon stores all retail identifiers as GTIN-13 internally, so EAN-13 and UPC-A are functionally equivalent in the Amazon catalog.
Is EAN different from UPC?
EAN is 1 digit longer (13 vs 12) and includes a country-code prefix that UPC lacks. Functionally identical otherwise — same GS1 system, same scanners, same retailer acceptance. UPC is essentially the North-America-only subset of EAN.
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