International standard barcode specifications used for retail product identification.
Overview
UPC/EAN Barcodes
UPC (Universal Product Code) and EAN (European Article Number) are international standard barcode specifications for retail product identification managed by GS1. UPC is a 12-digit code primarily used in North America, while EAN is a 13-digit code used internationally, implemented as JAN (Japanese Article Number) in Japan. These barcodes play an essential role in product tracking, inventory management, and sales data collection in the global retail industry.
barcode
product code
GS1
retail
JAN code
logistics
standardization
| code | slug | name | description | digits | gtin | region | gs1Prefix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPC-A | upc-a | UPC-A | Standard 12-digit barcode used primarily in North America. | 12 | GTIN-12 | North America (US, Canada) | |
| UPC-E | upc-e | UPC-E | Compressed 6-digit barcode for small packages. | 6 | GTIN-12 | North America | |
| EAN-13 | ean-13 | EAN-13 | Most widely used 13-digit barcode internationally. | 13 | GTIN-13 | International (Europe, Asia, etc.) | |
| EAN-8 | ean-8 | EAN-8 | Shortened 8-digit barcode for small packages. | 8 | GTIN-8 | International | |
| JAN-13 | jan-13 | JAN-13 | Japanese implementation of EAN-13. | 13 | GTIN-13 | Japan | ["45","49"] |
| JAN-8 | jan-8 | JAN-8 | Japanese implementation of EAN-8. | 8 | GTIN-8 | Japan |
- GS1 Barcodes - Official Standards official
- GS1 US - Barcode Types official
- GS1 Japan official
- GS1 Japan Handbook 2025-2026 reference