Use Amazon barcodes to track inventory
This article applies to selling in: United States

Use Amazon barcodes to track inventory

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 don't 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 don’t 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 eligible products, you can use the manufacturer barcode to track your inventory. For more information, go to Using manufacturer barcodes with FBA virtual tracking.

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, go to Unplanned services.

Important: Failure to comply with FBA product preparation requirements, safety requirements, and product restrictions may result in the refusal of inventory at the fulfillment center, disposal or return of inventory, blocking of future shipments to the fulfillment center, or charging for preparation or for noncompliance at the fulfillment center.

For additional information, view our video and PDF content:

Amazon barcode label requirements

When printing Amazon barcodes onto labels, make sure that the printed labels match the formatting of the Seller Central generated label:

  • Sufficient white space around the Amazon barcode and related text: (0.25 inch on the sides and 0.125 inch on the top and bottom)
  • Sufficient white space around the label content and the edges (0.25 inch on the sides and 0.125 inch on the top and bottom)
  • ASIN or FNSKU included
  • Product name included
  • Item condition included

Note: Amazon barcodes that have been printed directly onto the product packaging must also meet these requirements.

If you are the product manufacturer or Intellectual Property owner and you want to print barcodes directly onto the product packaging, apply for your own GS1 standard UPC barcode.

Print Amazon barcodes

You can print Amazon barcodes for your products from the Label products page when you create a shipment, or at any time from Manage Inventory.

Amazon barcode labels will be printed immediately if you use a thermal printer. For laser printers, a PDF is generated that you can use to print labels with standard label paper.

In the Send to Amazon workflow, if your SKU requires Amazon barcodes (FNSKU labels) and you selected Seller as the labeling owner, click Print SKU labels in the Information/action column, and then apply the printed labels. You can also print all of the unit labels for a shipment by clicking Print all SKU labels at the end of step 1.

Unit labels can also be printed from View contents in each shipment card in steps 2 to 5 of the workflow.

When printing unit labels, you can choose standard formats or thermal printing format in the label printing pop-ups.

To print Amazon barcodes from Manage Inventory, follow these steps:

  1. Select the products in the left column.
  2. Select Print item labels from the Action on selected drop-down menu.
Note: The language of the item condition on your Amazon barcodes will be translated to match your Seller Central language preference. Your product name will not be translated.

Label placement requirements

When you are ready to place barcodes on your products, make sure that you do the following:

  • Put the correct barcode on each item.
  • Cover all other visible barcodes, except for any serial number barcodes or Transparency authentication code labels.
  • Make sure the barcode is scannable after applying any prep materials.
  • Do not place the barcode on a curve or corner of the package.
  • Allow 0.25 inch between the edge of the label and the edge of the packaging.
  • Ensure that each item in a case pack has an Amazon barcode and that any barcodes on the case have been removed.
Important: Failure to follow label placement requirements can cause delays in processing and may result in unplanned prep service fees.

Printer requirements

The tools in your seller account are optimized for thermal printers. You can also use laser printers. Do not use inkjet printers to print Amazon barcodes.

Tip: Amazon fulfillment centers currently use Zebra GX430t model printers with a direct thermal setting.

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:

  • Periodically test your Amazon barcodes by scanning them.
  • Use a printer with a print resolution of 300 dots per inch or greater.
  • Periodically test, clean, and replace your printer heads.

Label paper requirements

All Amazon barcodes must be printed in black ink on white, non-reflective labels with removable adhesive. Dimensions must be between 1 x 2 inches and 2 x 3 inches (1 x 3 inches or 2 x 2 inches, for example).

For laser printers, the tools in your seller account support the following label sizes:

  • 21 labels per page (63.5 mm x 38.1 mm on A4)
  • 24 labels per page (63.5 mm x 33.9 mm on A4, 63.5 mm x 38.1 mm on A4, 64.6 mm x 33.8 mm on A4, 66.0 mm x 33.9 mm on A4, 70.0 mm x 36.0 mm on A4, 70.0 mm x 37.0 mm on A4)
  • 27 labels per page (63.5 mm x 29.6 mm on A4)
  • 30 labels per page (1 inch x 2 5/8 inches on US letter)
  • 40 labels per page (52.5 mm x 29.7 mm on A4)
  • 44 labels per page (48.5 mm x 25.4 mm on A4)

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%.

Common problems to avoid

The following problems related to product labels may appear in your Shipping Queue.

Problem Description
Barcode missing The item arrived without a proper barcode.
Unit mislabeled The item arrived with a barcode that does not match the physical product.
Barcode cannot be scanned The barcode was either smudged or smeared, or the label was placed around a corner or curve, or was printed on a reflective surface, making the barcode unscannable.
Unit/Shipment preparation errors One or more of the items in your shipment arrived with labeling, packaging and prep, or shipping requirement errors.

For more information, go to Inbound performance summary.

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