Free EAN-5 Barcode Generator — Create, Preview & Download Instantly
Generate EAN-5 supplemental barcodes online for free — no signup, no software, no limits. Enter any 5-digit price or issue number and get a crisp, scannable EAN-5 add-on symbol in PNG or SVG format within seconds. EAN-5 is printed alongside EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes on books, magazines, and paperbacks to encode suggested retail price or issue information. Real-time preview updates as you type. Download, bulk-generate, or share your barcode instantly.
What Is EAN-5?
EAN-5 (also written EAN-5 or 5-digit supplemental) is a 5-digit add-on barcode symbology used as a supplement to EAN-13 or UPC-A barcodes. It is never used as a standalone barcode — it always appears immediately to the right of the main barcode, separated by a specific gap, together forming a composite symbol that scanners decode as a combined string. EAN-5 is defined in ISO/IEC 15420 and the GS1 General Specifications. Its primary use is the encoding of suggested retail price (SRP) on paperback books in the United States and Canada, and price or issue number information on magazines and periodicals. The 5-digit payload follows specific interpretation conventions depending on the application — for books, the first digit indicates currency and the remaining four encode the price in cents.
- Add-On Symbol — Always Paired with EAN-13 or UPC-AEAN-5 is a supplemental barcode designed to be read together with a main EAN-13 or UPC-A symbol. It is printed immediately to the right of the primary barcode, separated by a 5-module gap. Point-of-sale scanners decode both symbols in a single pass, returning the combined 18-digit (EAN-13 + EAN-5) or 17-digit (UPC-A + EAN-5) string to the POS system. EAN-5 cannot be scanned as a standalone product identifier.
- Book Price Encoding — Standardized Currency and Price FormatIn North American book publishing, EAN-5 encodes suggested retail price using a fixed format: the first digit indicates the currency (5 = US dollars, 6 = Canadian dollars, 9 = open price or no price encoded), and digits 2–5 encode the price in cents without a decimal point (e.g., 51995 = $19.95 USD). This convention is used by Bowker, publishers, and booksellers throughout the US and Canada for trade paperbacks, mass market paperbacks, and textbooks.
- Magazine and Periodical Issue NumberingFor magazines and journals, EAN-5 supplements ISSN-derived EAN-13 barcodes with a 5-digit issue number or price code. The exact format depends on the publisher and GS1 member organization conventions in each country. Typically, digits encode the year, issue number, and edition within the publication cycle. This allows retailers and distributors to distinguish individual issues of the same periodical at POS.
- Weighted Check Character — Internal Verification OnlyEAN-5 uses a weighted check character computed from the 5 data digits using a specific modulo algorithm (alternating weights of 3 and 9). Importantly, the check character is not printed in the barcode or displayed in the human-readable text — it is embedded in the bar pattern and used internally by the scanner for error detection. Scanners reject EAN-5 symbols with invalid check characters and will not return the supplemental data if the check fails.
- ISO/IEC 15420 Standardized — Compatible with All EAN-Capable ScannersEAN-5 is part of the ISO/IEC 15420 EAN/UPC standard, supported by all GS1-compliant barcode scanners and POS systems that handle supplemental symbols. Most modern retail scanners are configured to decode supplementals. Ensure your POS system is set to accept and process 2-digit and 5-digit supplemental data, as this is sometimes a configurable option in scanner profiles.
EAN-5 Barcode Generator Features
Everything you need to create print-ready EAN-5 supplemental barcodes — from automatic check character calculation to real-time preview, adjustable sizing, and lossless SVG output.
Automatic Check Character Calculation
Enter any 5 numeric digits and the generator computes the weighted EAN-5 check character automatically and embeds it in the bar pattern. The check character is never printed or shown in human-readable text — it is purely internal. You do not need to calculate or supply it manually.
Real-Time Preview as You Type
The EAN-5 barcode preview updates live with every digit you enter. See the exact bar pattern and human-readable 5-digit text as they will appear on your label before downloading. Non-numeric characters and wrong-length inputs are flagged immediately.
PNG and SVG Download
Download your EAN-5 barcode as a high-resolution PNG for digital use or as a lossless SVG for print-ready artwork. SVG output is strongly recommended for publishing and packaging workflows — it scales to any physical size without pixelation and can be placed precisely at the required gap distance from the primary EAN-13 or UPC-A symbol in your design application.
