Buy UPC codes for Amazon: the GS1 options, the costs, and the codes that fail

GS1 US explains the difference: a GTIN, or Global Trade Item Number, is the number that identifies a product, and the UPC is the barcode that carries it so a scanner can read it. In the US, the UPC holds a 12-digit GTIN. Amazon and most sellers use the words interchangeably, and Amazon's help calls the requirement a product ID or GTIN.

Amazon says that for most categories you must provide a unique product identifier, a GTIN, to create a new listing; the most common are UPC, EAN, JAN and ISBN. The code ties your product to your brand in the Amazon catalog, keeps two different products from sharing one page, and lets Amazon match offers from different sellers to the same product.

Buy UPC codes for Amazon from GS1 US, or from the GS1 organization in your country. GS1 US quotes Amazon's Seller Central directly: Amazon verifies the authenticity of product UPCs by checking the GS1 database, UPCs that do not match the information provided by GS1 are considered invalid, and sellers should obtain UPCs directly from GS1.

That check is why cheap codes from resellers are a risk. A number sold on the secondary market is often registered in the GS1 database to the company that first licensed it, not to your brand. When Amazon compares the code with your brand name, they do not match. GS1 US warns that a mismatch can mean a suspended account or relabeled products.

GS1 US offers two ways to get codes. A single GS1 US GTIN costs a one-time $30 per number with no annual renewal; GS1 generates the number and issues a certificate. A GS1 Company Prefix is a block of numbers you assign yourself, priced by capacity with an initial fee and an annual renewal.

GS1 US says a new GTIN is needed for each product and each variation, such as size, color, style or package count, and for higher levels of packaging such as cases and inner packs. Amazon's category rules add bundles: in several categories, product bundles require their own unique UPC.

GS1's own example makes the math clear: one style made in four colors and four sizes needs 16 GTINs. Sixteen single GTINs cost $480 once. A 100-number prefix costs $750 plus $150 a year, but leaves room for 84 more products, and GS1 suggests planning for the variations you expect to launch in the next one to two years.

Some products can be listed without a code. Amazon says you can apply for a GTIN exemption for private label or handmade products, products you make, brand or publish without barcodes, parts without a product ID, bundles, and generic unbranded products. Exemptions are granted at the product type level and cover child product types.

You cannot apply if the product already has a GS1 barcode or any GTIN, if it is from a brand that requires a UPC, or if it is already in the Amazon catalog. Amazon's category table notes that major brands require a UPC in most categories, and that exemptions for private label brands are possible in many of them.

The UPC you list with and the barcode on each FBA unit are separate questions. Amazon lets brand representatives in Brand Registry send eligible products with the manufacturer barcode, the UPC, if it is a single scannable code matching a single ASIN and the product is registered to the brand. Everyone else, including all resellers since March 31, 2026, puts an Amazon barcode on each unit.

That makes a GS1 code more valuable for brands than it used to be: with a valid UPC printed on the packaging and Brand Registry in place, you can skip unit labels entirely and use the same stock on other channels. Our guide to Amazon commingled inventory explains the change.