EAN-13 barcode generator
This EAN-13 barcode generator turns 12 digits into a complete EAN-13 barcode, working out the 13th digit, the check digit, for you. It is the barcode on most packaged products sold outside North America.
type to generate
What the digits in an EAN-13 barcode mean
An EAN-13 barcode is thirteen digits: twelve identify who registered the number and which product it is, and one exists only to catch a typo or a smudged scan. Type the first twelve digits below and the calculator works out the thirteenth for you.
The check digit, worked out live
The first digits name the country GS1 issued the number in, the middle digits identify the company and the product, and the last digit is a check digit the generator calculates for you so a mistyped number gets caught before it reaches a scanner.
The example on the right starts with 20, a GS1 restricted circulation prefix kept for in-store use and never assigned to a real business - safe to use as a made-up example here.
- 20 a GS1 restricted circulation prefix (20-29): reserved for in-store use, not licensed to any company.
- 1234567890 ten digits split between a company's GS1 number and the item itself - a real one comes from GS1, not from this generator.
- 3 the check digit: calculated from the twelve digits before it, so a scanner catches a mistyped number.
Before you print: get a real GTIN
This tool draws a barcode for any twelve digits you type - it does not register the number. A code that has to scan at a real till needs a GTIN licensed to you by GS1 or your country's GS1 member organisation, or it may already belong to someone else's product.
EAN-13 next to its two close relatives
| Format | Digits | Where it is standard |
|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | 13 | Most countries outside North America |
| UPC-A | 12 | United States and Canada |
| EAN-8 | 8 | Packs too small for a full EAN-13 |
Every UPC-A number is an EAN-13 number with a 0 in front, so the same scanner reads both without any setting to change.
Sources
Checked September 2026
- GS1: GTIN standardgs1.orgGTIN-13 structure and the GS1 company prefix
- GS1: Ready to sell? Start with a GS1 barcodegs1.orghow to license a real GTIN
GS1 member organisations set their own fees by country; confirm current pricing with your local GS1 office.
EAN 13 generator questions
Twelve. The generator adds the thirteenth, the check digit, itself, so an EAN-13 barcode you paste in with a wrong check digit is rejected before it renders.
No: an unlicensed number can collide with someone else's product, so retailers and marketplaces require a GTIN issued by GS1 before they will list it.
20 through 29 is a GS1 restricted circulation range set aside for in-store use and never assigned to a company, so any number in it is safe to use as a demonstration.
The check digit almost certainly stops matching, so a scanner reads an error instead of the wrong product - it is the whole reason the check digit exists.
Yes, in both directions: a UPC-A scanner reads EAN-13 and an EAN-13 scanner reads UPC-A, because UPC-A is simply an EAN-13 number starting with 0.
Need a QR code instead?
Make a QR code for a link, WiFi, contact card and more - styled, free, and ready to download.