Amazon is not just a competitor anymore. It has become a powerful tool for small businesses that list their products on Amazon’s website, dramatically increasing their reach.
You will soon realize that if you want to sell products on Amazon, you must purchase and use the Amazon UPC numbers for each product.
UPC is an acronym for universal product code. It’s a barcode number that can be used to identify products. This guide will help you create a UPC for Amazon. The process can be confusing and complex at first.
What Is a UPC Code
What is the UPC? You just learned that it stands for universal product codes and is a barcode number used to identify products. A UPC is composed of two main components:
- A unique number
- Barcodes that machines can read
UPCs can be found anywhere that there are products. They are likely to be on many products you’ve purchased at retail and grocery stores. There are generally three different types of UPCs that you should be aware of.
- UPC A The UPC has 12 digits. The first six are the unique prefixes of your company.
- UPC E Codes can be up to 12 digits long but can also be less. The first six numbers are still the unique prefixes of your company.
- GTINs — GTINs, or global trade numbers (GTINs), have gained in popularity over the past few years. GTIN-12 is the standard 12-digit UPC.
Grocery stores originally developed UPCs to streamline the logistics of:
- Managing inventory
- Stocking shelves
- Checking in
Why do you need UPCs for Amazon?
UPCs made it easy to identify a variety of products and brands. Companies like Amazon now rely on UPCs to track products through global supply chains. These codes also prevent Amazon listings and the confusion that comes with them.
Amazon Marketplace has sold over 350 million items, an impressive feat of logistics that would be impossible to achieve without UPCs.
Established vendors or manufacturers usually provide UPCs. If you sell your private-label products or make them yourself, you’ll need UPCs to list each product on Amazon.
Some sellers will make exceptions. You’ll need to create an Amazon Seller Account before you can get this information. You will most likely need to buy Amazon UPCs. We will discuss this next.
Guide on How to Purchase UPC Codes from Amazon
This guide will show you how to obtain a UPC Code from Amazon. The initial process of purchasing Amazon UPCs can be complicated. We’ve listed the steps below: 1
- Register as an Amazon seller with Amazon Marketplace
- You can confirm that UPCs are required by going to Amazon Seller Central.
- You have two options once you confirm that you require UPCs: Register with the GS1 US or purchase existing regulations.
Register with GS1 US
GS1 may sound like an alien prefix, but it is actually the name of a non-profit organization that develops global standards for communication in business. It aims to optimize global supply chains and prevent problems from occurring.
GS1 US is the United States GS1 entity. Different companies have their GS1 branches. If your business is located in the United States, you’ll need to register at GS1 US before purchasing UPCs or acquiring your six-digit business prefix.
Apply for GS1 membership and obtain a UPC prefix license
You must first apply to GS1 for membership. You can then fill out the application for a company prefix. Your UPC prefix, or the first six numbers of the UPC that connect your Amazon product with your company, is your UPC Prefix.
These prefixes can be complex. You can barcode a prefix on as few as ten unique products or as many as 100,000 products. You will still need to create a UPC for every product variation. This includes:
- Sizes
- Colors
Be sure to confirm your prefix capacity or the number of barcode labels you will require in the near future. GS1 US offers a barcode estimator to help you accurately complete this step.
After you have determined your requirements, it will take only a few moments to fill out the prefix application. After you have selected your prefix, you can complete your purchase.
GS1 US offers the following pricing breakdown. 3
- Barcodes for 1-10 Products Initial Fee $250; Renewal Fee $50
- Barcodes for 1-100 Products Initial Fee: $750, Annual Renewal: $150
- For 1 to 1,000 products that need a barcode Initial Fee: $2,500, Annual Renewal: $500
- For 1-10,000 products that require a barcode, the Initial fee is $6,500; the Annual renewal fee is $1,300
- For products with a barcode that is between 1 and 100,000 in number. Initial price: $10,500. Annual renewal fee: $2,100
The FDA may require you to use an NDC (National Drug Code) or NHRIC (National Health Related Items Code) instead of a GS1 prefix if your product falls within the healthcare industry. If you believe this applies to your situation, contact the FDA. The GS1 can handle orders from 1-100,000. Charges are: 3
- Fee – $2,100
- Annual Renewal fee- $ 2,100
Enter your product information
After you submit your prefix licensing application, GS1 provides you with a listing of UPCs. You will need to access the GS1 Data Hub online to add product information. You can do the following:
- Input product details
- UPCs can be activated
The following are the steps you need to follow in order to complete this task:
- Log in to the GS1 US Data hub.
- Select “Product” from the global navigation menu.
- Open the “Create Product Screen” by clicking on “Manage Products”.
GS1 asks you this question once you reach the “Create Product ” page. Check the box if your products have variations. You will now enter:
- Description of the product
- Brand name
- The SKU
You can choose the UPC you wish to assign after clicking “Save” by selecting “Assign the GTIN from Reserved.” You can also use the auto-assignment function.
The last step is to change the status of the product. Choose “in use” to mark all products that have an active UPC.
Congratulations! Congratulations! You can now sell products on Amazon Marketplace.