Home / EAN vs. UPC – what is the difference?
EAN vs. UPC – what is the difference?
EAN and UPC are closely related product barcodes based on the GS1 standard. The main difference is the number of digits and geographic usage.
Open the generator →EAN-13 (international)
EAN-13 has 13 digits and is the standard in Europe and most of the world. Create one with the EAN-13 generator.
UPC-A (North America)
UPC-A has 12 digits and is used mainly in the US and Canada. Technically, a UPC-A is a subset of EAN-13. Create one with the UPC generator.
Which one do I need?
If you sell mainly in North America, use UPC-A. For Europe and international, EAN-13 is the right choice. Both are based on a GS1 GTIN.
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FAQ
Can a scanner read both?
Yes, modern point-of-sale scanners read both EAN and UPC.
Is UPC contained in EAN?
Yes. A UPC-A equals an EAN-13 with a leading zero.