A Guide to Purchasing UPC Codes for Amazon Sellers

How to buy amazon UPC Codes for amazon

Ecommerce continues to increase in popularity as more businesses open online and more vendors sell on online marketplaces. As ecommerce expands, it changes as well. For instance, an online marketplace such as Amazon offers many product categories, informative user evaluations with most listings, and search history to assist consumers. Such features contribute to a positive client experience.

Another way that Ecommerce is developing is via the introduction of traditional brick-and-mortar retail practices online. For instance, how is your inventory presently tracked and managed? Each product has a UPC written on it in the brick-and-mortar world. Inventory is updated each time a product is sold. The same principle now applies to goods sold on Amazon: each item offered must have its unique identification. While consumers do not scan barcodes when they make an online purchase, utilizing UPCs in your Amazon shop enables you to monitor inventory automatically.

While it is simple to list goods on Amazon, you cannot post listings without a UPC number. We’ve put up this guide to assist you in determining where to purchase codes and how to activate them on Amazon. Let us begin.

Let’s Discuss how to buy UPC codes for Amazon.

What are UPCs?

A UPC code, or Universal Product Code, is a barcode with 12 digits — called GTIN-12 — that’s used to identify individual products:

Amazon UPC codes

There are many possible variants — we’ll concentrate on the Worldwide Trade Item Number (GTIN) — but utilizing unique product IDs in retail is a global standard.

Amazon GTIN

Each GTIN code consists of a six- to ten-character GS1 Company Prefix (shown in green above), a one- to five-digit reference number (shown in light blue above), and a computed check digit (shown in dark blue).

A UPC functions similarly to the barcodes seen on physical goods in the Amazon marketplace – it assists in identifying each unique product on the site and the shop from which it originated.

FBA is a significant advantage of utilizing UPCs on Amazon. If you use Fulfillment by Amazon to fulfill your Amazon orders, your inventory is monitored for you automatically. For instance, if you sell goods directly from a source, it is conceivable that other Amazon sellers do the same. Each product is barcoded by the manufacturer — it’s similar to locating the same pair of shoes sold in several brick-and-mortar locations.

Assume you’re in the business of selling phone covers. When a client purchases one from your product page, Amazon searches for the seller with the most inventory in the customer’s area.

Amazon ships the item on your behalf, and you get credit for the sale – even if the thing is not in your inventory. Amazon compensates by sending the same product from your list to the seller from whom the original product was purchased:

Amazon Seller Expert

UPC codes make this type of fulfillment and transfer a smooth process and ensure that inventory numbers for all participating FBA sellers are up to date.

Now let’s look at how to buy UPC codes for Amazon

How to buy and use UPCs for Amazon?

When you’re ready to generate listings, examine the following three scenarios:

  • You produce your goods and need UPC numbers to sell on Amazon.
  • You’ve placed an order with a supplier and obtained manufacturer’s codes.
  • You’ve placed an order with a supplier but don’t have the manufacturer’s codes.

Let’s take a deeper look at each of them since the process for obtaining a UPC number varies somewhat across them.

1. You must first purchase an Amazon UPC.

If you manufacture your goods, you’ll discover that many websites offer UPC numbers. They must be avoided. These codes are almost certainly being utilized and may result in the removal of your listings from Amazon. A more effective strategy is to apply for and purchase Amazon UPCs via the GS1 US website. You can rely on GS1 US since it establishes the worldwide standard for UPCs.

Purchasing your UPCs entails four steps:

  1. Apply a GS1 Prefix for your company. A GS1 Business Prefix is a one-of-a-kind company identifier that connects your goods and brand. This six- to ten-digit number occurs at the beginning of all UPCs. Additionally, you’ll need to establish the number of UPCs you require, as well as your pricing strategy, since there is an initial and renewal cost, and finish the application.

  2. Each of your goods should have a unique product number or GTIN. Determine the packaging types for the products you want to sell — for example, case, bundle, or pallet.

  3. Establish the appearance of the code on your goods. This is where you indicate if you need a barcode that will be read at the point of sale, whether you want to sell goods online, and whether you require warehouse barcodes.

  4. With a free tool, create barcodes. Use a platform such as the GS1 US Data Hub or one of its solution partners to get started.

