EAN/UPC barcodes are based on the EAN.UCC system which was created in the USA in 1973 by the Uniform Product Code Council company, now known as Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC). First of all, the UCC developed a 12-digit identification number and its corresponding UPC (Uniform Product Code) barcode. The first UPC barcode in commerce was scanned in 1974. Following the success of the UPC system, the European Article Numbering Association, now known as EAN International, was formed in 1977 to develop an interoperable system for use outside of North America. The EAN system was developed as a superset of the UCC system and uses 13-digit identification numbers, but the same data structures and barcodes. Thus, the EAN.UCC system has been expanded. Currently, full global compatibility is achieved through the use of the 14-digit GTIN format, which ensures the uniqueness of the trade identification number around the world.

 

This section discusses barcodes that are defined in the "General EAN.UCC Specifications" (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN-128, ITF-14) and the barcodes based on them (JAN-8, JAN-13, ISBN-10, ISBN-13).