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EAN checker: is the check digit right?
Enter the number and the checker tells you whether the last digit fits. It works for EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and GTIN-14.
How GS1 calculates the check digit
The last digit of every EAN, UPC and GTIN is a check digit. It follows from the digits before it.
- From right to left, multiply the digits by 3 and by 1 in turn, starting with the digit just before the check digit.
- Add up all the results.
- Subtract the sum from the next multiple of 10. The result is the check digit, or 0 if the sum is already a multiple of 10.
GS1’s example: 931234567890 gives the sum 103, so the check digit is 7 and the EAN is 9312345678907.
Source: GS1 Australia, Manual Check Digit Calculation, read on 17 September 2026.
What Excel does to EANs
Three errors that appear when Excel reads an EAN as a number.
- Scientific notation: 4006381333931 becomes 4.00638E+12. If the file is saved like that, the last digits are gone.
- Leading zeros: 0012345678905 becomes 12345678905. The checker tells you when a 0 in front makes the number valid.
- Decimals: 4006381333931 becomes 4006381333931.0. All digits are still there, and the checker reads them.
Common questions
What is the difference between EAN, GTIN and UPC?
GTIN is the umbrella term used by GS1. EAN-13 and EAN-8 are GTIN-13 and GTIN-8, and UPC-A is a GTIN-12.
Can the checker repair a wrong EAN?
No. It names the check digit that fits the other digits, but the error can also be in another digit.
Is a number with a correct check digit actually assigned?
Not necessarily. The check digit only shows that the number is built correctly, not that anyone assigned it to a product.
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