UPC Lookup
Enter a 12-digit UPC code to find the product behind it: name, brand, category and image, from a database of more than 500 million barcodes.
Example: 012345678905. Spaces and dashes are ignored.
What is a UPC code?
A UPC (Universal Product Code) is the 12-digit number printed under the barcode on almost every retail product sold in the United States and Canada. Each number is assigned to one product, in one size and variant, by the company that owns it. Scanners at the checkout read the barcode, look up the number and ring up the item.
The full 12-digit form is called UPC-A. Small packages such as gum or cosmetics often carry UPC-E, an 8-digit version that removes runs of zeros and expands back to the full UPC-A.
How to read a UPC
- Number system
0 - Company prefix
12345 - Product number
67890 - Check digit
5
| Number system | The first digit. 0, 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are general retail products, 2 is variable-weight items like meat and produce, 3 is drugs and health products, 4 is reserved for in-store use and 5 is coupons. |
|---|---|
| Company prefix | Identifies the brand owner. Together with the first digit it is usually 6 to 10 digits long, so companies with more products get shorter prefixes. |
| Product number | Chosen by the brand owner for each item, size and variant. |
| Check digit | The last digit, calculated from the other eleven to catch scanning and typing errors. Try it with the check digit calculator. |
How to look up a UPC
Type or paste the number from under the barcode into the search box above. We match it against the database and open the product page, which shows the title, brand, category and image where we have them, along with the barcode itself. If the code is valid but not recorded yet, the page says so and you can ask to be emailed when it is added.
On a phone, the BarcodeReport iPhone app scans the barcode with your camera instead.
UPC vs EAN vs GTIN
UPC-A, EAN-13 and GTIN-14 are all GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) of different lengths, and they share the same check digit maths:
- UPC-A: 12 digits, used in North America.
- EAN-13: 13 digits, used everywhere else. Put a
0in front of a UPC-A and you have the EAN-13 for the same product. - GTIN-14: 14 digits, printed on cases and cartons rather than individual items.
For lookups they are interchangeable: our search finds a product whichever form you enter. For codes from outside North America see EAN lookup, and for books use ISBN lookup.
Look up UPCs in bulk or by API
If you have a spreadsheet of codes, bulk barcode lookup takes a CSV of up to 100,000 UPCs and returns the product data as a CSV, at $0.10 per barcode with a free match check first. Developers can use the Barcode Lookup API to get the same data as JSON, with 1,000 free lookups a month. See pricing for the plans.
Need UPC codes for your own products?
Barcode Report doesn't sell barcode numbers. We recommend UPCs.com, which sells UPC codes for $10 per code as a one-time purchase. Once you have your numbers, the free barcode generator turns them into print-ready UPC-A images.
UPC Lookup FAQ
Is UPC lookup free?
Yes. Searching a single UPC on this page is free and needs no account. For higher volume, bulk CSV lookups cost $0.10 per barcode and the API includes 1,000 free lookups a month, with paid plans from $24.95.
Can I look up a UPC-E code?
Yes. Enter the 8-digit UPC-E code in the free check digit calculator, which expands it to the 12-digit UPC-A form and links straight to the lookup.
Why does my UPC have 11 or 13 digits?
A UPC-A always has 12 digits. If you only have 11, the last digit (the check digit) is probably missing, and the check digit calculator can work it out. A 13-digit number is an EAN-13; one that starts with 0 is the same product as the UPC without that leading zero.
Does a valid check digit mean the UPC is real?
No. A correct check digit only means the number is well formed. Looking the code up is the way to find out whether a product has been recorded against it.
Where do I get UPC codes for my own products?
Barcode Report does not sell barcode numbers. We recommend UPCs.com, which sells UPC codes for $10 per code as a one-time purchase. If you sell on Amazon or Walmart, check their product ID rules first, because both say they verify UPCs against the GS1 database.
Why can't I find a product?
Newer, regional or private-label items may not be in the database yet. You can ask to be emailed when the code is added, or submit the product details yourself.