The 13 digits, step by step
An EAN-13 code is divided into four parts. Let’s take the example 3 012345 678901 5:
- 3 — country code or domain code. 300-379 corresponds to France.
- 012345 — manufacturer code (assigned to the company by GS1).
- 67890 — item code (defined by the manufacturer).
- 1 — checksum, calculated from the preceding 12 digits.
Calculation of the check digit
The final digit is a weighted sum: digits in odd positions are multiplied by 1 and those in even positions by 3, then the ten’s complement of the last digit of the sum is taken. This method detects 100% of single-digit input errors. You can test it live in our free generator.
The most common country prefixes
- 300-379: France
- 400-440: Germany
- 500-509: United Kingdom
- 800-839: Italy
- 840-849: Spain
- 978-979: Books (ISBN)
⚠️ The prefix indicates the country where the code was issued, not necessarily the country of origin of the product.
EAN-13 vs other formats
- EAN-8: short version (8 digits) for small packaging.
- UPC-A: 12-digit North American equivalent, compatible with EAN-13.
- GTIN-14: logistics code used for cartons and pallets.
For a detailed comparison, read our article EAN vs UPC vs GTIN: the differences.