1. Sales Order Management Implementation Guide
  2. Universal Product Code

Universal Product Code

Each company can assign the Universal Product Code (identified as UPC in North America and EAN-13 outside of North America) to both a consumer unit and the lowest saleable unit for a specific product. For example, a can of soda would have the UPC identification on the can because it can be sold individually. The UPC code is a fixed code that identifies one unit of a specific product.

This example illustrates the structure of a UPC code:

UPC and EAN-13 code structure

The UPC code consists of a:

  • Seven-digit company (or manufacturer) ID that is assigned by the UCC or the EAN.

    For North American companies, only six characters represent the company ID because the leading seventh digit is always zero and can be left off the code.

  • Five-digit product ID that is assigned by the company.

  • Single-digit check character.

Typically, a company maintains its own product identification codes for internal use but cross-references the internal product identification codes to the UPC code.