To create a new listing on Amazon, a merchant must provide a unique product identifier (GTIN), such as a UPC or EAN. On Thursday, Amazon warned that it considers GTINs invalid if they are not GS1 vended or recognized by the brand owner.
“Fix your product and provide the requested information immediately or your listings will be removed,” it stated. You can find more information about GTINs on this page of Amazon Seller Central.
Amazon said it recommended merchants obtain GTINs directly from GS1 – and not from other third parties selling GTIN licenses – “to ensure that the appropriate information is reflected in the GS1 database.”
EcommerceBytes reported on the importance of accurate GTINs in 2014 in an interview with Bernie Hogan, who was Senior Vice President of Emerging Capabilities and Industries at GS1 US at the time (“What Online Merchants Should Know about Unique Product Identifiers“).
Recently, GS1 US made available an option for smaller businesses, allowing them to create a single GTIN for a one-time cost of $30 – you can read more on this page of the gs1us.org website.
Other marketplaces and ecommerce-related companies have similar requirements around GTINs, including Google, which you can read about on this February 26, 2021 Google Search Central blog post.
Amazon sellers raised questions about Thursday’s announcement, which you can read in full on Amazon Seller Central.