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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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.