UPC Barcode Generator
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UPC-A is the twelve-digit barcode on retail products in the United States and Canada — a number system digit, a manufacturer code, an item number, and a check digit at the end. It is really an EAN-13 with a leading zero, which is why almost every modern scanner reads both without being told which it is looking at. Type eleven digits and the twelfth is worked out here; type all twelve and it is checked, with the correct digit named if yours does not add up. PNG for printing yourself, SVG for artwork that will be resized.
The twelve digits, part by part
A UPC-A begins with a number system digit — 0, 1, 6, 7, 8 or 9 for ordinary goods, 2 for variable-weight items priced in store, 3 for drugs under the US National Drug Code, 4 for a retailer’s own internal use, 5 for coupons. Then comes the company prefix licensed through GS1, then the item number that company assigns, then a check digit computed from all eleven. Type the eleven and the twelfth appears here.
Because UPC-A is an EAN-13 with a leading zero, a European retailer’s scanner reads a North American product without any special handling. The reverse is not always true of older US point-of-sale equipment, which is the historical reason the two coexist at all.
Printing it at a size a till will read
UPC-A is 37.29 mm by 25.91 mm at 100% magnification on a 0.33 mm narrow bar, and, like EAN-13, is allowed between 80% and 200% of that on retail packaging. Two failure modes are worth naming: cutting the bar height to fit a cramped design, which narrows the angles a scanner can read it from, and trimming the quiet zone at either end, which removes the scanner’s way of finding the symbol’s edge. Both look harmless in artwork and both cause returns at the till. Take the SVG to your print shop rather than a PNG scaled to fit.
Selling on Amazon, and GTIN exemptions
Amazon validates the GTIN on most new listings against GS1’s registry, so a UPC bought for a few pounds from a barcode reseller — usually a fragment of a prefix issued to another company years ago — is frequently rejected, and listings created with one can be suppressed later. The two legitimate routes are licensing a prefix from GS1 in your own company’s name, or applying for a GTIN exemption where the product genuinely does not need one, such as handmade goods or your own private label. A number typed into this page is perfectly fine for internal labelling, mock-ups and photography — as is anything you make with the barcode generator in a non-retail format.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between UPC-A and EAN-13?
Length, and geography. UPC-A is twelve digits and is used in North America; EAN-13 is its thirteen-digit international superset, and a UPC-A is an EAN-13 whose first digit is zero.
Do I need to buy a UPC to sell on Amazon?
Amazon requires a GTIN issued by GS1 for most new listings and checks it against the GS1 registry, so a number typed in here is fine for internal use but not as a product identifier. A GTIN exemption is the alternative route.
What is UPC-E?
A six-digit compressed form of UPC-A for packaging too small for the full symbol — zeros in particular positions are squeezed out. It is in the type list here too.
Can I make a UPC from 11 digits?
Yes — type the eleven and the twelfth check digit is worked out and shown here, along with the finished number.
Will a UPC scan in Europe?
Yes. A UPC-A is an EAN-13 with a leading zero, and modern scanners everywhere read both.
What is the difference between UPC and UPC-E?
UPC-E is a compressed six-digit form for packaging too small for the full symbol, made by squeezing out zeros in set positions. It is in the type list on this page.
Do I need to buy a UPC?
To sell through retailers or most marketplaces, yes — the number must be a GTIN licensed to you through GS1. To label your own shelves, bins or equipment, no; use Code 128 and any number you like.
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