EAN-13 and UPC-A: retail barcodes vs internal identifiers
Understand when to use EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128 or QR Code and why rendering a barcode is different from obtaining an official retail identifier.
Key points
- EAN-13 uses 13 digits and UPC-A uses 12; the last digit is a check digit.
- Code 128 is often better for storage locations, internal SKUs and workflow identifiers.
- QR Code fits URLs and longer text.
- Official retail numbers should come from the appropriate business or coding process.
Verify before production use
Keep the original data, test edge cases and verify important outputs.