EAN and UCC codes, or how to identify your products precisely

Every retailer is faced with the question of EANs or UCCs. More than just a barcode for physical points of sale, they are often a precious key to operating on a marketplace.

However, these famous codes often appear obscure to novices, even though their use offers a number of advantages for gaining visibility and increasing sales.

Today, let's take a look at EAN 8, EAN 13 and EAN 128. What are their definitions? Are they compulsory? How can they be obtained?

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What is an EAN barcode?

EAN/UCC: definition

EANs (European Article Numbering), or UCCs, are barcodes for items and logistical units used in the retail and industrial sectors. Their purpose? To identify them individually using coding standards.

For example, thanks to these unique codes combined with a sequence of black and white bars, each item or logistical unit can be easily scanned by a barcode reader or handheld scanner. This saves valuable time for businesses and consumers alike (particularly at the checkout).

EAN/UCCs are also used in the e-commerce sector, serving :

• both for companies, to manage their online catalogue or increase their visibility ;
• and for consumers to find the item they want more easily online.

☝️ This coding system meets precise standards defined by GS1, formerly EAN International.

The different types of EAN/UCC barcode

There are different types of item code, all grouped under a single component: the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). Examples include the UCP (Universal Product Code) used in North America, or the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) specific to the publishing industry.

There are 3 different forms of EAN:

EAN 8 codes

Made up of 8 digits, they are designed for small products. They require less space to transcribe into barcodes.

EAN 13 codes

Made up of 13 digits, they are the standard used by most companies.

EAN 128 or GS1-128 codes

These are used for labelling logistics units, i.e. goods to be shipped. In this case, the pallets are identified using an SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code), translated into a GS1-128 barcode.

How do I read an EAN code?

An EAN is constructed in a precise way. So how do you interpret the numbers in a barcode?

An EAN 13 can be read as follows:

• The first 2 or 3 digits indicate the country of the company, i.e. the country in which its head office is located. For example, for France, the barcode starts with a number between 300 and 379. For Germany, between 400 and 440, and so on.
  
  
• The next 4 or 5 digits correspond to the membership number of the company integrated into the EAN system.
  
  
• The next 4 or 5 digits uniquely identify the products within the company.
  
  
• The last digit is a control key. This is defined by the preceding digits and its role is to approve the validity of the barcode.

The same logic applies to the 8-digit EAN code:

• First 2 or 3 digits: company country,
• Next 2 or 3 digits: company membership number,
• next 2 or 3 digits: unique product identification numbers,
• last digit: control key.

Is the EAN code compulsory?

Strictly speaking, the use of an EAN is not compulsory.

However, retailers who do not use a GTIN to identify their products quickly find themselves limited in many situations... and risk missing out on sales opportunities.

For example, Amazon requires items shipped from its site to be barcoded (even if codes other than the EAN are accepted, such as those generated by the marketplace itself).

This obligation is justified in particular by the fact that it is possible to link the same product to several sellers. In the same vein, let's mention Google Shopping. Since 2016, a GTIN code has been mandatory in order to sell via the platform.

In short, having EAN/UCC codes for your goods has a number of advantages:

• Increased online visibility. Not only is the EAN essential for trading via the biggest marketplaces, but by ensuring the precise identification of the product sold, the latter gains in visibility in Google search results.
  
  
• Easier management of your product catalogue. Thanks to the EAN/UCC code, it's easier to gather information on items already on the marketplace, so you can create a more comprehensive and attractive product sheet.
  
  
• Optimise internal stock and inventory management. In fact, GTINs help to guarantee good traceability throughout the product lifecycle, and therefore save companies time and money.

💡 Good to know: the primary objective of an EAN/UCC is to identify goods as precisely as possible. Consequently, a different EAN should be allocated for each variant of the same item (different colours or sizes, for example).

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How can I obtain EAN/UCC codes?

There are online tools for automatically generating EANs. However, these sites do not guarantee the exclusivity of the barcodes, and the items they generate may be confronted with other products with the same identifier.

It is therefore advisable to take out an annual subscription to GS1 France, the organisation authorised to supply compliant and unique EANs.

Finally, there are companies that specialise in reselling codes, such as Codes à Barres France. These companies promise that you will become the owner of the EANs you buy, each of which has been tested and guaranteed not to have been used for a certain number of years.