Since the onset of the pandemic, the e-commerce business on Amazon has shot up like anything, considering it is one of the most trusted websites for customers. If you are a seller on Amazon, you already know the plethora of selling opportunities that this website offers, be it the extremely user-friendly interface or the ability to sell all kinds of products under the sun.
But to be able to sell your products on Amazon, you will be required to provide a unique Product ID for each of them. However, sometimes, there might be a few products that do not have a Product ID assigned and selling on them on Amazon can be a hassle.
But it’s not impossible.
If you’re worried about how you are going to sell your goods without a Product ID on Amazon, don’t worry you’ve arrived at the right place. Read on to know more.
What is a Product ID?
Product ID is a unique barcode assigned to each product so that it is identified easily. It is also known as GTIN or Global Trade Index Number.
Retailers, manufacturers, and middlemen utilise GTIN numbers to keep track of inventories quickly. Each number refers to a certain product.
GTIN numbers are divided into three categories.
A Universal Product Code, or UPC for short, is the first form of GTIN number. It’s a code that applies to anything sold in the US or Canada.
Some people mistake GTIN with UPC, so we’re commonly asked what an “Amazon GTIN” is. The GTIN number is unique to each product and can be used to identify it if the barcode fails.
The Universal Product Code (UPC) is the most frequently used barcode format in the world, and it can be found in practically every supermarket and retail establishment.
Then there’s your EAN number, which stands for European Article Number. With the exception of the United States and Canada, most countries use EAN numbers, often known as GTIN-13.
Third, Japan has its own 13-digit version of the EAN number, the JAN.
There is also an ISBN for those who sell books. The acronym for International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is International Standard Book Number. An ISBN can include anything from ten to thirteen digits. If you write your own books, you’ll need this number to sell them on Amazon.
Is it mandatory for your product to have a Product ID?
UPCs are the most frequent sort of GTIN used for selling on Amazon.com. Does every seller require a UPC? Not really.
UPCs are widely used, however they are not necessary for every product sold. It depends on the brand or category in which you wish to sell. You may be qualified for a GTIN exemption if you sell a private-label or handcrafted goods, which means you won’t need a UPC to list the item on Amazon.
What to do if your product does not have a Product ID?
Here is what you can do if you want to sell a product without a Product ID:
Go for an GTIN exemption
While GTIN/UPC is a required element for new Amazon listings, you may make listings without it under specific circumstances. GTIN exemption is the term for this procedure. You must request an exception for a specific brand in a certain product category. It’s also applicable if you’re not the owner of a brand but still want to sell your goods.
Without the Amazon GTIN exception, Amazon now requires all listed items to have a GS1 registered barcode. Global Standards 1 (GS1) is a non-profit organisation that creates and maintains global corporate communication standards.
Conditions under which you will require a GTIN exemption:
- You wish to sell items that don’t have a GTIN because the brand, manufacturer, or publisher don’t supply one.
- You wish to offer a generic product with no brand name attached to it.
- You’d want to sell pieces of a product that don’t have a GTIN. Automobile parts or mobile accessories, for example.
- You wish to sell things for which you are the manufacturer, brand, or publisher, but none of your products have barcodes. Things with a private label, for example, or products manufactured by hand.
- You wish to offer a multi-product bundled package. A pack including a leather belt and wallet, for example, or a pack of two shirts.
How to avail a GTIN exemption?
Follow these steps to get a GTIN exemption for your product:
- Go to your Amazon Seller Central account and sign in. Search for “GTIN exemption” in the top right search field and hit enter.
- Scroll down the search results and choose “How to list items without a GTIN (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)” from the drop-down menu. To open this page in a new window, select the new window option.
- Now Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose the “Request Approval” option. Select your product category from the drop-down menu and then input your Brand Name, Generic, or Publisher in the Brand / Publisher field.
- Click the “Add Brand” button if you want to add more than one brand name for the same category approval. Also If you want to apply for GTIN exemptions for other categories, go to the add categry option and choose their product category and brand / pulisher.
- Select the option to check eligibility.
- A green tick will appear in the status column if your request is eligible. To go to the next step, click “Continue to Submit Proof.”
- You will be requested to produce a support letter from the brand in the following phase.
- If the “Yes” option is chosen. Click “Submit Request” after downloading the sample letter and uploading your own support letter in the same style.
- If the “No” option is chosen, click “Submit Request” after entering the product name and uploading the product photos.
Your GTIN exemption request will be submitted successfully. When your request is granted, the Amazon support staff will notify you.
Within 48 hours, you will get an email indicating whether or not your request has been approved. You may also look up the status of your request in your case log.
The errors you might experience while submitting for a GTIN exemption application are as follows:
- Error 5665
- Error 5461
- Match Only Error
You can use a flat-file to add items to Amazon once your GTIN exemption request has been accepted. Please keep in mind that you can include as many goods as you like under the product category and brand name for which you’re requesting an exception.
Keep in mind that even if you were granted a GTIN exemption, you must still apply the FNSKU label, sometimes known as an Amazon barcode, to each item. By doing this, Amazon will be able to trace your inventory once it arrives at an FBA warehouse.
You may only skip this step if you’re selling through FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant).
What happens if you don’t qualify for an Amazon GTIN exemption?
If the product or category you’re seeking to list isn’t qualified for a GTIN exemption, you’ll either have to buy a UPC number or get one from the manufacturer.
We recommend purchasing from a reputable supplier such as GS1.
You’ll need a UPC or EAN anyhow if you want to expand your items and business outside of Amazon in the future, such as selling in a physical store.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Once accepted, the GTIN Exemption might take up to 30 minutes to go active.
- After approval, you can leave the product ID and product ID type columns blank, but make sure to use the same brand name/SKU and category/product type as the exemption.
- If you received GTIN exemption under the wrong brand name or category, you can reapply for it.
- Only items without a product ID are exempt from the GTIN requirement. To list your items, you may need to seek extra Brand approval.
In a single application, you can request GTIN exemption for up to 10 distinct brand names-category combinations.
