UPC-A barcode generator
This UPC-A barcode generator builds the twelve-digit code used at checkouts across the United States and Canada. Enter 11 digits and the 12th, the check digit, is added automatically.
type to generate
How a UPC-A barcode is built, digit by digit
UPC-A is the twelve-digit barcode on packaged products across the United States and Canada, and it is close enough to EAN-13 that the same checkout scanner reads both without any setting to change.
The twelve digits of a UPC-A barcode
The first digit is the number system digit - it sets what the rest of the code means, and the table below covers each value. The next ten split into a manufacturer code and a product code, and the last is a check digit this UPC generator calculates for you.
The example starts with 2, reserved for items a store weighs and prices itself, such as loose produce - never assigned to a specific company, so it is safe to use as a made-up example.
- 2 the number system digit: here, random-weight items priced in-store, never a specific company.
- 0123456789 the manufacturer and product code - a real one is licensed from GS1, not typed in freely.
- 9 the check digit: calculated from the eleven digits before it.
What the first digit tells a scanner
| Starts with | Means |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 6, 7 or 8 | A normal retail product with a company-issued GTIN |
| 2 | Random-weight items such as fresh produce or deli food, priced by the store |
| 3 | Pharmaceuticals, matched to the product's National Drug Code |
| 4 | In-store marking a retailer sets up for its own use only |
| 5 | Coupons, read by a till rather than added to a basket as a product |
| 9 | Reserved |
The same code, with a zero in front
Add a single 0 to the front of any UPC-A barcode and you have its EAN-13 form, check digit included, no recalculation needed.
- UPC-A 201234567899
- Add a leading 0 0 + 201234567899
- Same barcode as EAN-13 0201234567899
Sources
Checked September 2026
- GS1 US: How to Get UPC Barcodes for Productsgs1us.orglicensing a real UPC-A number
- GS1: GTIN standardgs1.orghow UPC-A relates to EAN-13
GS1 US sets its own current fees and terms; confirm them on gs1us.org.
UPC barcode generator questions
Nearly: UPC-A is twelve digits and EAN-13 is thirteen, but a UPC-A number with a 0 in front is a valid EAN-13, so the two families read on the same scanners.
Eleven. The 12th digit, the check digit, is worked out from those eleven and added automatically.
Not at a real till: a working UPC-A number has to be licensed from GS1 US or another GS1 member organisation first, or it may already belong to a different product.
2 marks a random-weight item, priced by the store rather than fixed by the manufacturer, and it is never assigned to a specific company - which is why it is safe to use as a made-up example.
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