:bangbang: Regarding GTINs and how to navigate the GS1 dashboard
This thread has been written to help clarify some of the most common questions regarding GTINs and Products IDs, as well as to explain how and where to obtain them.
The thread is divided into four sections:
- The Thread itself contains FAQs and definitions related to GTINs
- The First answer explains how to assign a GS1 GTIN to a product
- The Second answer explains hot to assign a GS1 GTIN to a higher level product (the difference between the GTIN of a 12-pack or the individual units that conform the 12-pack)
- The Third answer gives some considerations on SKUs
All the links are connected to Amazon Help pages and other forum threads.
The first two answers to this thread contain a significant amount of print-screens from the GS1 website. Please understand that many of the images were edited for the examples, so it is possible that there are some inaccuracies. Additionally, GS1 may update its interface at any time, so while the process may remain similar, some of the print-screens may not work in the near future.
Lastly, I want to thank @ABC_23, @Dogtamer, @Oneida and @Papyrophilia for taking the time to review, improve, and edit this thread. Needless to say, any word longer than three syllables that isn’t misspelled is not of my penmanship.
What are GTIN, UPC, EAN, ISBN, ASIN, SKU and FNSKU?
The quickest answer is that (with the exemption of the ASIN and the SKU) they are what we commonly call barcodes. Simply put they are string of numbers, or alpha-numeric combinations, that identify a specific product.
Amazon often refers to Product ID’s such as UPC, EAN, JAN or ISBN as “GTINs”.
When creating a Product Detail Page, Amazon accepts the GTINs as products identifiers. Amazon checks if the GTIN is already listed on its database, and if it isn’t, it allows the seller to add a new product.
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a 14-digit unique identifier that links a brand to a product. The GTIN-14 identifies a “case pack” that can be sold as a unit. When selling an entire case, use the GTIN-14 as the product ID rather than the UPC for a single item contained in the case. In other words, a 6-pack of sodas has a GTIN, the individual soda has a UPC. When listing a 6-pack, the seller should use the GTIN-14.
For Amazon’s purposes (and for the vast majority of commerce in general) GTINs are managed by an organization called GS1.
GS1 US GTINs are not available to identify medical devices, pharmaceutical products, variable measure products or mixed cases. If you are regulated in healthcare you must license an NDC/NHRIC company prefix.
UPC (Universal Product Code, 12-digit) and EAN (European Article Number, 13-digit) are types of GTINs that are best described in the following image.
A seller that has the UPC or EAN of an item has a GTIN for said item. The only difference is the number of digits. When “adding a product” to Amazon, the seller simply needs to select the option that correspond to the type of GTIN.
Additional differences exist. Most sellers do not need to worry about them, at least not when starting, but different codes exist. For instance, a UPC can be A or E; an EAN can be 13 or 8. And so on so forth. This is not pertinent for a short-guide, but are differences that sellers may encounter.
It’s not uncommon to read about GTIN-12. A GTIN-12 from GS1 is simply a UPC from GS1.
ISBN (ISBN-10 & ISBN-13) (International Standard Book Number) is a similar concept, for books, and is regulated by ISBN-International. Before 2007 ISBNs were 10 digits long, ISBNs assigned after 2007 are 13 digits long.
ISBN-13’s will begin with either 978 or 979 as made available by GS1.
New products can be added to Amazon through their GTIN, UPC, EAN and ISBN.
Some products can apply for an exemption. This thread does not elaborate on either ISBNs or the GTIN exemption. When products are added to the Amazon catalogue, they are organized with an identifier called ASIN.
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), is a 10-digit alphanumerical code that serves to identify products on Amazon. ASINs are the unique values that Amazon uses to catalogue listings. Each product has a unique ASIN, except for books, where the ASIN is the same as the ISBN.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) are unique blocks of letters and/or numbers that identify your products. SKUs are assigned by the seller. Different sellers may sell the same ASIN, but each seller would assign its own individual SKU. SKUs are typically codes that the seller creates with the intent to quickly identify the different items that are being listed. A seller may have multiple SKUs for the same ASIN, for instance if said sellers is selling the product both FBM and FBA. In a later part of this thread, I give some recommendations on how to structure SKUs.
Amazon has a help page called “How to read an Inventory Report” where it gives formal definitions of the concepts of ASIN and SKU.
FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) also known as Amazon Barcode, is a different type of identifier that only works for FBA products. FNSKUs can’t be used to create new listings or as a tool to add new products. Just like the ISBNs, ASINSs, and GTIN’s exemption, FNSKUs are not the point of this thread. Amazon provides enough information about them through its help pages and Seller University.
