Quick verdict
For US-only selling: a UPC-A is fine. For international selling or if you want one code that works everywhere — including Europe, Asia, and all GS1-compliant retailers: EAN-13 is the better choice. UPCBay includes both UPC and EAN formats with every purchase, so you don't have to choose.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | UPC-A | EAN-13 |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 12 | 13 |
| Origin | North America | International (GS1 standard) |
| Amazon US | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon EU/international | Yes (auto-converted) | Yes (native) |
| European retail | May need conversion | Yes |
| Included with UPCBay | Yes | Yes |
The technical relationship
A UPC-A is actually a subset of EAN-13. Adding a leading zero to a 12-digit UPC gives you a valid 13-digit EAN. So most scanners that read EAN-13 also read UPC-A. When Amazon says it accepts GTIN, it means both.
When EAN-13 specifically matters
If you're selling on European marketplaces (Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.uk) or if your product will appear in European retail stores, EAN-13 is the expected format. You can convert your UPC to EAN by adding a leading zero — or just use EAN-13 natively, which UPCBay provides alongside the UPC.
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