Professional UPC-A Barcode Generator
UPC-A is the twelve-digit code that runs North American retail much the way EAN-13 runs most of the rest of the world. If you are putting a product on a shelf in the United States or Canada, this is almost certainly the symbology the buyer expects.
What the digits mean
The twelve digits break down into a number-system digit, a manufacturer code, a product code, and a final check digit. The scanner recalculates that last digit on every read and rejects the scan if the maths does not add up. The first digit is not arbitrary either: 0, 1, 6, 7, and 8 mark ordinary products, 2 marks variable-weight items priced in-store (meat, cheese), 3 is reserved for pharmaceuticals (it wraps the NDC drug code), and 5 marks coupons.
Technically, UPC-A is a subset of EAN-13: prepend a zero and you get the same number in EAN form. Modern scanners read both interchangeably — the distinction today is mostly about what a retailer's item database expects.
Technical specification
| Character set | Digits only |
| Length | Fixed: 12 digits (11 data + 1 check digit) |
| Check digit | Mandatory, modulo 10 — computed automatically if you enter 11 digits |
| Nominal size | 37.29 × 25.91 mm at 100% magnification (X-dimension 0.33 mm) |
| Allowed magnification | 80% to 200% — keep full height for retail compliance |
| Quiet zone | 9× X-dimension on both sides |
Printing notes
Everything that applies to EAN-13 applies here: keep the nominal proportions, do not truncate the height to fit a design, and print at 100% scale from vector output. US retail intake checks (Walmart, Target, grocery DCs) verify symbol grade routinely, and a squashed or blurry UPC is a chargeback waiting to happen.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UPC or an EAN for Amazon?
Amazon accepts both — what it checks is that the number is registered in GS1's database under your brand. Reseller "cheap UPC" packs routinely fail that check. The FBA compliance guide covers the details.
Where do legitimate UPC numbers come from?
From GS1 US (or your local GS1 organisation), either as a company prefix or as single GTINs. How the prefix system works and what it costs.
Can European products keep their EAN-13 in US stores?
Increasingly yes — major US chains have read EAN-13 since the 2005 "Sunrise" initiative. But smaller retailers' systems sometimes still choke on 13 digits, so exporters often list a UPC anyway. See EAN-13 vs UPC-A.