How to switch from using Amazon barcodes to manufacturer barcodes

This page discusses general guidelines and requirements for using manufacturer barcodes for tracking products (virtual tracking). It also covers how to verify which of your products are eligible to use manufacturer barcodes and how to switch from using Amazon barcodes to manufacturer barcodes. For more information about virtual tracking, including product eligibility, visit Using FBA virtual tracking.

General guidelines and requirements

Seller-fulfilled listings must first be changed to Fulfilled by Amazon before you can see if the products qualify to use manufacturer barcodes for tracking. Ensure that you have selected Fulfilled by Amazon before attempting to change a barcode type selection.
For Fulfilled by Amazon product listings that already have inventory in Amazon fulfillment centers, and that are currently tracked by Amazon barcodes, you must create new listings in order to use manufacturer barcodes.
- You can change your barcode setting only for shipments not yet created. You cannot change this setting for shipments already in progress, or for inventory already in fulfillment centers.
- Any products in fulfillment centers must be sold through, or removed using a removal order, before the product listing can switch to using manufacturer barcodes.
When you create a new listing after switching from using the Amazon barcode to the manufacturer barcode, information from the previous seller SKU usually won’t apply. Typically, a new listing and new SKU will be required. See Important changes after switching to manufacturer barcodes below for more information.
Not all products are eligible for tracking using manufacturer barcodes (virtual tracking), and we update which products are eligible for this service periodically. If you receive a notification that your products are no longer eligible:
- You can sell through existing inventory that use the manufacturer barcode, or remove such inventory from Amazon fulfillment centers using a removal order.
- An Amazon barcode label will be required to continue to send these products into Amazon fulfillment centers.

Important changes after switching to manufacturer barcodes

When you create a new offer after switching to using manufacturer barcodes, information from the previous seller SKU typically won’t apply. The table below summarizes the changes and recommended steps for your new SKU.

Area affected	Change	Recommended action
Inventory recommendations	The new SKU will have its own inventory recommendations.	To avoid confusion, consider closing the old SKU’s offer and placing a removal order to have units returned to you.
Pricing recommendations	Pricing recommendations will not be available for the new SKU. That’s because certain nudges will show when a product has sold in the past 60 days but not in the past seven days.	We recommend using the past pricing recommendation for the new SKU.
Advertising recommendations	Advertising recommendations will not be shown on the new SKU until a certain number of customers have viewed it.	If you received a notification on the old SKU and want to use available promotions, apply them to the new SKU.
Business prices and quantity discounts	If you are an Amazon Business seller, you receive related recommendations and these may not be immediately available for the new SKU.	Consider applying past recommendations to the new SKU.
Inventory planning	Your new and old SKUs will have separate entries under Manage Excess Inventory, FBA Inventory Age, and Stranded Inventory.	Be sure to manage the correct inventory entries.
Targeted advertising	Targeted advertising, such as Sponsored Products, won't automatically apply to the new SKU.	Launch targeted advertising for the new SKU.
ASINs in the program	Converted ASINs may no longer be eligible for Seller Fulfilled Prime and FBA Small and Light.	Check eligibility requirements and enroll products as appropriate.
Selling globally	The new SKU will be created only for your home marketplace.	If you want to Sell Globally, you must complete the same process to change the setting in each desired marketplace. Barcode eligibility may vary by marketplace.

Verifying eligibility of products and switching to manufacturer barcodes

There are several options available to confirm product eligibility and convert to using manufacturer barcodes for tracking.

Bulk workflow: You can view and change listings in bulk by generating an Excel file with eligibility details for your existing inventory, along with instructions on how to update and upload the file to convert your eligible offers.

Go to Manufacturer barcode: Convert eligible offers and follow on-page instructions.

Replenishment workflow: You can change individual, eligible offers to use manufacturer barcodes with a setting in your replenishment workflow. A notification on the Set Quantity page shows which offers qualify for using manufacturer barcodes.

To change eligible offers from using Amazon barcodes to the manufacturer barcodes, click Convert and follow on-screen instructions.

Creating a new SKU: If you do not want to go through the replenishment or bulk workflows, you can also change individual listings one at time by creating a new SKU. If you had previous offers on the same ASIN, you may be instructed to create a new seller SKU. This means your existing SKU is already associated with inventory previously used within the Amazon fulfillment network, and therefore you must create a new SKU to move forward with the setting change.

To create a new SKU for an existing listing:

From the Inventory drop-down menu on Seller Central, select Manage FBA Inventory.
To the right of the relevant ASIN, click the Edit drop-down menu and select Add another condition.
On the offer creation page, enter a new Seller SKU, fill out the remaining required fields, and click Save and finish.
On the Choose Barcode Type page, select Manufacturer Barcode from the drop-down menu. Click Save & Continue.
Note: If Manufacturer Barcode is not available from the drop-down menu, the product may be ineligible to use the manufacturer barcode (virtual tracking). For more information, refer to the product eligibility requirements on the Using FBA virtual tracking Help page.
On the Convert to Fulfilled by Amazon page, complete Add dangerous goods information and click Save & Continue.
Note: If you were unable to select Manufacturer Barcode in step 4, your product may be ineligible for virtual tracking. To confirm, continue to your shipping plan. A notification on the Set Quantity page will show which offers qualify for the manufacturer barcode.
Click Convert & Send Inventory, and continue to your shipping plan.

Important: The requirements for using virtual tracking (with manufacturer barcodes) apply to all FBA sellers. However, sellers whose listings are registered through the Amazon Brand Registry may be exempt from the requirements. To learn more, visit About Amazon Brand Registry or the Brand Registry services page.