Guide to UPC Codes on Amazon

Like in any other kind of store, each product sold on Amazon has its own unique product code (UPC) to help sellers and buyers quickly identify and catalogue each product. This code is necessary to create your listings and to correctly identify them with your brand.

What is a UPC Code?

UPC stands for Universal Product Code and is currently the primary barcode used within the US and Canada. Each UPC is scannable and unique to a given product, and serves as an identifier for sales, inventory, and other tracking, identification, and verification purposes. This barcode is encoded with an identification number known as the GTIN, which makes up a complete barcode. The unique 12-digit number underneath the barcode is the UPC. The first seven to 11 digits in a barcode, is a unique identifier known as a company prefix. The company prefix identifies the manufacturer or brand owner of the product. This is used to create UPCs for your products.

Amazon will check the identification number from a UPC in the GS1 database to make sure your product is linked to your brand, and not someone else’s. If the two don’t match, you won’t be able to list your product. UPCs help to differentiate products from the millions of others already existing on Amazon and make it easier to identify individual products sold across the world. Think of it as Amazon’s system to separate each product in its database.

These codes work in the same way as the barcodes you see on every product in your local supermarket. They are unique, and a simple scan will tell you what the product is, along with other relevant information.

UPCs have several benefits, such as:

• They help sellers and buyers quickly identify each product and catalog it accordingly
• UPC codes streamline inventory management and tracking
• It becomes easy to track products/consignments when they are in transit during shipping
• The codes make it convenient to find products in warehouses and online searches.

Where to buy a UPC for Amazon

You cannot generate a UPC from Amazon and will need to purchase one through GS1. GS1 (Global Standard 1) is a non-profit organization that has set the global standard for supply chain barcoding. Amazon requires all UPCs to be obtained from GS1 to ensure accuracy and legitimacy. Amazon will verify the authenticity of a product UPCs by checking the GS1 database and if they do not match, the UPC will be considered invalid. If you are buying a reseller’s UPC code from a third-party website, that UPC was probably originally assigned to another company and Amazon won’t associate your company with your products.

Final Thoughts

Without a UPC, it will be nearly impossible for you to sell your products in the Amazon marketplace. You want to make sure to purchase the proper UPCs for your Amazon product so that you don’t run into any issues. Don’t buy used/third-party UPCs or else you will have potential lost profits from blocked listings and account suspension.