Skip to main content
Vori requires a 12-digit UPC-A barcode to create a product. Some products, often smaller packaged goods, use a UPC-E instead: a compressed barcode that can appear as 6 or 8 digits on the packaging. These cannot be entered into Vori directly and need to be expanded first.

​
This guide walks you through how to identify which format you have and how to find or calculate the correct UPC-A.

​
How do I know if I have a UPC-E?

UPC-E barcodes appear on small product packaging where a full barcode would not fit. You can identify one by looking at the barcode itself and the digits printed below it:
  • 6 digits: The number system digit (usually 0) and check digit have been stripped. You will see only the compressed middle portion.
  • 8 digits: The full UPC-E structure, starting with 0 or 1 and ending with a check digit.
If you scan the barcode and Vori does not find a matching product, or if the barcode field shows fewer than 12 digits, you likely have a UPC-E.
The fastest and most reliable method is to look up the product online using the UPC-E as printed.
  1. Go to a barcode lookup site such as barcodelookup.com or buycott.com.
  2. Type in the UPC-E digits as they appear on the packaging.
  3. If a match is found, the product listing will include the full 12-digit UPC-A.
  4. Use that 12-digit code when creating the product in Vori.
💡 Tip: You can also try scanning the barcode with your phone’s camera app or a free barcode scanner app. Many will display the expanded UPC-A automatically.

​
Option 2: Convert the UPC-E manually

If a lookup does not return results, you can expand the barcode yourself using the rules below.

​
Step 1: Identify your starting digits

Locate the digits on the packaging:
  • If you have 6 digits, add a leading 0 to the front. You now have 7 digits.
  • If you have 8 digits, drop the last digit (the check digit) and the first digit. You now have 6 middle digits. Add the first digit back to the front to work with 7 digits total.
You should now have a 7-digit string in the format: N D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6, where N is the number system digit (0 or 1).

​
Step 2: Expand based on the last digit (D6)

The last digit of your 6 compressed digits tells you how to expand:
Last digit (D6)UPC-A structure
0, 1, or 2N + D1 + D2 + D6 + 00000 + D3 + D4 + D5
3N + D1 + D2 + D3 + 00000 + D4 + D5
4N + D1 + D2 + D3 + D4 + 00000 + D5
5, 6, 7, 8, or 9N + D1 + D2 + D3 + D4 + D5 + 00000
This gives you 11 digits. You still need to calculate the check digit to complete the 12-digit UPC-A.

​
Step 3: Calculate the check digit

  1. Starting from the left, multiply every odd-position digit (positions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) by 3.
  2. Add those results together, then add the even-position digits (positions 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).
  3. Take the total, find the next multiple of 10, and subtract the total from it. The result is your check digit.
✏️ Note: If the total already ends in 0, the check digit is 0.

​
Enter the UPC-A in Vori

Once you have the full 12-digit UPC-A:
  1. Open Vori operating system or Back Office and navigate to the product details page.
  2. Enter the 12-digit code in the Barcode field.
  3. Enter in the additional required details.
  4. If no existing product is found, select Create New Product or Save.