What is a EAN-13?
The EAN-13 barcode is majorly used in retail establishments and supermarkets in Europe for product identification. While EAN stands for European Article Number, it is now known as the International Article Number. It is one of the most used barcodes in the world. Its ability to be read upside-down or right-side-up makes it ideal for high-volume scanning in the retail environment.
Breaking down the EAN-13 symbol, it contains 13 digits- 12 data, and one checksum, which is a superset of the original 12-digit UPC (Universal Product Code) system. Hence, any software or hardware that supports reading an EAN-13 symbol can automatically also read a UPC-A symbol.
The 13 digits in the EAN-13 barcode are grouped as follows:
- 2 or 3 digits for the number system or the country code
- 5 or 4 digits for the manufacturer (company) code or prefix
-
5 digits for the product code
- 1 digit for the checksum
Here is how a typical EAN-13 barcode looks like:
Where is a EAN-13 used?
The EAN-13 barcode is globally used for identifying products often sold at POS (point of sales) and retail stores.
Industry
How could Dynamsoft help you with Code EAN-13?
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Download the free trial SDK, explore our helpful resource center including sample codes, tutorials, guides and more to get started.
