UPC to EAN converter
Turn a 12-digit UPC into a 13-digit EAN and back, expand or shorten UPC-E, or convert a whole column from a spreadsheet.
12-digit UPC-A, 13-digit EAN-13, 8-digit UPC-E (or its 6 middle digits).
Convert a list
Converted. The app reads UPC and EAN barcodes from the camera and tells you which is which, in a second.
The iPhone app- 01
Type a number
Enter a UPC-A (12 digits), EAN-13 (13), UPC-E (8, or its 6 middle digits) or GTIN-14.
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Read the other forms
The converter checks the number first, then shows every form it has, with copy buttons. If a form doesn't exist, it says why.
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Convert a list
Paste a column of numbers under Convert a list and download the results as Excel (leading zeros kept) or CSV.
UPC and EAN are the same system
A UPC-A is a 12-digit number used in the US and Canada. An EAN-13 is the 13-digit version used everywhere else. Put a 0 in front of a UPC-A and you have its EAN-13; the check digit stays the same. Shops worldwide scan both, so you rarely need two barcodes.
Going the other way only works for EAN-13s that start with 0. A number starting with any other digit was issued outside the US and Canada and has no 12-digit form.
UPC-E and GTIN-14
UPC-E is a squeezed 8-digit form of a UPC-A for small packs: some zeros are dropped and a rule says where they go back. Only UPC-A numbers with zeros in the right places can be shortened, so most cannot.
GTIN-14 is any of these numbers padded to 14 digits with zeros in front. Online marketplaces and stock systems often ask for it. Cases and cartons have their own GTIN-14 with a different first digit: use the ITF-14 calculator for those.
How do I convert UPC to EAN?
Add a 0 in front of the 12-digit UPC-A. 036000291452 becomes 0036000291452. The check digit does not change.
Can every EAN be converted to a UPC?
No. Only EAN-13s starting with 0 have a UPC-A form: drop the 0. Others were issued outside the US and Canada, but US shops can still scan them as they are.
What is the difference between UPC and EAN?
Length and region. UPC-A has 12 digits and comes from the US and Canada; EAN-13 has 13 and is used worldwide. They are one GS1 numbering system, and modern scanners read both.
What is the difference between UPC and SKU?
A UPC is a global number from GS1 that is the same in every shop. A SKU is a shop's own internal code for an item, made up by the shop and different from shop to shop.
Why does Excel remove the 0 from my UPC?
Excel treats the number as a number and drops leading zeros. Use the Excel download here, which saves every code as text, or format the column as Text before pasting.
How do I expand a UPC-E code?
Type the 8 digits (or the 6 in the middle). The last of the 6 digits says where the dropped zeros go; the converter rebuilds the full 12-digit UPC-A and checks it.
QR Code Scan KitComing soon
