In short: EAN stands for European Article Number. EAN-13 is the 13-digit barcode printed on most retail products, and its last digit is a check digit.
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EAN stands for European Article Number. The name stuck after the standard went worldwide under the organisation GS1. EAN-13 is the barcode on most retail products, with 13 digits printed under the bars. The first digits identify the GS1 member organisation that issued the number, then come the company number and the product number. The last digit is a check digit, calculated from the other twelve to catch reading errors.
When you scan a product in your shop, the scanner reads all 13 digits and verifies the check digit before passing the number to your software. If it misreads a single digit, the check fails and the scan is rejected instead of adding the wrong item to the invoice.
The parts of an EAN-13 number
| Part | Digits | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 prefix | 2 or 3 | The GS1 organisation that issued the number, such as 625 for GS1 Jordan |
| Company number | Varies | The brand owner, as registered with GS1 |
| Product number | Varies | The item itself, in its pack size |
| Check digit | 1 | Calculated from the twelve digits before it |
The company and product numbers vary in length with what GS1 assigns each company; with the prefix they always make twelve digits, followed by the check digit.
Prefix 625 and barcodes in Jordan
Products registered through GS1 Jordan usually start with the prefix 625. The prefix shows which GS1 organisation issued the number, not necessarily where the product was made, so a product made in Jordan can carry a different prefix, and the reverse.
If you make your own products and want them on supermarket chain shelves, you will usually need official EAN numbers from GS1, since chains rarely accept made-up codes.
Official or in-store barcode?
Inside your own shop, in-store barcodes are fine for loose items or goods you pack yourself. Avoid inventing numbers that look like real EAN-13 codes, because they can clash with an actual product on the market. Ghalleh reads EAN-13 from a scanner or the phone camera, and prints in-store barcode labels on the receipt printer for items without one.
A shop example
A can of hummus in an Amman supermarket carries a number like 6251234567898 under its barcode. The 625 prefix points to GS1 Jordan, and the final 8 is the check digit. The cashier scans it and the item comes up at JOD 0.650 with nothing typed by hand.
Common questions
What does EAN stand for?
European Article Number. The name stayed after the standard went worldwide under GS1, and EAN-13 is its 13-digit version.
Does the 625 prefix mean the product was made in Jordan?
Not necessarily. The prefix shows which GS1 organisation issued the number to the company, and the company may manufacture elsewhere.
What is the last digit of an EAN-13 for?
It is a check digit calculated from the twelve digits before it. If the scanner misreads a digit, the check fails and the scan is rejected.