The 13 figures, 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 last digit of the sum is adjusted to make it a multiple of 10. This method detects 100% of single-digit input errors. You can test it live on our webgénérateur gratuit
The most common country codes
- 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 packs.
- UPC-A : 12-digit North American equivalent, compatible with EAN-13.
- GTIN-14 : logistics code used for boxes and pallets.
For a detailed comparison, read our article EAN vs UPC vs GTIN : les différences.