UPC vs EAN vs GTIN: what's the difference?

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UPC is the 12-digit barcode used in North America; EAN is the 13-digit international version used in Europe and most of the world; GTIN is the umbrella term covering both. A UPC-A is a GTIN-12 and an EAN-13 is a GTIN-13.

They describe the same idea — a unique number for a product — at different lengths and in different regions:

UPC-A	12 digits · North America
EAN-13	13 digits · Europe & international
EAN-8	8 digits · small packaging
GTIN	the standard name for all of them (8/12/13/14 digits)

The formats are compatible: put a leading 0 in front of a 12-digit UPC and you get its EAN-13 form, so the same product resolves to one GTIN worldwide. That's why our lookup accepts UPC, EAN and GTIN interchangeably.

FAQ

Is a UPC the same as an EAN?

Almost. An EAN-13 is a UPC with one extra leading digit. Add a 0 in front of a 12-digit UPC and you get its EAN-13 form — the same underlying product.

What is a GTIN?

Global Trade Item Number — the standard identifier for a trade item, which may be 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits. UPC and EAN codes are both GTINs.

ProductGuru is an independent information service and provides no legal or safety guarantees; for official product data consult GS1 and the manufacturer. Free to cite with attribution.