UPC-A Checker
Enter 11 digits to compute the check digit, or 12 to validate.
How to use in 3 steps
- 1
Enter the number
Enter 11 digits to compute the check digit or 12 digits to validate.
- 2
Review the result
See the validity status and the GS1 modulo-10 steps.
- 3
Check in bulk
Validate multiple UPC-A numbers at once and download a report.
Example input / output
Input
03600029145
Output
036000291452 · check digit 2 · valid
Technical notes
UPC-A is a 12-digit barcode common in North American retail and identical to GTIN-12. The first 11 digits carry the data and the 12th is the check digit, computed with right-to-left weights of 3 and 1 (odd positions 3, even positions 1).
UPC-A's first digit is the 'number system' digit: for example 0 is used for most products, 2 for variable-weight (weighed-in-store) items, and 3 for drug/health products. This digit signals the usage context, not ownership.
A UPC-A can be represented as EAN-13/GTIN-13 by adding a leading 0, so many systems store UPCs padded to 13 digits. UPC-E is a compressed 6-8 digit form produced by zero suppression.
For more, see what is UPC, for an EAN-13 comparison use the EAN-13 checker, and for all GTIN lengths use the GTIN validator.
Frequently asked questions
Not identical, but compatible. Prefix a UPC-A with 0 and it becomes a valid EAN-13/GTIN-13; both compute the check digit in a similar way.