Amazon systems are barcode-driven. Each unit you send to a fulfillment center requires a barcode so that it can be tracked throughout the fulfillment process.
Products that do not use a manufacturer barcode for tracking require an Amazon barcode. You can print Amazon barcodes from within your seller account and apply the barcodes yourself.
If you do not want to apply the barcodes yourself, you can sign up for the FBA Label Service and have Amazon apply the labels for you for a per-item fee. For more information, see FBA Label Service.
For eligible products, you can use the manufacturer barcode to track your inventory. For more information, see Use the manufacturer barcode to track inventory.
Any item that requires an Amazon barcode that arrives at a fulfillment center without one will be subject to an unplanned prep service fee. For more information, see Unplanned Prep Services.
You can print Amazon barcodes for your products from the Label Products page when you create a shipment, or at any time from the Manage Inventory page.
If you use a thermal printer, labels are printed immediately. For laser printers, a PDF is generated that you can use to print labels using standard label paper.
To print Amazon barcodes from the Label Products page:
To print Amazon barcodes from the Manage Inventory page:
When printing Amazon barcodes onto labels, make sure that the printed labels include:
If you are the product manufacturer or brand owner and you want to print barcodes directly onto the product packaging, apply for your own GS1 standard UPC barcode. For more information, see GS1.
When you are ready to affix barcodes to your products, make sure you:
The tools in your seller account are optimized for thermal printers. You can also use laser printers. Do not use ink jet printers to print Amazon barcodes.
Each label must be readable and scannable for 24 months. The following guidelines will help ensure that the label you print will not smudge or fade:
All Amazon barcodes must be printed in black ink on white, non-reflective labels with removable adhesive. Dimensions must be between 1inch x 2 inches and 2 inches x 3 inches (1 inch x 3 inches or 2 inches x 2 inches, for example).
For laser printers, the tools in your seller account support the following label sizes:
If your printer attempts to scale the PDF print area when you print your labels, make sure that the printer scaling is set to None or 100%.
The following problems related to product labels may appear in your shipping queue.
For more information, see Inbound performance summary.
The item arrived without a proper barcode.
The item arrived with a barcode that does not match the physical product.
The barcode was either smudged or smeared, or the label was placed around a corner or curve, making the barcode unscannable.
One or more of the items in your shipment arrived with labeling, packaging and prep, or shipping requirement errors.