If you have products that you want to list on Amazon, you will need barcode numbers for them. Amazon requires a unique barcode number for each listing on its websites. Our EAN-13 barcode numbers are perfect for use on Amazon. Amazon has confirmed that our barcode numbers are acceptable and meet their standards. We have many customers using our barcode numbers on their Amazon products (here are some examples see our Products on the Amazon page.) Our barcode numbers can also be used on other online shops (e.g. CD Baby or Play.com) and in normal retail stores.
We cannot guarantee that our barcodes will be accepted by any specific retailer, including Amazon, as any retailer can impose any restrictions they choose on any products they stock, no matter how arbitrary or unreasonable those restrictions are, and restrctions can be changed at any time.
Note: You will need a unique barcode number for each separate listing on Amazon. Your choice is to make separate listings for each different variation (size/colour/design) of your product or make one general listing for your product & get your customers to specify the size/colour after ordering.
If you prefer your barcode in 12-digit UPC-A format (instead of 13-digit EAN-13 format), that is fine – just let us know when making your order.
“How do I use my barcode number on Amazon?”
After we receive your order, we will email your barcode numbers to you. You can then assign your barcodes to your products and start listing your products on Amazon. You can begin using your barcode numbers on Amazon straight away – all you need to do is type the barcode number into the form when making a listing for your product on Amazon. Later, Amazon will assign their own identification number – an ASIN (an Amazon Standard Identification Number) – to your product.
NOTE: If you are storing and dispatching your products yourself, you will only need a 13-digit EAN-13 (or 12-digit UPC-A) barcode number, which you can purchase above. However, if Amazon is storing and dispatching your products for you, you will need a barcode image to put onto your product packaging or label. A ‘barcode image’ is the actual barcode picture that gets decoded by scanning machines (i.e. vertical black bars & spaces with the barcode number underneath). If you require the barcode images as well, please see our Barcode Packages.
If you need barcode images for your number, please order them here. We will send your barcode images to you via email in 5 different digital formats (eps, tiff, BMP, pdf & jpeg) – you can choose which format you prefer and put the barcode onto your product packaging or label.
For information on successfully listing your product with Amazon, watch our video here with a step-by-step guide on the process.
It is best practice to get a different barcode for each product or product variation. This is because stores use barcodes for two primary purposes: 1. Barcodes are used for obtaining the price of the product when scanned at the checkout. 2. Barcodes are used for keeping track of stock and deciding when to reorder an item.
This means that if the retailers only use barcodes for option 1, you can get away with having the same barcode for 2 product variations (i.e. different colours of the same product). However, if the retailer uses barcodes for option 2, then a different barcode will be required for each product variation.
In general, retailers prefer to stock products that will be straightforward to manage. Some retailers may prefer not to stock products if they have to manually count how many are left of each size and reorder accordingly. Therefore it is recommended that you have a different barcode for each variation.
If you’re not sure which kind of barcode you need for your product, our quick rule of thumb is as follows: Selling in the USA = UPC-A Selling internationally = EAN-13