UPC-A Barcode Generator

UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode on most products in the US and Canada. Enter 11 digits and the last one is added for you, or enter all 12 and it gets checked.

Barcode type
UPC-AChoose another type

Enter 11 digits and the check digit is added, or 12 digits to have it verified.

Your barcode will appear here.

Your barcode data is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to our server.

Size and appearance

The blank margin (quiet zone) is never smaller than 10 times the bar width, so the barcode stays scannable.

UPC-A at a glance

Digits12 (11 data digits + 1 check digit)
CharactersDigits only
Check digitLast digit; calculated automatically
Typical useRetail products in North America

What you can enter

  • Exactly 11 digits (the check digit is added), or 12 digits including a correct check digit
  • Digits only

What is UPC-A?

The Universal Product Code was one of the very first retail barcodes. A UPC-A holds a 12-digit GTIN-12: a number system digit, the company and item numbers, and a final check digit.

UPC-A and EAN-13

A UPC-A is the same as an EAN-13 with a zero in front, and tills in most countries read both. If you only sell in North America, UPC-A is the traditional choice. If you sell in several regions, plenty of sellers just use EAN-13 everywhere. When in doubt, ask your retailer or marketplace what they want.

Where UPC-A is used

  • Supermarket and general retail products in the US and Canada
  • Price labels and shelf-edge labels
  • Demos and testing of till systems

If the pack is very small, UPC-E is a squashed-down version of UPC-A. And for your own stock, where you want letters as well as digits, Code 128 gives you more freedom.

How to create a UPC-A barcode

  1. Enter your data in the box above, for example 03600029145.
  2. Check the preview and read any message under the box. It explains how to fix invalid input.
  3. Adjust the bar width, height or margin under “Size and appearance” if you need to.
  4. Select Download PNG, Download SVG or Print. Files are named upc-a-barcode.png and upc-a-barcode.svg.

Prefer another format? Return to the barcode generator to choose a different type.

About product numbers and GS1

This site creates barcode images. It does not issue or register product numbers. Retailers and online marketplaces generally expect the GTIN, UPC or EAN on a product to be issued to your business by GS1, the standards organisation that manages these numbers, through its local member organisation. If you plan to sell products through retailers, obtain your numbers from GS1 first and then enter them here to create the barcode artwork. For testing, training, mock-ups and internal use, any correctly formed number will do.

UPC-A questions

Can I use a UPC-A outside North America?

Most modern scanners read it anywhere, though a retailer outside North America may ask for an EAN-13 instead. Converting is easy: just add a zero at the front.

What is the 12th digit?

That's the check digit, worked out from the first 11. Type 11 digits and we add it; type 12 and we check it.

Why does the generator show digits outside the bars?

That's how a standard UPC-A is laid out: the first and last digits sit beside the bars and the middle ten go underneath.

Can I enter hyphens or spaces?

Spaces are ignored, but hyphens and other symbols aren't accepted, since a UPC-A is digits only.

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