This page opens on UPC-A, the 12-digit barcode on nearly every product sold in the United States and Canada. The example number uses the style of GS1 US’s documentation (the example company prefix 0614141); replace it with the 11 digits of your own UPC and the twelfth, the check digit, is calculated for you. If you type all 12 and the last one is wrong, the page tells you the right one, which catches most typing mistakes.
Where the 12 digits come from
A UPC is a GS1 Company Prefix licensed to your business, an item reference you choose for each product, and a check digit. GS1 US sells a single GTIN for a one-time fee, which is the simplest route for a handful of products; a Company Prefix makes sense once you have a range. Numbers starting with 2 or 4 are for in-store use (random-weight items, store labels) and are not unique outside the shop. Numbers starting with 5 were once used for coupons and are not issued for products.
When to use UPC-E
The example number has zeros in the right places, so the page also shows its UPC-E form: 06141455. Switch the format to UPC-E and type either form; the generator converts UPC-A numbers that fit and explains why others don’t. The table below shows one number per zero-suppression rule of the GS1 General Specifications.
Printing it
GS1’s standard UPC-A is 37.3 mm wide with bars 22.85 mm tall (module width 0.33 mm). Stay between 80% and 200% of that, don’t cut the bars shorter, and keep the white margins either side clear. Download the SVG for your packaging artwork, or a PNG at your label printer’s resolution.
UPC-A to UPC-E, one example per rule
Four example numbers, one for each zero-suppression rule, converted by this page’s own code. UPC-E keeps the UPC-A’s check digit, and scanners expand it back to the full number.
| UPC-A | UPC-E | Expands back to |
|---|---|---|
| 061414000055 | 06141455 | 061414000055 |
| 061200000450 | 06104520 | 061200000450 |
| 061300000121 | 06131231 | 061300000121 |
| 061410000035 | 06141345 | 061410000035 |