EAN & GTIN Validator

EAN (European Article Number) and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) are standardized barcode formats managed by GS1. They uniquely identify products in global trade. The most common format is EAN-13, a 13-digit code used on virtually every retail product worldwide.

UPC-A is a 12-digit barcode standard used primarily in North America, while EAN-13 is a 13-digit standard used internationally. A UPC-A code can be converted to EAN-13 by adding a leading zero. Both use the same check digit algorithm.

The check digit is calculated using the GS1 algorithm: each digit is multiplied alternately by 1 and 3 (from right to left), the results are added up, and the check digit is whatever number brings the total to the next multiple of 10. This catches most typos and scanning errors.

The first 3 digits of an EAN-13 barcode show the GS1 prefix, which identifies the country or organization that issued the barcode. Note: this shows where the barcode was registered, not necessarily where the product was made.

A barcode can be invalid for several reasons: wrong check digit (most common), wrong number of digits, non-numeric characters, or a typo when entering it manually. Try entering the number again carefully, or scan it instead.