Amazon regularly verifies the barcodes you provide in your product listings against the GS1 US database to ensure they are genuine. You risk having your listings deleted if Amazon discovers your codes are not registered with the GS1 database.

2. If You have a manufacturer’s code.

If you buy goods to sell on Amazon from a source and include a manufacturer’s UPC number, you may include these UPCs into your listings.

When establishing a seller account, it’s pre-configured to monitor inventory for FBA purposes using the manufacturer’s code. This option may be changed at any time to reflect your preference for self-fulfillment or FBA.

3. If You don't have a manufacturer’s code.

Occasionally, your provider will not give you the manufacturer’s UPC number. If this occurs, you must instead use an Amazon barcode, also known as an Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN).

Additionally, you may come into situations when the goods you sell do not have a UPC number assigned by the manufacturer. Additional ASINs are required for these items. Listed below are some products that come under this category:

  • End-of-life products
  • Skin creams, shampoos, and cosmetics are examples of topical products.
  • Products that can be consumed
  • Non-barcoded products

How to include your UPC in Amazon's product listings

After obtaining your UPCs, you may begin creating Amazon listings. On the page where you make the listing, there is a box called “Product ID.” This is where you put your UPC.

Amazon Product Listing Expert

Remember that, in contrast to other elements of your listing that you may customize — such as the description and picture gallery — you cannot customize the Product ID. To get an authorized barcode, you must use one of the following routes.

As long as the remainder of your offering complies with Amazon’s listing standards, it will display on the site, ready for customers to purchase.

You are reading an article about how to buy UPC codes for amazon

Amazon's UPC coding best practices

Now that you understand why you need UPCs on Amazon and how to get them, there are a few points to keep in mind while inputting UPCs on Amazon:

  • Purchase codes from trusted sources. You can get bulk UPCs for a few dollars on certain websites, compared to the $250 required to get started with GS1 US. However, avoid being swayed by the bargain prices advertised on certain websites. While purchasing codes from GS1 US may be more expensive, you reduce the chance of Amazon believing you are utilizing recycled principles and removing your listings.
  • Each product should have its unique code. Each variant of a product that you offer needs its unique code. For instance, if you sell backpacks online and one model is available in five distinct colors, you will need five different UPCs for that bag style. GS1 US offers a barcode estimator to assist you in determining the number of barcodes to purchase:
  • Use the manufacturer’s UPC when reselling goods on Amazon. Avoid creating new UPCs for goods that you did not produce – you risk having your account suspended. If you cannot get a UPC, you may apply to Amazon for a GS1 exception.
Create accurate listings

Creating correct listings enables you to maintain a healthy seller account. Additionally, accurate listings ensure that your items get attention. You invest considerable effort in learning about your customers to give them goods they will purchase and love. There are a few procedures involved in purchasing UPCs, but they are well worth the effort. You want to avoid your listings being deleted from the marketplace. If this occurs, consumers will be unaware of your goods, and your sales objectives will suffer.

Review the actions necessary to begin. Once you’ve purchased your codes and created listings that adhere to Amazon’s standards, you’re ready to sell.

We hope now you know how to buy UPC codes for Amazon

Our dedicated team of Amazon Listing Experts has worked with individual sellers and brands in about every sector, industry and niche. Whether you want to optimize for a new product launch or want to boost sales of your already-listed products, you are at the right place.

We Have “Earned” The Expert Tag: Since 2013, we have optimized listings for more than 90000+ products. Our clients have returned to us saying they did see a visible difference in their conversion rates after using our Amazon Product Listing Optimization Services.

Certified Optimization Experts: Your listing will be created by a team of certified Amazon product SEO consultants who have several years of experience in creating profitable, appealing and convertible Amazon product listings.

For More Information About Our Amazon Listing Service, Please Contact us.

Share This Post

More To Explore

How to Get a UPC Code for Amazon
Amazon Seller Tips

How to Get a UPC Code for Amazon in 2022

Before you can establish an Amazon listing for your new product, you must complete one critical step: get a UPC. While it may seem scary

Do You Want To Boost Your Business?

drop us a line and keep in touch

CTA post
small_c_popup.png

Let's have a chat

Learn how we helped 3000+ Sellers gain success.