EAN (European Article Number) and UPC (Universal Product Code) are both barcode standards that are used to identify products in retail stores and other businesses.
An EAN code is a 13-digit number that is used to identify products sold in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It is based on the International Article Number (IAN) standard, which was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1977. EAN codes are used to identify products in a variety of retail sectors, including grocery, health and beauty, and general merchandise.
A UPC code, on the other hand, is a 12-digit number that is used to identify products sold in North America. UPC codes are based on the Universal Product Code standard, which was developed by the Uniform Code Council (UCC) in 1973. UPC codes are primarily used to identify products in the grocery and retail sectors.
In summary, EAN and UPC are both barcode standards that are used to identify products, but EAN is used primarily in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, while UPC is used primarily in North America.