@papyrophilia has written this explanation on the concepts explored in this post.
I have also written about them previously in this thread: List of common abbreviations and simplified definition of common terms.
How do barcodes work?
Barcodes are just a scannable representation of the Product Identifier. They are “read” by measuring the space between the vertical lines. The numbers are a reference for us to distinguish them, while the scanners “read” the spaces between the lines.
This image indicates the distribution of information in a standard 12-digit UPC
The information indicates the manufacturer, the item number, and a check digit to verify the authenticity of the barcode. The thing to remember is that barcodes should not be falsified, as they represent the identity of a product and link it to a brand.
A barcode can only be assigned to a product. The barcode however can be used unlimited times on the same product. For instance, the barcode of a coke-bottle is unique to that size of coke-bottle, but is printed millions of times every day on millions of bottles.
Where do I get a barcode?
Amazon explicitly indicates that GTINs need to be from GS1 dot org.
Some sellers may still sell products that have GTINs from other sources, but all new sellers must obtain the GTINs from GS1.
New sellers that want to add products to the Amazon catalogue need to link their products to a GS1 GTIN. Some of the following sections of this thread will explain how to navigate the GS1 website, and what information is needed to assign GTINs to products.
As explained before, GTINs link brands with products, and can only be used by a specific brand for a specific product. A company that wants to Private Label a product using the services of a third-party manufacturer needs to use its own GTIN; it can not use the third-party manufacturer’s GTIN, as that would link the product to the manufacturer, and not to the brand owner.
Having a GTIN from GS1 is completely different/independent from having a registered brand. In order to register a brand, companies need to access USPTO (United States Patents and Trademark Office). For more information read 5 laws and legal concepts to keep in mind.
How do I check if a GTIN is valid?
Normal barcode scanners (downloadable to smart phones) can verify the validity of many codes.
The GS1 website offers the following free tool to check if a code is registered on its site.
The “Add New Product” feature on Amazon does not allow to check the validity of a GTIN, it only allows to check if an item is listed with a given identifier.
How much does it cost to obtain a GTIN from GS1?
Depends.
A single barcode costs $30.
Creating an account allows to purchase multiple barcodes. A company that purchases a subscription will follow the pricing of the following table.
Plans can be upgraded. A company can start with 10 and graduate to the following threshold.
How to access the GTINs on the GS1 website?
Any company that opens an account with GS1 will have to input the company’s information, and follow the instructions indicated on the website. There’s not much science to that part of the process and I will not dwell on explaining how to input the company name or address. I will just emphasize the importance of being accurate when providing this information.
Once the account is up and running, the user will access the GS1 US Data Hub. This dashboard lists the existing GTINs (none for first time users) and gives the option of creating new GTINs (as long as the existing plan allows for new GTINs).
The dashboard of the Data Hub will look something like this:
:bangbang: Regarding GTINs and how to navigate the GS1 dashboard
This thread has been written to help clarify some of the most common questions regarding GTINs and Products IDs, as well as to explain how and where to obtain them.
The thread is divided into four sections:
- The Thread itself contains FAQs and definitions related to GTINs
- The First answer explains how to assign a GS1 GTIN to a product
- The Second answer explains hot to assign a GS1 GTIN to a higher level product (the difference between the GTIN of a 12-pack or the individual units that conform the 12-pack)
- The Third answer gives some considerations on SKUs
All the links are connected to Amazon Help pages and other forum threads.
The first two answers to this thread contain a significant amount of print-screens from the GS1 website. Please understand that many of the images were edited for the examples, so it is possible that there are some inaccuracies. Additionally, GS1 may update its interface at any time, so while the process may remain similar, some of the print-screens may not work in the near future.
Lastly, I want to thank @ABC_23, @Dogtamer, @Oneida and @Papyrophilia for taking the time to review, improve, and edit this thread. Needless to say, any word longer than three syllables that isn’t misspelled is not of my penmanship.
What are GTIN, UPC, EAN, ISBN, ASIN, SKU and FNSKU?
The quickest answer is that (with the exemption of the ASIN and the SKU) they are what we commonly call barcodes. Simply put they are string of numbers, or alpha-numeric combinations, that identify a specific product.
Amazon often refers to Product ID’s such as UPC, EAN, JAN or ISBN as “GTINs”.
When creating a Product Detail Page, Amazon accepts the GTINs as products identifiers. Amazon checks if the GTIN is already listed on its database, and if it isn’t, it allows the seller to add a new product.
