A UPC (Universal Product Number) is a number expressed as a series of black lines that help identify a product. This symbol is encoded with a series of numbers known as the GTIN, which makes up a complete barcode.
UPC‑A is a 12‑digit barcode format used primarily in the United States and Canada for retail point‑of‑sale scanning. It is part of the GS1 barcode family and encodes a GTIN‑12. UPC‑A barcodes appear on virtually all consumer products sold in North America and are designed for fast, accurate scanning in high‑volume retail environments.
UPC‑E is a compressed 6‑digit version of the standard UPC‑A barcode. It is designed for very small retail packages where there is not enough space to print a full 12‑digit UPC‑A symbol. UPC‑E encodes a GTIN‑12 by using a special “zero‑suppressing” technique that removes redundant zeros from the UPC‑A number. Although UPC‑E appears shorter, it represents the same underlying product identifier as a corresponding UPC‑A barcode.
