UPC-E
A UPC-A with the zeros squeezed out, for packs that cannot carry the full symbol.
- Type
- Linear (1D)
- Encodes
- A UPC-A number in compressed form
- How
- Runs of zeros are suppressed and reconstructed on reading
- Built for
- Small retail packaging
UPC-E is not a different numbering scheme. It is a UPC-A that happens to contain enough zeros to be written more compactly, with those zeros removed from the printed symbol and restored by the scanner when it reads.
That is why it only appears on some products. A manufacturer cannot choose to use UPC-E; the number has to have the right shape for compression to be possible. When it does, the symbol takes roughly half the width, which can be the difference between fitting on a small pack and not.
A scanner may report either the compressed code or the expanded twelve-digit one depending on how it is configured, which is worth knowing if the value you expect does not match the value you get.
Where you meet it
The compressed UPC, on small retail packs.
Can a phone scan UPC-E?
Yes, as standard, with nothing to configure. The keyboard decodes it and types the result into the field you are in.
How to scan it with your phone
- 1
Install Barcode & QR Scanner Keyboard from Google Play and enable it as a keyboard.
- 2
Open Settings → Scanning engine and choose TRAKWIND Scan.
- 3
Tap the barcode key on the keyboard and point the camera at the code.
The value is typed into whatever field you were already in — a spreadsheet, an ERP screen, a web form. There is nothing to integrate.
Read it with the phone in your pocket
Free on Google Play. No licence, no extra hardware, and nothing to connect.