An EAN.UCC Composite symbol consists of a linear component (encoding the item's primary identification) associated with an adjacent 2D Composite Component (encoding supplementary data, such as a batch number or expiration date). The Composite symbol always includes a linear component so that the primary identification is readable by all scanning technologies, and so that 2D imagers can use the linear component as a finder pattern for the adjacent 2D Composite Component. The Composite symbol always includes a multi-row 2D Composite Component, for compatibility with linear- and area-CCD scanners, and with linear and rastering laser scanners.

Each EAN.UCC Composite symbol consists of a linear component and a multi-row 2D Composite Component. The 2D Composite Component is printed above the linear component at a specified location relative to the linear component and with the same X dimension as the linear component, to facilitate image processing when the Composite symbol is scanned by a 2D imager.

The linear component is one of:
1. a member of the EAN/UPC symbology (EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, or UPC-E),
2. a member of the Reduced Space Symbology family,
3. UCC/EAN-128.

The choice of linear component determines the name of the Composite symbol, such as an EAN-13 Composite symbol, or a UCC/EAN-128 Composite symbol.

The 2D Composite Component (abbreviated as CC) is chosen based on the selected linear component, and on the amount of supplementary data to be encoded. The three EAN.UCC 2D Composite Components, listed in order of increasing maximum data capacity, are:

1. CC-A, a variant of MicroPDF417, designed for efficient encoding of supplemental application identifier data,

2. CC-B, a MicroPDF417 symbol with a codeword of 920 in the first data codeword position as a linkage flag, and denoting EAN.UCC data compaction, and

3. CC-C, a PDF417 symbol with a codeword of 920 in the first data codeword position as a linkage flag, and denoting EAN.UCC data compaction.

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