Does Amazon require a GTIN (UPC/EAN)?

Yes. Since 2016, Amazon has required GTINs for most new product listings. Amazon validates GTINs directly against the GS1 registry to verify the product is real and the barcode belongs to a legitimate brand. Listings with invalid GTINs may be suppressed or rejected.

Can I get a GTIN exemption on Amazon?

Yes, for certain categories: handmade products, private label/unbranded products, bundles and multipacks you create yourself, and some parts and accessories. Apply through Seller Central under Add a Product. Exemptions are category-specific and brand-specific, not catalog-wide.

Can I use cheap resold UPC codes on Amazon?

Amazon has been cracking down on resold barcodes since 2016. If the GTIN you enter does not match a legitimate GS1 record for your brand, Amazon may suppress or reject your listing. Brand Registry also verifies GTIN ownership. A legitimate GS1 Company Prefix ($250 initial fee) protects all your listings.

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Guidebeginner7 min read

GS1 Barcodes for Amazon Sellers: GTIN Requirements Explained

Q: Which GTIN format does Amazon use?

Amazon US uses UPC (GTIN-12, 12 digits). Amazon UK, Germany, Japan, and other international marketplaces use EAN (GTIN-13, 13 digits). Amazon also accepts ISBNs for books and GTIN-14s for case-level packaging.

If you sell on Amazon, you've probably run into the term GTIN at some point. Maybe it was a warning when you tried to list a product without one. Maybe you've been selling for years and never thought about where that UPC number came from.

Either way, understanding how GTINs work on Amazon is important. Get it wrong and your listing can be suppressed, merged with a competitor's, or rejected entirely.

Why Amazon requires GTINs

Amazon uses GTINs to match products across its catalog. When you enter a GTIN for your listing, Amazon checks it against the GS1 database to verify that the product is real and that the barcode belongs to a legitimate brand.

This serves three purposes:

Catalog integrity. GTINs prevent duplicate listings. If two sellers offer the same product, Amazon uses the GTIN to merge them onto one product detail page instead of creating separate listings.
Customer trust. Verified GTINs help Amazon filter out counterfeit and misrepresented products. Listings with valid GTINs are more likely to appear in search results.
Supply chain consistency. GTINs are the global standard for product identification. They connect your Amazon listing to every other system that handles your product: warehouses, distributors, retailers, and logistics providers.

Since 2016, Amazon has required GTINs for most new product listings. The requirement has only gotten stricter over time, with Amazon now validating GTINs directly against the GS1 registry.

Which GTIN format does Amazon use?

Amazon accepts several GTIN formats, but the two you'll encounter most often are:

Format	Digits	Common name	Where it's used
GTIN-12	12	UPC	United States and Canada
GTIN-13	13	EAN	Europe, Asia, and most other markets

If you're selling on Amazon US, you'll typically use a UPC (GTIN-12). If you're selling on Amazon UK, Germany, Japan, or other international marketplaces, you'll use an EAN (GTIN-13). Both are GTINs, just different lengths.

Amazon also accepts ISBNs for books and GTIN-14s for case-level packaging, but for most consumer products, UPC or EAN is what you need.

Not sure what a GTIN actually is? Our guide to GTINs covers the basics.

How to get a GTIN for Amazon

The only legitimate source for GTINs is GS1, the global standards organization. Here's how the process works:

Register with your local GS1 office. In the US, that's GS1 US. In the UK, it's GS1 UK. Each country has its own member organization.
Get a GS1 Company Prefix. This is a unique number assigned to your company. You'll use it as the base for all your product GTINs. Our GS1 Company Prefix guide walks through the registration step by step.
Assign item references. For each product, you combine your company prefix with an item reference number to create a unique GTIN.
Calculate the check digit. The last digit of every GTIN is a mathematically calculated check digit. You can use our GTIN validator to verify yours is correct.

A warning about resold barcodes. You'll find third-party websites selling "cheap UPC codes" in bulk. These are typically prefixes that were originally assigned to another company and then resold. Amazon has been cracking down on these since 2016. If the GTIN you enter doesn't match a legitimate GS1 record for your brand, Amazon may suppress your listing or reject it outright. Spend the money on a real GS1 registration. It's a one-time cost that protects all your listings.

GTIN exemptions on Amazon

Not every product needs a GTIN. Amazon offers a GTIN exemption for certain categories and situations:

Handmade products. Items in Amazon Handmade don't require GTINs.
Private label and unbranded products. If you manufacture your own products and they don't have an established brand with existing GTINs, you can apply for an exemption.
Bundles and multipacks. Product bundles you create yourself may qualify if the specific combination doesn't have its own GTIN.
Parts and accessories. Some industrial or niche parts that were never assigned GTINs by their manufacturer.

How to apply for a GTIN exemption:

Go to Seller Central and navigate to Add a Product.
Search for your product. If Amazon can't find a match, you'll see an option to request approval to list without a product ID.
Select the category and brand, then submit your exemption request.
Amazon reviews the request and typically responds within a few days.

Keep in mind that exemptions are category-specific and brand-specific. Getting an exemption for one product doesn't cover your entire catalog. And even with an exemption, having a GTIN is still better for discoverability and Buy Box eligibility.

Adding your GTIN to Amazon listings

Once you have your GTIN, adding it to a listing is straightforward:

In Seller Central, go to Catalog and select Add Products.
Choose Product identity as the product ID type.
Select UPC, EAN, or GTIN from the dropdown.
Enter your number.
Amazon validates it against the GS1 database. If it checks out, you can proceed with your listing.

For existing listings, you can edit the product ID in the Vital Info tab of your product detail page. If you're uploading products in bulk via flat file, the external_product_id column is where the GTIN goes.

Tip: Double-check your GTIN before submitting. A single wrong digit will cause a validation failure. Our GTIN validator can catch errors before Amazon does.

GS1 Digital Link QR codes and Amazon

Here's where things get interesting for forward-thinking sellers. The retail industry is in the middle of a major transition called Sunrise 2027. By the end of 2027, retailers worldwide are expected to support 2D barcodes (QR codes) at point of sale, alongside traditional linear barcodes.

These aren't ordinary QR codes. GS1 Digital Link QR codes encode your GTIN inside a URL:

https://id.example.com/01/00012345678905

That URL is scannable at checkout just like a traditional barcode, but it also works as a link. When a consumer scans it with their phone, they can be directed to product information, instructions, reviews, or any other resource you choose.

Why this matters for Amazon sellers:

If you sell on Amazon and through other channels (your own website, retail stores, wholesale), your products already need GTINs. GS1 Digital Link QR codes give those GTINs a second life on your physical packaging.
As retailers adopt 2D scanning, having QR-ready packaging positions you for shelf-ready compliance with major retailers.
The QR code on your packaging becomes a direct connection to your customers, even when they buy through a third-party channel like Amazon.

You can generate a GS1 Digital Link QR code using our QR code generator. Just enter your GTIN and you'll get a standards-compliant code ready for packaging.

Getting started

If you're an Amazon seller and you don't have GTINs yet, the first step is registering with GS1. If you already have GTINs, you're well positioned for both Amazon compliance and the broader Sunrise 2027 transition.

SunriseQR makes it simple to turn your existing GTINs into GS1 Digital Link QR codes, with a hosted resolver that handles the scanning experience. You can start on the free Explore plan with one product and scale from there.