Unique Product Codes, or UPCs, are an essential component of conducting business on Amazon. It will be nearly impossible for you to ...
Unique
Product Codes, or UPCs, are an essential component of conducting business on
Amazon.
It will be nearly impossible for you to sell on the market without them.
Do not be
alarmed if you are unfamiliar with this idea, my dear reader!
We'll
examine what these UPCs actually are, why they're so significant, and—most
importantly—where to get them in this post.
Quick
guide
UPC codes:
what are they?
Why Are UPC
Codes Required for Amazon?
How Can You
Create Your Product's Amazon UPC Code?
Where Can I
Get UPC Codes?
Common
Questions about Amazon UPC Codes
Final
thoughts
UPC
codes: what are they?
All that an
Amazon product has in common is its unique code, or Amazon UPC. This is done in
order to set the product in question out from the millions of others that are
currently on the internet market. UPCs make it simple to identify specific
products that are offered worldwide on Amazon.com. Consider it as the mechanism
used by Amazon to categorize each product in its database.
These codes
function in the same manner as the barcodes found on every item in your
neighborhood grocery store. They are distinct, and you can quickly determine
the nature of the goods and other pertinent details by scanning them.
Not to
mention, UPCs offer a number of advantages, including:
· They facilitate speedy product
identification and appropriate cataloging for both buyers and sellers.
· UPC codes make inventory tracking and
management easier.
· When goods are on route during
shipment, tracking them becomes simple.
· Product searches on the internet and
in warehouses are made easier by the codes.
Why Are
UPC Codes Required for Amazon?
It takes
UPCs to conduct commerce on Amazon.com. Clearly. UPC codes provide Amazon with
a unique product identifier, which is what it requires. It is necessary so that
when you are making a new listing to sell, you can easily fill in the
"Product ID" box. Although there are other codes as well, such as
ASIN, GTIN, EAN, and so on, UPC is the most generally used and approved
identification standard in the industry.
Your goods
won't be allowed on Amazon's marketplace if it doesn't contain a UPC code.
Additionally,
Amazon has modified its UPC code policy, announcing that it will now compare
each product's UPC to the database supplied by GS1, the exclusive source of UPC
codes. This is done to verify that the code is real; if there is any mismatch
or misuse, the listing will not be approved and will be deleted. The vendor may
potentially be subject to additional legal proceedings.
For this
reason, it's crucial to be sure the UPC you use for your goods is current and
legitimate.
How Can
You Create Your Product's Amazon UPC Code?
Let's look at the process of generating UPC codes before moving on to the section where we can purchase them.
To start
with, you are not able to write your own code. It must be purchased from GS1, a
nonprofit organization entrusted with establishing guidelines for business
correspondence and identifying retail goods worldwide. More than 100 GS1
organizations serve diverse geographic areas. You should be concerned about GS1
US for the United States.
The first
step in generating a UPC number for your goods is obtaining the GTIN, or Global
Trade Item Number. If you're unsure about the difference between GTIN and UPC,
consider this:
If the UPC
code is a distinctive black and white striped pattern designed to identify a
product, the GTIN is the corresponding number. It is included in the UPC code
by default.
The UPC code
can be generated as follows:
· Obtaining the GS1 Company Prefix for
your product is the first step. It is nothing more than a special number that
helps businesses all around the world recognize your company. Usually, it
consists of six numbers.
· As long as your company is
headquartered in the US, you can receive the GS1 Company Prefix after joining
GS1 US.
· A five-digit number that uniquely
identifies your product is added to this Company Prefix.
· This 11-digit number is then
supplemented with a check digit to ensure that the GTIN is generated
accurately.
· Your product's unique GTIN is
represented by the 12-digit number you now possess. This number can now be used
to generate a scannable UPC code.
· UPC codes and European Article
Numbers, or EANs, are fairly similar. They are primarily utilized in European
countries and consist of 12–13 digits combined with barcodes.
Where Can
I Get UPC Codes?
Let's look
at how to purchase them now that we understand how to generate the UPC numbers.
· This is done in order to obtain your Company Prefix, which is the special six-digit code we discussed in the previous section. Of course, there are other ways to get this number, but there's a good probability it has nothing to do with your company.
· The mistake that a lot of business
owners frequently commit is purchasing this prefix from unaffiliated vendors
who then purchased it in bulk for resale. If Amazon finds that your UPC does
not match the one listed in the GS1 database, it disrupts the chain of
authority and affects the credibility of your brand.
· It is highly advised that you get the
GS1 code straight from their website because of this.
· The remaining steps are essentially
the same as the ones that were previously mentioned after this. Assign your
company prefix a special product number. As long as the numbering scheme you
choose is distinct for each product you plan to sell on Amazon, you are free to
choose.
· Create the UPC code for the 12-digit GTIN after you get it.
· Determining how you want the barcodes
on your goods to be displayed is another task. If you haven't yet created the
product's label or packaging, you can obtain a digital barcode and print it
right into the label or packaging. Alternatively, you can acquire barcode label
stickers to adhere to your goods if you have already decided on the design and
packaging.
· The GS1 offers UPC code rentals,
which come with renewal fees and potentially costly beginning prices.
Alternatively, you can get it at upcs.com, our supplier of choice.
· Place your Amazon UPC code order as
the final step. Even though there are lots of third-party websites like UPCS
(formerly Snap UPC), contacting a solutions partner listed on GS1's website is
usually preferable. These suppliers are fully conversant with their
requirements, having obtained their GS1 certification themselves. You may
quickly locate the whole list of solution providers and select the partner you
believe would work best for your company.
Common
Questions about Amazon UPC Codes
What is
the price of the UPC codes?
The price of
Amazon UPC codes varies based on your needs. For small business owners, GS1 US
provides an affordable solution. A single GS1 US GTIN or UPC code is available
for $30 and does not require a renewal charge.
However, you
will clearly need more codes if you have a large number of distinct things to
offer, which will raise the price.
Remember
that these fees only cover the cost of creating the barcodes. For ordering them
or having them sent to your products, there will be an additional cost. The
solutions provider you select will determine this cost.
I sell
the same product in several versions. Are UPCs required for all products?
You do,
indeed. The variations of the same product require a unique identity because
they are unique items because they differ intrinsically in terms of size,
color, design, or any other parameter you have selected.
For
instance, you would require seven distinct UPCs if you were selling a pair of
socks in seven different colors.
My
product is already listed on Amazon and is being sold there. Does my UPC code
still matter?
Sure,
without a doubt! You still have an exclusive identification number for your
product, even if it is being offered by another vendor. Such codes include EAN,
GTIN, Amazon UPC, and so on.
I purchase an item from a distributor and subsequently resale it on Amazon.com. The brand is not my own. Are UPC codes still subject to a fee?
A UPC number
(or any other unique identification, for that matter) still costs money, even
if, like the majority of sellers on Amazon, you are reselling a product. Simply
said, Amazon must in one way or another distinguish between each of the
millions of products in the database. Amazon is able to accomplish this with
the aid of codes such as GTIN, EAN, and UPC.
Final
thoughts
You must be
aware of the significance of Amazon UPC codes by now. You won't be able to sell
your goods on the marketplace without one. Although it requires investment, the
cost is definitely justified. To prevent any issues later on, you must make
sure that you get Amazon UPC codes from legitimate authority such as GS1 and
its solution partners. The codes must follow Amazon's guidelines and be
accurate and legitimate.
Read More;
Discover How to Transform Amazon ASIN to UPC in a Few Easy Steps
What You Should Know About Amazon FNSKU Labels
Kindly share
your code-related experiences in the comments area below! We eagerly await your
communication.
Good luck!
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