UPC, EAN and GTIN explained
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Short answer: a GTIN is the product number. UPC-A and EAN-13 are two barcodes that carry it.
A 12-digit GTIN (GTIN-12) is printed as a UPC-A barcode, or as the shorter UPC-E when it has enough zeros to compress. A GTIN-13 is printed as an EAN-13, a GTIN-8 as an EAN-8, and a GTIN-14, used on cases and cartons, as an ITF-14 or GS1-128 barcode.
U.P.C., EAN and GTIN are often used as if they meant the same thing. They are related, but one is a number and the others are ways of drawing it. This guide explains each term using GS1's own standard.
Sources read on October 28, 2026.
What is a UPC code?
U.P.C. stands for Universal Product Code. A U.P.C. code is a 12-digit product number, and UPC-A is the barcode that carries it. GS1 calls the number a GTIN-12.
The 12 digits have three parts: a company prefix that GS1 assigns to one business, that business's item number, and a check digit at the end that catches typing and scanning mistakes. GS1 calls the first part a U.P.C. Company Prefix. It is a GS1 Company Prefix with its leading 0 removed.
UPC-E is a shorter barcode: 67 modules wide instead of 113. It carries the same kind of 12-digit number with some of its zeros left out, so it works only for numbers that have zeros in the right places.
What is an EAN?
EAN-13 and EAN-8 are the two other barcodes in the same GS1 family. EAN-13 carries a 13-digit GTIN (GTIN-13) and EAN-8 carries an 8-digit GTIN (GTIN-8).
An EAN-13 and a UPC-A are the same width, 113 modules (bar widths) including the white space on each side. Books use EAN-13 too: GS1 allocates the 978 and 979 prefixes to the ISBN agency, so a book's ISBN-13 is printed as an EAN-13 (part of 979 is used for printed music).
What is a GTIN?
GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It is GS1's name for the number that identifies a product, whatever barcode it is printed in. There are four lengths:
| GTIN | Digits | Usual barcode | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTIN-12 | 12 | UPC-A (or UPC-E) | Retail products |
| GTIN-13 | 13 | EAN-13 | Retail products, books |
| GTIN-8 | 8 | EAN-8 | Retail products |
| GTIN-14 | 14 | ITF-14 or GS1-128 | Cases and cartons |
Source: GS1 General Specifications Release 26.0, Table 5-43 and Table 7-8.
Shorter GTINs can be written as 14 digits by adding zeros at the front. That doesn't change the number or its check digit, because the check digit is worked out from the right.
UPC vs EAN
A GTIN-12 is the same number as a GTIN-13 with a leading 0. So the UPC-A number 036000291452 and the EAN-13 number 0036000291452 are the same product number. A GTIN-13 that starts with any other digit can't be printed as a UPC-A.
The two barcodes follow the same size rules. The differences are the number of digits printed under the bars and the white space each needs on its sides: 9 bar widths on each side for UPC-A, and 11 on the left and 7 on the right for EAN-13.
Some scanners report a UPC-A as its 13-digit form. In our own print test, a phone read the UPC-A 036000291452 as 0036000291452.
GTIN vs EAN
GTIN is the number. EAN-13 and EAN-8 are barcodes. The number printed under an EAN-13 barcode is a GTIN-13. The same GTIN-13 can also appear inside other GS1 barcodes, such as GS1-128 on a carton label.
How the check digit works
The last digit of every GTIN is a check digit worked out from the others, the same way for every length:
- Starting from the right, multiply the digits by 3, 1, 3, 1 and so on. The digit next to the check digit is multiplied by 3.
- Add up the results.
- Subtract the sum from the next multiple of 10 (or from the sum itself, if it is already a multiple of 10). The result is the check digit.
GS1's own example: for the 12 digits 629104150021 the sum is 57, the next multiple of 10 is 60, so the check digit is 3 and the full GTIN-13 is 6291041500213.
A correct check digit only means the number is well formed. It doesn't mean the number is registered to anyone. Our check digit calculator shows the working for any GTIN.
Who issues the numbers
GS1's global office gives each country's GS1 member organization its own prefix ranges, and the member organization issues company prefixes to businesses. In the US that is GS1 US. Some ranges are kept for special uses:
| GTIN-13 starts with | As a U.P.C. number | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 02 | starts with 2 | Restricted circulation in one region, e.g. in-store items sold by weight |
| 20–29 | none | Restricted circulation in one region |
| 04 | starts with 4 | Restricted circulation inside one company |
| 952 | none | Demonstrations and examples only |
| 978, 979 | none | Books (ISBN); part of 979 is used for printed music |
Source: GS1 General Specifications Release 26.0, Tables 1-4 and 1-6.
Numbers in the restricted ranges must not be used on products in open trade. To learn when you need your own GS1 number, read Do I need a GS1 barcode?
Questions
Is a UPC the same as a GTIN?
A U.P.C. number is one kind of GTIN: a GTIN-12. "GTIN" also covers the 8-, 13- and 14-digit numbers.
Can I use my UPC number as an EAN-13?
Yes. Add a 0 at the front and you have the GTIN-13 form of the same number. The check digit stays the same.
What is a GTIN-14 for?
GTIN-14 identifies cases and cartons that move through warehouses, not the single item on a shop shelf. It is printed as an ITF-14 or GS1-128 barcode. Their sizes are in our barcode size guide.
Does a barcode hold the price or the product name?
No. A UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode carries only the GTIN. The one exception is in-store codes for items sold by weight, where GS1 lets part of a restricted circulation number carry a price or weight.
Why does my number start with 978?
978 and 979 are the prefixes GS1 gives to the ISBN agency, so a number that starts with them is usually a book's ISBN-13 (part of 979 is used for printed music).
Make a UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode →
Need just the check digit? The check digit calculator works it out.
Sources
- GS1 General Specifications Standard, Release 26.0, January 2026: sections 1.2.3 and 7.9.1; Tables 1-4, 1-6, 5-11, 5-12, 5-43, 7-8.
- GS1: How to calculate a check digit manually (the worked example).
- GS1 US: An Introduction to the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), Release 2.1, July 2021.
- GS1 Style Guide, Release 5.4 (how "U.P.C." is written).