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Free EAN-13 Generator: 13-Digit International Retail Barcodes for Europe, Asia & Beyond
EAN-13 (now formally called GTIN-13) is the 13-digit international retail barcode standard. Used everywhere outside North America for trade items at point of sale, and used inside North America as a wider compatible form of UPC-A.
Validator
Paste an existing EAN-13 into the field above. We compute the check digit if you provide just the payload, verify it if you provide the full code, and refuse to render if the check digit is wrong — so anything that renders here is guaranteed to scan.
Generated codes pass the GS1 modulo-10 check-digit algorithm and conform to EAN-13 structure. Paste a 12-digit payload and we'll compute the check digit; paste 13 and we'll validate it; or click Randomize for a fresh code.
Structure
13 digits: 2–3 digit country/origin prefix (e.g., 590 = Poland, 731 = Czechia, 978/979 = books), 9–10 digit manufacturer + product code, and 1 check digit weighted alternately ×1 and ×3 across the first 12 digits.
When to use EAN-13
- Selling on Amazon EU, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon JP, Amazon MX, Amazon BR
- Listing on Shopify, Etsy, eBay outside North America
- Distribution into European, Asian, or Latin American retail
- Multinational product launches where one barcode serves all regions
Where it's required
- Amazon Europe and most non-North-American Amazon marketplaces
- European, Asian, Latin American retailers (Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, MercadoLibre, etc.)
- Any GS1-aligned retail point-of-sale system worldwide
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. EAN-13 is the safer choice if you sell internationally because it works everywhere including North America.
What are EAN barcodes?
EAN (European Article Number, also called International Article Number) is the 13-digit global retail barcode standard managed by GS1. EAN-13 is used worldwide except North America (where 12-digit UPC-A is the equivalent). EAN-13 contains a country-code prefix, manufacturer code, product code, and check digit.
How do I create an EAN barcode?
Use the generator above: type any 12-digit payload (we compute the check digit) or paste a complete 13-digit EAN-13 number. For commercial retail use, the underlying EAN must be registered to your brand at your country's GS1 affiliate (gs1.org for global, gs1us.org for US, gs1uk.org for UK, etc.).
How do I get an EAN code for my product?
Register with GS1 — gs1.org or your country's GS1 affiliate. GS1 assigns you a Company Prefix; you then create EAN-13 codes within that prefix's namespace. Pricing starts ~$30/year for a single GTIN at GS1 US and scales by SKU count.
Does Amazon accept EAN barcodes?
Yes, on every Amazon marketplace including Amazon US. EAN-13 is preferred 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 Amazon's catalog.
Is EAN different from UPC?
EAN is 1 digit longer (13 vs 12) and includes a country-code prefix that UPC lacks. Otherwise functionally identical — same GS1 system, same scanners, same retailer acceptance. UPC is essentially the US-only subset of EAN. See our full UPC vs EAN comparison.