EAN-13
What is a EAN-13?
The International Article Numbering Association (EAN) in Europe designed the EAN-13 barcode type. Most European countries are using this barcode type.
EAN-13 is a 13-digit (12 data and one check) barcoding standard which is a superset of the original 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC) system. Therefore, any software or hardware capable of reading an EAN-13 symbol should automatically be able to read an UPC-A symbol.
The 13 digits in the EAN-13 barcode are grouped as follows:
- 2 or 3 digits for number system or country code
- 5 or 4 digits for manufacturer (company) code or prefix
- 5 digits for product code
- 1 digit for checksum
A typical EAN-13 barcode looks something like this:
Since 2005, all retail scanning systems in the USA have accepted the EAN-13 symbol as well as the standard UPC-A. So, it is recommended that all new designs implement EAN-13 rather than UPC-A. This will make your software/hardware appealing to the international community. It also eliminates the need for manufacturers who export goods to the US and Canada to double-label their products.
Where is a EAN-13 used?
The EAN-13 barcode is used worldwide for marking products often sold at retail stores and point of sales.
Industry