EAN13GTIN13

EAN-13, also known as GTIN-13, is a 13-digit barcode used internationally to identify trade items at the point of sale. The term EAN-13 reflects its European origins, while GTIN-13 is the broader GS1 standard used worldwide. In practice, the 13-digit numbers are the same; GTIN-13 is the global terminology and EAN-13 remains in common use in some regions.

The 13 digits are structured with a GS1 prefix (digits 1–3) that identifies the issuing GS1 member and region, followed by the company prefix and item reference (digits 4–12), and a final check digit (digit 13). The exact lengths of the company prefix and item reference vary by issuer, but together with the prefix they form the unique 12-digit key that is completed by the check digit.

The check digit is calculated from the first 12 digits. Starting from the left, multiply digits in even positions by 3 and add digits in odd positions as they appear; sum these products, take the remainder modulo 10, and subtract that value from 10 to obtain the check digit (the result is 0 if the remainder is 0). This ensures the total of all 13 digits is a multiple of 10.

Usage and compatibility: EAN-13/GTIN-13 barcodes are scanned globally on retail products and linked to product databases for pricing, inventory, and logistics. A UPC-A (12 digits) can be converted to GTIN-13 by prepending a leading zero, maintaining backward compatibility within the GS1 system.

Example: 4006381333931 is a commonly cited EAN-13 example used to illustrate the check digit calculation.