# UPC

> A UPC is the twelve-digit retail barcode used in the United States and Canada. It is the North American cousin of the EAN.

- Source: https://storestandards.com/glossary/upc/
- Also called: Universal Product Code, UPC-A
- Updated: 2026-08-14
- Author: Tom Beckwith, Engineer, Store Standards

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The North American cousin of the [EAN](https://storestandards.com/glossary/ean/). Same idea, one digit
shorter, and the last digit is still a
[check digit](https://storestandards.com/glossary/check-digit/).

## UPC and EAN are the same number

Put a zero on the front of a UPC-A and you have a valid EAN-13. The product
does not change. The number does not change. It gains a leading zero.

This matters when a US supplier sends you twelve digits and a European one
sends you thirteen for the same item. They are not two products. Store one of
them, consistently.

## What to store in Shopify

Store what is printed on the item you actually receive. If the box in your
stockroom shows twelve digits, put twelve digits in the barcode field.

A scanner reads the printed symbol, so the stored value has to match the
print. Padding a UPC to thirteen digits in your admin means the scan never
finds the product, which is exactly the fault it was meant to prevent.

## Where it goes wrong

Spreadsheets eat the leading zero. Open a supplier file in Excel, let it treat
the column as a number, and 012345678905 becomes 12345678905. Eleven digits,
scans nowhere.

Format the column as text before you import, or import the file straight into
Shopify without opening it. The wider set of barcode types is in
[barcode types for Shopify stores](https://storestandards.com/blog/barcode-types-for-shopify-stores/).

## Related terms

- [EAN](https://storestandards.com/glossary/ean/): An EAN is the thirteen-digit retail barcode used across Europe and most of the world outside North America.
- [GTIN](https://storestandards.com/glossary/gtin/): A GTIN is the number that identifies a product worldwide. The barcode on the box is just a way of printing it.
- [Check digit](https://storestandards.com/glossary/check-digit/): A check digit is the last number in a barcode. It is calculated from the others, so a scanner can tell when a digit has been read wrong.