UPC-A Barcode Generator API

UPC-A is the standard 12-digit retail barcode used across North America, standardized by GS1 as part of the same numbering system as EAN-13. It consists of a system digit, a 5-digit manufacturer code, a 5-digit product code, and a check digit, and is printed on nearly every packaged consumer product sold in the United States and Canada. UPC-A predates EAN-13 and is technically compatible with it, since an EAN-13 code with a leading zero encodes the same data as a UPC-A code.

Send BarGen 11 digits with format set to upca, and the API calculates the 12th check digit using the standard UPC modulo-10 algorithm. Results return as SVG for packaging and print production or PNG for online listings and previews, matching the exact bar widths and guard pattern spacing required for reliable POS scanning.

UPC-A (Universal Product Code) is the standard barcode format used for retail products in the United States and Canada. Introduced in 1974, it was the first barcode format to be widely adopted in retail.

The barcode consists of 12 digits: a single digit number system, a 5-digit manufacturer code, a 5-digit product code, and a check digit. The number system digit indicates the type of product (0 for regular items, 2 for weighted items, etc.).

UPC-A revolutionized retail by enabling automated checkout and inventory management. The first product scanned with a UPC barcode was a pack of Wrigley's gum at a Marsh supermarket in Ohio on June 26, 1974.

While primarily used in North America, UPC-A is compatible with the global EAN-13 system. Any UPC-A code can be converted to EAN-13 by adding a leading zero, enabling international trade.