EAN-13 vs. ITF-14
EAN-13 marks the item a customer buys. ITF-14 marks the box that item travels in. Using the wrong one is one of the most common reasons a delivery is rejected at goods-in.
EAN-13 – the shelf barcode
Carries a 13-digit GTIN, is scanned at the point of sale and needs a smooth printing surface, quiet zones on both sides and good contrast.
- 13 digits, no application identifiers
- Nominal width 37.29 mm at 100 % magnification
- Print on the label or the primary packaging
ITF-14 – the carton barcode
Carries the 14-digit GTIN of the packaging level. Its bearer bars stabilise the symbol so it stays readable when printed directly on corrugated board, where ink spread is large.
- 14 digits, always an even digit count
- Bearer bars and wide quiet zones are mandatory
- Tolerates coarse flexo printing on brown board
Decision guide
Consumer unit that passes a checkout: EAN-13 (or EAN-8 if the pack is tiny). Case, inner pack or pallet layer: ITF-14 built from a GTIN-14. Need batch, best-before or serial numbers alongside the GTIN: GS1-128 instead of, or in addition to, ITF-14.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I put an EAN-13 on a carton?
- Only if the carton itself is sold to consumers. Otherwise warehouse systems expect a GTIN-14 and may reject the pallet.
- Can ITF-14 hold a GTIN-13?
- Yes – prefix it with indicator 0 and recalculate the check digit; the result is a valid GTIN-14.
- Why does my ITF-14 scan intermittently?
- Almost always ink spread or missing bearer bars. Increase the bar width reduction or print on a white label instead of directly on the board.