Written by Marcus Rivera — former Amazon warehouse manager. More about me →
On my first week running the Amazon inbound dock, a new receiver asked me: "How many barcode formats do we actually scan here?" I counted on my fingers: Code 128 on every shipping label, EAN-13 on European goods, UPC-A on domestic retail, ITF-14 on case packs. Five formats, just at one warehouse. Most people only ever encounter two — the one on their Amazon package and the one on their cereal box. If you are running a business, here is what each format actually does and when you need it.
| Format | Best For | Digits | Generator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | Warehouse bins, shipping labels, asset tracking | Variable (alphanumeric) | Code 128 Generator |
| EAN-13 | Retail products sold worldwide | 13 | EAN-13 Generator |
| UPC-A | Retail products sold in US & Canada | 12 | UPC-A Generator |
| ITF-14 | Shipping cartons, master cases | 14 | ITF-14 Generator |
| ISBN | Books and publications | 13 | ISBN Generator |
| Bulk/Batch | Product catalogs, multi-SKU runs | Any | Bulk Generator |
If you need one format for internal operations — bin labels, receiving tags, shipping manifests — pick Code 128. It handles letters and numbers, packs data tight, and scans fast. Every major logistics carrier uses it. Generate Code 128 barcodes →
Every supermarket in Europe, Asia, and South America scans EAN-13. It is the universal product identifier. If your product might ever sell internationally, start with EAN-13 rather than UPC-A. Generate EAN-13 barcodes →
Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com require UPC-A. It is 12 digits with a GS1 company prefix. If you only sell domestically in the US or Canada, UPC-A is sufficient. Generate UPC-A barcodes →
ITF-14 goes on the outside of shipping cartons. Its thick bearer bar keeps the barcode scannable on rough corrugated cardboard. Amazon FBA requires it on case packs. Generate ITF-14 barcodes →
ISBN barcodes are EAN-13 with a 978 or 979 prefix. You must own the ISBN number from your national agency before generating the barcode. Generate ISBN barcodes →
Got 350 SKUs? Paste the list into the bulk generator. Batch-generate every barcode in seconds. CSV input, PNG or SVG output, all in your browser. Generate bulk barcodes →
All six generators run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. No signup, no limits. Use the main barcode generator if you need to switch between formats on the fly.
Written by Marcus Rivera — former Amazon warehouse manager. More about me →