EAN-8
International Article Number (8-digit)
What is an EAN-8?
EAN-8 is a compact 1D barcode symbology that encodes an 8-digit GTIN-8 . It was designed by GS1 for products too small to carry a full-size EAN-13 barcode - items like lip balm tubes, chewing gum packs, and individual confectionery bars where label real estate is extremely limited.
Unlike longer GTINs, EAN-8 numbers are not built from a company prefix and item reference in the usual way. Instead, GS1 Member Organisations allocate complete EAN-8 numbers directly to products, drawing from a special pool of GS1-8 Prefixes.
Used for: Retail point-of-sale scanning of very small consumer products where a standard EAN-13 barcode will not physically fit on the packaging.
Structure
An EAN-8 barcode encodes exactly 8 digits. The structure differs from longer GTINs because the number is issued from a dedicated pool of GS1-8 Prefixes rather than being derived from a company's GS1 Company Prefix.
| Component | Digits | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GS1-8 Prefix | 2 - 3 | Assigned directly by GS1 Member Organisations from a reserved pool. These prefixes are not derived from company prefixes - they are issued separately and specifically for EAN-8 use. |
| Item Reference | 4 - 5 | Identifies the specific product. Assigned by the GS1 Member Organisation (not by the brand owner, unlike with longer GTINs). |
| Check Digit | 1 | Calculated using the standard GS1 mod-10 algorithm, identical to the method used for all other GTIN formats. |
Example: EAN-8
47105893Because GS1-8 Prefixes come from a limited reserved pool, EAN-8 numbers are a scarce resource. GS1 Member Organisations typically require companies to demonstrate that a full EAN-13 barcode genuinely cannot fit on the product before they will allocate one.
How it relates to EPC/RFID
EPC schemes like SGTIN work with GTIN-14 - a 14-digit number. To encode a GTIN-8 as an SGTIN, you first convert it to GTIN-14 by padding with six leading zeros:
| Layer | Value |
|---|---|
| Original GTIN-8 | 47105893 |
| GTIN-14 (zero-padded) | 000000047105893 |
| Indicator digit | 0(first digit of GTIN-14) |
| Company Prefix | 0000004(includes leading zeros from padding) |
| Item Reference (in SGTIN) | 071058(indicator 0 + reference 71058) |
| Serial Number | 1001(assigned per individual item) |
| Pure Identity URI | urn:epc:id:sgtin:0000004.071058.1001 |
The check digit (3 in this example) is dropped during SGTIN encoding because it can always be recalculated from the other digits. The six leading zeros become part of the GS1 Company Prefix field in the EPC binary, and the indicator digit (0) is prepended to the item reference as with any other GTIN-to-SGTIN conversion.
Where it's used
EAN-8 is used exclusively at retail point of sale for physically small products. Common examples include:
- Individual confectionery bars and chewing gum packs
- Lip balm, travel-size toiletries, and sample sachets
- Small battery packages and electronic accessories
- Jewellery tags and small cosmetics
EAN-8 barcodes are recognised worldwide by the same scanners that read EAN-13. The symbology is identical - only the number of encoded digits (and therefore the physical width of the barcode) differs. EAN-8 is approximately 67% the width of a standard EAN-13.
Related EPC schemes
Source
GS1 EAN/UPC Barcode Standards and the GS1 General Specifications. The GTIN-8-to-SGTIN encoding procedure follows the same rules defined in the GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard, Section 10.