Inventory and stock
What is an EAN-13 barcode? Structure and check digit
Definition
EAN-13 barcode: An EAN-13 barcode is the 13-digit barcode printed on most retail packs; it encodes a GTIN-13, a number that identifies one product from one brand owner.
Also called: EAN code, EAN number, GTIN-13, 13-digit barcode, 890 barcode
How an EAN-13 number is built
The 13 digits have three parts. The first is a GS1 company prefix, given to the brand owner by a GS1 member organisation; prefixes issued by GS1 India start with 890. Next comes an item reference the brand owner chooses for each product, pack size and variant. The last digit is a check digit worked out from the other twelve, so a scanner can catch a misread.
The 890 shows that GS1 India issued the number, not where the product was made: GS1 notes that its prefixes do not identify the country of origin. The longer the company prefix, the fewer digits are left for item references, so the prefix length sets how many products a brand can number.
How to calculate the check digit
GS1's method for a GTIN-13 is: multiply the first twelve digits alternately by 1 and 3, starting with 1 on the left; add the results; then subtract the total from the nearest equal or higher multiple of ten. The answer is the check digit.
For 2 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, the products are 2, 0, 0, 3, 2, 9, 4, 15, 6, 21, 8 and 27, which add up to 97. The next multiple of ten is 100, so the check digit is 3 and the full number is 2001234567893.
GS1 barcodes and in-store barcodes
GS1 India says businesses that want to sell through retail chains or e-marketplaces must get GS1 barcodes, and that it is the only authorised provider of barcodes starting with 890 in India, so be wary of anyone else selling 890 numbers. For goods you label and sell only in your own shops, GS1 sets aside numbers starting with 20 to 29 as restricted circulation numbers. They scan like any EAN-13, but GS1 says they are not GTINs and are not globally unique, so another retailer or a marketplace will not recognise them.
Worked example
In-store barcodes for a small clothing brand
A clothing brand makes its own kurtas in 15 sizes and colours and sells them only through its two shops. It gives each variant an in-store EAN-13 starting with 20, such as 2001234567893, prints 150 tag labels on a roll and scans them at the counter, so each scan adds the right size and colour to the bill. When a retail chain later wants to stock the range, the brand registers with GS1 India and relabels the kurtas with 890 numbers.
In managemate
managemate stores one barcode per product or variant, unique within your workspace. Scan the code already on the pack into the product, or choose Generate to create an in-store EAN-13 starting with 20, with a correct check digit, that is not already used in your catalogue; products with variants can generate one for every variant at once. Labels print a valid 13-digit code as EAN-13 and other codes as Code 128, or as a QR code if you choose, and products with no barcode print their SKU. The phone camera reads EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E and other common formats. managemate does not issue GS1 barcodes: for 890 numbers, register with GS1 India and enter the codes it gives you.
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