ISBN barcodes for books
UPC for books: do you need one?
Short answer
No. A book carries its ISBN as an EAN-13 barcode with the 978 or 979 prefix, often called the Bookland EAN. The US book industry guidelines say Bookland EAN is the only barcode used on books, and the old UPC alternative for mass market paperbacks has been discontinued. A UPC is for book-related products that are not books, such as some games or calendars, and only when a retailer asks.
Why people ask
For years, rack-sized mass market paperbacks sold in supermarkets and drugstores carried a UPC on the back cover and the ISBN barcode inside the front cover, because those shops scanned UPCs. If you have an old paperback on your shelf, you may have seen exactly that. Many guides online still describe it.
The BISG guidelines now say that the price-point UPC alternative for mass market paperbacks and some juvenile books has been discontinued, that Bookland EAN is the barcode of choice for books in all formats, and that only one barcode should be placed on a book.
UPC vs ISBN barcode at a glance
| ISBN barcode (Bookland EAN) | UPC-A | |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 13, starting with 978 or 979 | 12 |
| Number comes from | Your ISBN agency | GS1 (in the US: GS1 US, as a single GTIN or from a company prefix) |
| Used on | Books in all formats | General retail products |
| Price add-on | EAN-5, for example 51999 or 90000 | Not used for book prices today |
| Needed for a self-published book | Yes, on print editions | No |
When a UPC does make sense
- The product is not a book. BISG mentions related products such as games, art prints and wall calendars meant mainly for time management, which may carry a UPC instead.
- A retailer requires it. If a non-book retailer specifically asks for a UPC for a non-book item, you need a UPC number from GS1. In the US, GS1 US sells a single GTIN for small product counts, without a company prefix, or a company prefix for more products. You cannot turn an ISBN into a UPC yourself.
For a novel, a cookbook, a children's picture book or a workbook sold as a book, the ISBN barcode is the right and only barcode.
Can a scanner in a normal shop read an ISBN barcode?
Yes. EAN-13 and UPC-A belong to the same symbology family in ISO/IEC 15420, and retail scanners read both. A UPC-A is in fact an EAN-13 with a leading zero. That is why books no longer need a second barcode for general retail.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UPC to sell my book on Amazon?
For a book, no. KDP works with an ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers (your own or its free one). If you publish through KDP, the ISBN barcode is what goes on the cover, and KDP can place one for you.
Can I convert my ISBN into a UPC?
No. A UPC number comes from GS1, either as a single GTIN or from a company prefix. The ISBN already works as an EAN-13, so there is no need.
My printer asked for a "UPC barcode". What do they mean?
Often people say UPC when they mean "the barcode". For a book, send the ISBN barcode and confirm with the printer.
Does Barcode Rocket make UPC-A barcodes too?
Yes, for products. Choose UPC-A in the tool and type the number you got from GS1.
Sources
- Book Industry Study Group, Barcoding Guidelines for the US Book Industry (Bookland EAN, discontinued UPC alternative, one barcode per book): bisg.org
- ISO/IEC 15420, EAN/UPC bar code symbology specification: iso.org/standard/46143
- GS1 General Specifications: ref.gs1.org/standards/genspecs
- GS1 US, How to Get UPC Barcodes for Products (single GS1 US GTIN or company prefix): gs1us.org
- Bookland, background on the 978 and 979 prefixes: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookland
- Amazon KDP Help, What is an ISBN and Imprint?: kdp.amazon.com