EAN-13, Code 128, GS1-128: Complete Barcode Guide for Businesses

The EAN-13 (European Article Number, 13 digits) is the code you see on any supermarket yoghurt. It's the European retail standard and is managed by the GS1 organisation.

When do you need it?
• When your product will be sold in large supermarkets, drugstores, pharmacies or convenience chains
• When distributors or wholesalers require it as a condition for placing orders
• When selling on marketplaces like Amazon (though a GTIN exemption exists)

When do you NOT need it?
• Direct sales in your own physical shop or website without intermediaries
• Artisan or market products
• Services (EAN-13 identifies physical products, not services)

GS1 registration costs between €200 and €1,500 per year depending on your turnover. In return you get a unique company prefix that guarantees no other product in the world shares your code.

Code 128 is the most versatile alphanumeric code in the 1D barcode world. It can encode all 128 ASCII characters, including lowercase letters, punctuation and control characters.

Use cases where Code 128 is the right choice:
• Internal warehouse inventory: each box, shelf or product carries a Code 128 with the internal SKU. Warehouse scanners read it to update stock in real time.
• Shipping labels: parcel tracking numbers, order numbers, customer references.
• Asset identification: computers, office equipment, industrial tools with a Code 128 on the inventory plate.
• Documents and records: medical records, legal files, forms with a reference number.

Code 128 requires no registration with any organisation. You can generate it free at codigo-qr.es and use it commercially without restrictions. The only limitation: if your customer or distributor requires EAN-13 on the product, Code 128 doesn't replace it.

Beyond EAN-13 on the individual product, there are formats for the logistics chain:

ITF-14 — Used on master cases (the box containing 12 units of the product). Required by many chains to automate their warehouses. Generated from the product's EAN-13 by adding an indicator digit. Has the widest bars on the market to withstand printing on corrugated cardboard.

GS1-128 — The most comprehensive. Combines multiple Application Identifiers (AIs) in a single code: product GTIN (AI 01), expiry date (AI 17), batch number (AI 10), variable weight (AI 310X). A single GS1-128 barcode can contain all this structured information.

In pharma, EU Delegated Regulation 2016/161 mandates Data Matrix (2D) or GS1-128 with serial number and expiry AIs on the pack. Non-compliance prevents commercialisation.

In food, major distributors require GS1-128 on pallets and master cases to automate their internal logistics.

Generating the code as an image (PNG or SVG) and validating the check digit is free for EAN-13 and Code 128 at codigo-qr.es. The remaining formats are available with the Pro plan:

| Format | Main use | Plan needed | |---|---|---| | EAN-13 | European retail | Free | | Code 128 | Internal use & logistics | Free | | EAN-8 | Small packaging | Pro | | UPC-A | US & Canada retail | Pro | | UPC-E | Compressed UPC-A | Pro | | Code 39 | Industrial legacy | Pro | | ITF-14 | Master cases & pallets | Pro | | GS1-128 | Traceability with AIs | Pro |

Important: generating the code at codigo-qr.es is independent of GS1 registration. You can generate an EAN-13 with any 13-digit number, but for the code to be valid on the market and not conflict with another product, the company prefix must be assigned by GS1.

For internal use (inventory, testing, prototypes), you can use EAN-13 with any number without registering. For selling in organised retail, AECOC (GS1 Spain) registration is mandatory.