Barcode · Converter
UPC-E to UPC-A converter.
Expand an 8-digit UPC-E into the 12-digit UPC-A it stands for, verify the check digit, or compress a UPC-A back to UPC-E when its zeros allow it. Format and checksum only.
How it works: the last of the six UPC-E digits says where the suppressed zeros go back. 0, 1 or 2 puts it in position 4 with four zeros; 3 inserts five zeros after the third digit; 4 inserts five zeros after the fourth; 5 to 9 inserts four zeros before that last digit. The check digit is the ordinary UPC-A check digit of the expanded number.
Inputs
Result
Enter a code and press Convert.
How UPC-E zero suppression works
A UPC-E barcode prints six digits, but stands for a full 12-digit UPC-A. The number system digit (0 or 1) and the check digit are not printed as digits; they are carried by the bar pattern. Written out as 8 digits, a UPC-E is number system + six digits + check digit. Below, X1 to X6 are the six digits.
| X6 | UPC-A (number system, then 10 digits, then check) |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | X1 X2 X6 0 0 0 0 X3 X4 X5 |
| 3 | X1 X2 X3 0 0 0 0 0 X4 X5 |
| 4 | X1 X2 X3 X4 0 0 0 0 0 X5 |
| 5 to 9 | X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 0 0 0 0 X6 |
Worked example (GS1 Figure 5-15): UPC-A 0 12345 00005 8 has four zeros in a row before its last data digit, so it compresses to X = 1 2 3 4 5 5 and the UPC-E is 01234558. Expanding 01234558 reverses this.
Check digit: the standard UPC-A mod-10 check digit, calculated on the expanded 11 digits (weights 3, 1, 3, 1, and so on from the right). UPC-E has no separate algorithm.
Compressing: only a UPC-A with number system 0 or 1 and the right run of zeros can become a UPC-E, and the four cases cannot overlap, so the result is unique. Any other UPC-A, including most everyday ones, has no UPC-E form.
Format and checksum only — not a registry lookup
This page checks format and checksum only. It cannot confirm that a code was ever issued to a company or product; only GS1 and its member organizations can do that.
Sources
- GS1 General Specifications, section 5.2.2.4 (zero suppression rules, Tables 5-5 to 5-7, and the four worked examples used here as test vectors)
- ZXing, UPCEReader.java (convertUPCEtoUPCA gives the same four expansion cases)
Privacy and scope
This tool runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type is transmitted, stored, or logged. It checks format and checksum only, with no lookup against any product database.