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Guide

What is a GTIN, and how do you check a barcode number?

How do I check if a barcode number is valid?

5 min read

Short answer

A barcode number is valid when its last digit, the check digit, matches the one calculated from the other digits. EAN-13 has 13 digits and UPC-A has 12. Enter the number into the free GTIN checker on this site and it tells you whether it is valid and what the last digit should be.

GTIN, EAN and UPC

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Try it now: Barcode Generator and GTIN Checker → · Merchant Center Readiness Check →

A valid number is not the same as a real one

A number can pass the check and still not belong to your product. Anyone can calculate a valid check digit for a number they made up.

Google Shopping and marketplaces compare the number to the GS1 registry, the body that issues them. A number you generated yourself draws a barcode that scans, and still fails that comparison.

Where Indian numbers come from

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What to do if a product has no barcode

Do not invent one. In Google Merchant Center, mark the product as having no identifier and give a brand and part number instead.

After a store migration, the barcode field is often full of junk that looks real, such as timestamps or internal IDs. It fails the check, and because the field is filled, the fallback never switches on. Sort the column and look at it.

How we can help

Want this done for you?

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Free barcode generator and GTIN checker →Why Google Merchant Center says everything is fine →What to check before you migrate an online store →

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