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EAN vs UPC Barcodes: Key Differences
•5 min read
UPC (Universal Product Code)
UPC is the standard barcode for retail products in North America. UPC-A encodes 12 digits (including check digit).
EAN (European Article Number)
EAN is the international standard used worldwide. EAN-13 encodes 13 digits and is compatible with UPC (UPC is essentially EAN with leading zero).
Key Differences
- Geographic: UPC for North America, EAN for international markets
- Digits: UPC-A has 12 digits, EAN-13 has 13
- Compatibility: UPC can be read as EAN-13 by adding leading zero
Which to Choose?
Use EAN-13 for international products, UPC-A for North America only. Most modern systems can read both.
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