How to use it
- Type your ISBN exactly as on your copyright page, hyphens included (e.g. 978-1-56619-909-4).
- Add the US retail price (e.g. 19.95), or leave it blank. Use 90000 for "no suggested price".
- Download the PDF or SVG and place it on your cover template at 100%.
What's in a book barcode
A book barcode is an EAN-13 built from the 13-digit ISBN (which starts with 978 or 979), with the ISBN printed in readable form above the bars. Most bookstores in North America also expect a small second barcode on the right: the EAN-5 price add-on.
How the price add-on works
The five digits are a currency code followed by the price:
| First digit | Currency | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | US dollars | 51995 = $19.95 |
| 6 | Canadian dollars | 62495 = C$24.95 |
| 4 | New Zealand dollars | 42999 = NZ$29.99 |
| 3 | Australian dollars | 32499 = A$24.99 |
| 0 or 1 | British pounds | 00999 = £9.99 |
| 9 | Special | 90000 = no suggested price |
Type a US price like 19.95 and we convert it for you (prices above $99.99 use 59999). Use the retail price you set, not the wholesale price. If the price changes, the add-on must change too, which is why some print-on-demand authors leave it at 90000.
Why we ask for the hyphens
The hyphens split the ISBN into prefix, registration group, publisher and title. Their positions depend on official number ranges, so we can't guess them reliably. Copy the ISBN exactly as Bowker (or your national ISBN agency) issued it.
KDP, IngramSpark and other printers
- Amazon KDP can place a barcode for you if you leave the space blank on your cover. Tick the box that says your cover already has a barcode only if you add your own.
- IngramSpark offers a barcode in its cover template generator. Use ours if you design the cover yourself or need a different price add-on.
- Keep the barcode on a white box at the lower right of the back cover, at about 2 × 1.2 in. Don't shrink it below 80%.
An ISBN is not a GS1 product number. Bowker issues ISBNs in the US, and you don't need a separate UPC to sell a book in bookstores.