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EAN-13 Barcode

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this.

EAN-13 is the barcode on almost every consumer product outside North America. Its 13 digits form a GTIN made of a GS1 prefix, a company number, an item reference and a final check digit.

Also called EAN 13, GTIN-13, European Article Number, International Article Number.

In this family

Specifications

Standard	GS1 General Specifications; ISO/IEC 15420
Character set	Numeric (0-9)
Capacity	Fixed 13 digits (12 data + 1 check)
Check digit	GS1 modulo 10 check digit (printer calculates it from 12 digits)
Dimension	1D linear
Origin	Developed from UPC; adopted in Europe 1976-1977 (EAN association)

Where it is used

Retail point of sale worldwide, books (ISBN as EAN-13), pharmacies

Shops, book covers, and pharmacy packs print this 13-digit number so a checkout can read one number.

The opening digits are a GS1 prefix for the organisation that licensed the number. They are not the country where the goods were made. The camera app returns the thirteen digits and does not search a product catalogue.

Example

4006381333931

Scan and create

Create this code Camera app Zebra app

Create this code opens the barcode generator with this symbology and the sample text filled in.

The camera app can scan this. It returns the raw text. It does not open links, look up products, or start a payment. The desktop companion types that text into the focused field.

The Zebra app can scan this. It returns the raw text.

JAN-13

In Japan this symbol is called JAN-13. It is the same barcode as EAN-13. A JAN-13 number often starts with 45 or 49. The camera app can scan this and shows it as EAN-13. The Zebra app can scan this too.

JAN-13

In Japan the EAN-13 barcode is called a JAN code. It uses exactly the same bars and check digit; the only visible clue is a number that starts with 45 or 49.

Character set: Numeric (0-9)

Standard: GS1 General Specifications; ISO/IEC 15420; JIS X 0507

Example: 4901234567894

JAN system introduced in Japan in 1978

The camera app returns the 13 digits. There is no separate JAN symbol in the app.

Related codes

ISBN barcode (Bookland EAN)

Questions

What do the first digits of an EAN-13 barcode mean?

The leading digits are the GS1 prefix of the company that licensed the number. That prefix often lines up with a country, and it is not the country where the product was made. The camera app returns all 13 digits as one string. It does not split them apart.

How do I calculate an EAN-13 check digit?

Take the first 12 digits. From the left, add the digits in odd positions once and the digits in even positions three times. The check digit is whatever brings that sum to the next multiple of 10. For 4006381333931 the last digit is 1. The camera app returns the 13 digits. It does not recalculate the check.

Can I look up a product by scanning its EAN-13?

The camera app can scan this and shows it as EAN-13. The Zebra app can scan this too. The app has no product search. A shop or a book database can look the number up after the digits arrive there. JAN-13 is this same symbol. Those numbers often start with 45 or 49.