Amazon GTIN Exceptions: What Sellers Need to Know

Despite our best efforts to provide an exceptional customer experience, we cannot guarantee that a third-party bad actor will not illegally duplicate or misuse the barcode numbers you legally purchased from Bar Codes Talk. If your numbers are fraudulently used on Amazon, we will work to ensure you remain able to list your products successfully. This means we will replace the affected barcodes or offer a refund depending on the percentage of unusable barcodes once fully verified. While this is strictly an Amazon-specific issue, we understand that our customers expect immediate usability and cannot reasonably spend time or money fighting a large platform. Bar Codes Talk will always make customers our #1 priority.

Why do these Amazon-specific barcode issues occur?

Amazon is a private, custom-coded online point-of-sale system and database. Because of this, certain barcode issues appear only within Amazon’s marketplace and do not affect most global retailers. Fortunately, these issues affect less than 1% of sellers. As an Amazon seller, you must follow Amazon’s specific rules and requirements for your seller program or listing category.

Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list of Amazon’s policies. These are simply the most common issues we’ve observed. It is the seller’s responsibility to verify Amazon requirements before purchasing UPC/EAN/GTIN barcodes.

Common Amazon-only GTIN exceptions

  1. Books / Audiobooks Books typically require ISBNs instead of UPC/EAN barcodes. Most books already include an ISBN assigned by the publisher. Learn more at: www.ISBN.org

  2. Selling Major Brands Some major brands (Nike, Apple, GE, Microsoft, etc.) have agreements with Amazon preventing third-party sellers from listing items using their brand name. Even if your GTIN is valid, Amazon may block the listing because the GTIN must match the brand’s registered barcode range. This protects customers from counterfeit or misleading branded listings.

  3. Brand Registry – Seller Program As of mid-March 2018, Amazon requires Brand Registered sellers to rent GTINs directly from GS1. This applies only to a very small subset of Amazon sellers. These sellers must pay GS1 annually and hold trademarks and copyrights for their brand. Contact Amazon for official details.

  4. Legacy Brand Registry Sellers Older ASINs may be grandfathered in under previous GTIN rules. New listings, however, must comply with Amazon’s updated Brand Registry requirements. Review Amazon’s terms carefully to ensure your listings are unaffected.

  5. Product BundlesIf you create a bundle of major-brand products that does not officially exist and you enter the major brand in the “Brand” field, Amazon will block the listing. The approved workaround:
    • Brand field → Your company name or DBA
    • Product description → Mention the included major-brand items
  6. This avoids misleading customers into thinking the bundle is produced by the major brand.

Our Works for Amazon Guarantee

Your purchase is protected by our Works for Amazon Guarantee. If Amazon incorrectly flags or blocks your legally owned GTINs due to internal catalog conflicts, duplication, or misuse by a third party, we will take immediate action to restore your ability to list your products. Our guarantee ensures that your barcodes are valid for Amazon listing as long as Amazon’s category-specific rules are followed.

Your company fully and legally owns the GTINs you purchase. No one else may use them without your permission.

Where can I find Amazon error guidance?

For a more comprehensive list of Amazon error codes and GTIN-related issues, visit our Amazon Support Page.

At the end of the day, barcodes (UPC/EAN/GTINs) are simple and universal identifiers. Amazon’s custom-coded environment, however, introduces rules that go beyond standard GS1 usage. Be aware of these differences before beginning your Amazon seller journey.

Who can I contact for help?

If you have doubts or concerns regarding Amazon barcode usage, contact us directly at contactus@barcodestalk.com or call 1-877-263-1343 option 1. We are happy to help you navigate barcode questions that do not involve Amazon’s internal system rules.