Adjustable Size to Match Your Primary Barcode
Set bar height and width to match the primary EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode on your cover or label. GS1 requires the EAN-5 add-on bars to be shorter than the primary barcode bars (typically 69% of main bar height) to visually distinguish the supplement. This generator lets you set dimensions precisely for consistent, publisher-compliant composite symbols.
Human-Readable Digits — Show or Hide
Toggle the 5-digit human-readable interpretation above the barcode on or off. EAN-5 conventionally prints the 5 digits above the bars (not below, as with EAN-13). Showing the human-readable digits allows cashiers and booksellers to read the price directly when the scanner fails to pick up the supplement.
Bulk Barcode Generation
Paste a list of 5-digit price or issue codes — one per line — and generate all EAN-5 barcodes simultaneously. Download the full batch as a ZIP archive with individually named PNG or SVG files. Useful for publishers generating price barcodes for entire seasonal catalogs in one pass.
EAN-5 Barcode — Frequently Asked Questions
Technical answers to the most common questions about EAN-5 encoding conventions, check character calculation, and usage with ISBN and ISSN barcodes.
What is EAN-5 and what does it encode?
EAN-5 is a 5-digit supplemental barcode add-on used alongside EAN-13 or UPC-A barcodes. It encodes exactly 5 numeric digits and cannot be used as a standalone barcode. Its most common application is encoding suggested retail price on book back covers (where the first digit indicates currency and digits 2–5 encode the price in cents) and issue or edition numbers on magazines and periodicals.
How does EAN-5 pricing work for books?
In North American book publishing, the standard EAN-5 price encoding uses the following convention: the first digit is 5 for US dollars, 6 for Canadian dollars, or 9 for no price or open price. Digits 2–5 encode the price in cents with no decimal point. For example, 51995 = $19.95 USD, 61995 = $19.95 CAD, and 90000 = no price encoded. This convention is followed by Bowker, Nielsen, and most trade publishers in the US and Canada.
Does EAN-5 have a check digit?
EAN-5 uses a weighted check character, but it is not a traditional check digit in the sense that it is not printed in the human-readable text and is not part of the payload that POS systems receive. It is encoded in the bar pattern and used internally by the scanner to verify that the supplement was decoded correctly. This generator calculates and embeds the check character automatically.
Can all barcode scanners read EAN-5?
Most modern retail barcode scanners can read EAN-5 supplementals, but support for supplemental decoding is sometimes disabled by default in scanner configuration profiles. Confirm that your POS scanner or barcode reader is configured with supplemental decoding enabled (often called 'EAN supplementals enabled' in scanner programming guides). Without this setting, the scanner returns only the primary EAN-13 or UPC-A data and ignores the EAN-5 supplement.
What is the correct position of EAN-5 relative to the primary barcode?
GS1 specifies that EAN-5 must be placed immediately to the right of the primary EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode with a gap of exactly 5 times the module width (X-dimension) of the primary barcode. The EAN-5 bars must be shorter than the primary barcode bars (GS1 recommends approximately 69% of the primary bar height). Human-readable digits for EAN-5 are printed above the bars, not below. Place the composite symbol in your design software using SVG files to maintain precise alignment.
What is the difference between EAN-5 and EAN-2?
EAN-5 is a 5-digit supplemental used primarily for price encoding on books and issue numbering on periodicals. EAN-2 is a 2-digit supplemental used for encoding issue numbers on periodicals in markets where only the issue number (01–52 for weekly, 01–12 for monthly) needs to be supplemented. EAN-5 is more common in North American book publishing; EAN-2 is common in some European magazine markets. Both are add-on symbols and cannot be used as standalone barcodes.
Is my data safe when using this generator?
Yes. All EAN-5 barcode encoding is performed entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your price codes, issue numbers, and any other input data are never transmitted to any server and never stored. Close the tab and all data is cleared.
Generate Your EAN-5 Barcode Now — Free, Instant, No Account Required
This free EAN-5 barcode generator is ready to use immediately. Enter your 5-digit price or issue code, adjust size and appearance, and download a print-ready PNG or SVG barcode in seconds. No signup, no watermarks, no usage limits. Check character is calculated and embedded automatically. All encoding happens locally in your browser — your data stays private. Generate one barcode or a full publishing catalog batch; the tool is completely free regardless of volume.