The number and the picture do different jobs
A barcode is a machine-readable carrier. A product identifier is the value it carries. Keeping those ideas separate prevents an expensive mistake: printing a perfectly readable symbol containing a number that does not belong to your product. A barcode generator can draw bars, calculate a check digit, and produce an image file. It cannot decide whether you are entitled to use a particular identifier.
GS1 calls the product identifier a Global Trade Item Number, or GTIN. In retail conversations, people also say UPC or EAN when they mean the number rather than its printed symbol. Ask a supplier whether they are giving you a licensed identifier, image artwork, or both. For products you resell, first check the existing packaging and product records instead of creating another identity for the same item.
UPC-A and EAN-13 compared
| Question | UPC-A | EAN-13 |
|---|---|---|
| Complete number length | 12 digits | 13 digits |
| Usual association | North American retail | Retail in many other markets |
| Last digit | Check digit | Check digit |
| What to enter here | 11 digits to calculate the check, or a valid complete 12-digit number | 12 digits to calculate the check, or a valid complete 13-digit number |
Geography is a useful starting point, not a reason to replace an existing product identifier. GS1 describes EAN and UPC formats as globally accepted, while noting that local buying requirements can differ. A retailer's onboarding specification is therefore more useful than a rule that every American product must have one format and every European product another.
A UPC-A symbol can be represented as EAN-13 with a leading zero. Some readers report that extra zero, and some report the twelve-digit form. This is a normalisation issue to discuss with your inventory system, not permission to remove arbitrary digits from any EAN. An EAN-13 beginning with a nonzero digit cannot simply be shortened into a valid UPC-A for the same item.
A practical decision process
First, write down where the product will be sold or received: your own warehouse, an independent shop, a supermarket, or an online marketplace. Then request the identifier and label requirements from that destination. Record the accepted format, the product record to which it must resolve, and any artwork or verification requirements. Resolve uncertainty before ordering packaging.
Second, find the identifier already assigned to the exact product variant. Preserve leading zeros in spreadsheets by treating identifiers as text. Check that the size, colour, quantity and packaging level match the record you intend to label. A single bottle and a case of bottles are different trade items in many ordering workflows; copying the bottle's label onto a case is not a substitute for checking the required case identifier.
Third, use the corresponding UPC-A generator or EAN-13 generator. Compare every displayed digit against your approved source. The check digit calculator can catch arithmetic mistakes, but a passing result is not evidence of registration, ownership, or retailer acceptance.
What free generation does not include
UPC and EAN numbers generated or completed by this website are not registered with GS1 by this website. Downloading an SVG or PNG does not license a number, create a GS1 database entry, or attach your business name to an identifier. If you supply your own legitimately assigned number, the tool renders it; if you supply an invented number, the tool does not make that number legitimate.
For retail distribution, obtain or confirm the appropriate identifiers through the relevant GS1 organisation and follow the receiving retailer's requirements. If you are reselling a branded item, use its existing identity as instructed by the brand or channel. Do not buy a second number merely because a generator offers a different barcode format.
Amazon also distinguishes product IDs from the labels used in its fulfilment processes. Its public GTIN guidance describes circumstances in which a seller may apply for a GTIN exemption. That means a blanket statement that every Amazon item always requires a newly purchased GS1 number would be misleading. Check the rules for your category and listing; an exemption is not granted by generating a barcode.
When neither format is the best choice
If the label is only for your own shelves, work orders or equipment, you may need an internal identifier rather than a retail GTIN. Code 128 can carry an internal value such as BIN-A-024. Your software must store the same value and know what it identifies. Do not label an internal stock code as a registered retail identifier.
Small packaging does not mean you should cut characters off an EAN-13. EAN-8 uses its own shorter identifier structure. Books have their own identification workflow; the ISBN tool renders Bookland barcodes from ISBN input without issuing an ISBN. For cases and logistics data, consult the recipient before selecting ITF-14 or GS1-128.
Prepare one label before the whole run
Once the number and format are settled, export SVG for placement in print artwork. Keep the clear margins, maintain the symbol's proportions, and check the final physical size. Print one label on the intended material and attach it to the actual packaging. A flat sheet on a desk may scan differently from a curved, shiny bottle.
Read the result with the scanner used in the receiving workflow when possible. Compare the decoded digits with the source record, including any leading-zero normalisation. Confirm that the system retrieves the correct product, not merely that it beeps. Keep the approved artwork with a note of the identifier, label dimensions and printer settings so that later reprints use the same specification.
Continue with the barcode size and print guide before placing a bulk packaging order. If you have many approved identifiers, the bulk generator can render them together; it does not allocate new retail numbers.
Sources and further checks
Last reviewed: · How we maintain these tools
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does downloading a UPC barcode register my product?
No. This website draws the symbol and validates its structure. It does not issue or register a GS1 identifier.
Can I use UPC-A outside North America?
EAN and UPC are globally recognised formats, but confirm the receiving retailer’s requirements before preparing labels.
Can I remove the first digit of an EAN-13?
Do not remove arbitrary digits. A leading-zero EAN-13 can represent a UPC-A, but other EAN-13 values cannot simply be shortened.