UPC-E is the compressed form of UPC-A. It strips zeroes from a UPC-A code to fit on small packages where the full 12-digit barcode won't fit.
Enter 6 digits for a short UPC-E or 8 digits including the leading number system character and trailing check digit.
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At a glance
| Standard | ISO/IEC 15420 (2009), EAN/UPC symbology — ISO/IEC 15420 |
|---|---|
| Structure | 6 explicitly encoded digits; the scanner expands them to a 12-digit UPC-A |
| Number system digit | 0 or 1 only — other UPC-A number systems cannot compress |
| Check digit | Mod-10, calculated from the expanded 12-digit UPC-A |
| Nominal size (X = 0.33 mm) | 22.11 mm wide × 25.91 mm tall at 100% magnification — GS1 General Specifications |
| Quiet zone | 9×X on the left, 7×X on the right |
“UPC-E symbols encode a GTIN-12 in six explicitly encoded digits by suppressing zeros; the scanner expands the symbol back to its full twelve-digit form before processing.”
Compression rules
Not every UPC-A can be compressed to UPC-E. The original 12-digit UPC-A must contain a specific pattern of zeroes — for example, manufacturer code ending in 000, 100, or 200 with item number in a narrow range, or manufacturer ending in 00000 with item 5–9.
If your UPC-A doesn't fit the compression rules, you must use UPC-E only with a separately issued GS1 number that does — you can't just compress an arbitrary UPC.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I use UPC-E instead of UPC-A?
- Only when the package is physically too small for UPC-A. Otherwise use UPC-A for the full character set.
- Will UPC-E scan in Europe?
- Yes — modern retail scanners outside North America read it. It expands to its UPC-A equivalent, then is treated as an EAN-13 with leading zero.