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is a 14-digit unique identifier that links a brand to a product. The GTIN-14 identifies a “case pack” that can be sold as a unit. When selling an entire case, use the GTIN-14 as the product ID rather than the UPC for a single item contained in the case. In other words, a 6-pack of sodas has a GTIN, the individual soda has a UPC. When listing a 6-pack, the seller should use the GTIN-14.
For Amazon’s purposes (and for the vast majority of commerce in general) GTINs are managed by an organization called GS1.
GS1 US GTINs are not available to identify medical devices, pharmaceutical products, variable measure products or mixed cases. If you are regulated in healthcare you must license an NDC/NHRIC company prefix.
UPC (Universal Product Code, 12-digit) and EAN (European Article Number, 13-digit) are types of GTINs that are best described in the following image.
A seller that has the UPC or EAN of an item has a GTIN for said item. The only difference is the number of digits. When “adding a product” to Amazon, the seller simply needs to select the option that correspond to the type of GTIN.
Additional differences exist. Most sellers do not need to worry about them, at least not when starting, but different codes exist. For instance, a UPC can be A or E; an EAN can be 13 or 8. And so on so forth. This is not pertinent for a short-guide, but are differences that sellers may encounter.
It’s not uncommon to read about GTIN-12. A GTIN-12 from GS1 is simply a UPC from GS1.
ISBN (ISBN-10 & ISBN-13) (International Standard Book Number) is a similar concept, for books, and is regulated by ISBN-International. Before 2007 ISBNs were 10 digits long, ISBNs assigned after 2007 are 13 digits long.
ISBN-13’s will begin with either 978 or 979 as made available by GS1.
New products can be added to Amazon through their GTIN, UPC, EAN and ISBN.
Some products can apply for an exemption. This thread does not elaborate on either ISBNs or the GTIN exemption. When products are added to the Amazon catalogue, they are organized with an identifier called ASIN.
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), is a 10-digit alphanumerical code that serves to identify products on Amazon. ASINs are the unique values that Amazon uses to catalogue listings. Each product has a unique ASIN, except for books, where the ASIN is the same as the ISBN.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) are unique blocks of letters and/or numbers that identify your products. SKUs are assigned by the seller. Different sellers may sell the same ASIN, but each seller would assign its own individual SKU. SKUs are typically codes that the seller creates with the intent to quickly identify the different items that are being listed. A seller may have multiple SKUs for the same ASIN, for instance if said sellers is selling the product both FBM and FBA. In a later part of this thread, I give some recommendations on how to structure SKUs.
Amazon has a help page called “How to read an Inventory Report” where it gives formal definitions of the concepts of ASIN and SKU.
FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) also known as Amazon Barcode, is a different type of identifier that only works for FBA products. FNSKUs can’t be used to create new listings or as a tool to add new products. Just like the ISBNs, ASINSs, and GTIN’s exemption, FNSKUs are not the point of this thread. Amazon provides enough information about them through its help pages and Seller University.
@papyrophilia has written this explanation on the concepts explored in this post.
I have also written about them previously in this thread: List of common abbreviations and simplified definition of common terms.
How do barcodes work?
Barcodes are just a scannable representation of the Product Identifier. They are “read” by measuring the space between the vertical lines. The numbers are a reference for us to distinguish them, while the scanners “read” the spaces between the lines.
This image indicates the distribution of information in a standard 12-digit UPC
The information indicates the manufacturer, the item number, and a check digit to verify the authenticity of the barcode. The thing to remember is that barcodes should not be falsified, as they represent the identity of a product and link it to a brand.
A barcode can only be assigned to a product. The barcode however can be used unlimited times on the same product. For instance, the barcode of a coke-bottle is unique to that size of coke-bottle, but is printed millions of times every day on millions of bottles.
Where do I get a barcode?
Amazon explicitly indicates that GTINs need to be from GS1 dot org.
Some sellers may still sell products that have GTINs from other sources, but all new sellers must obtain the GTINs from GS1.
New sellers that want to add products to the Amazon catalogue need to link their products to a GS1 GTIN. Some of the following sections of this thread will explain how to navigate the GS1 website, and what information is needed to assign GTINs to products.
As explained before, GTINs link brands with products, and can only be used by a specific brand for a specific product. A company that wants to Private Label a product using the services of a third-party manufacturer needs to use its own GTIN; it can not use the third-party manufacturer’s GTIN, as that would link the product to the manufacturer, and not to the brand owner.
Having a GTIN from GS1 is completely different/independent from having a registered brand. In order to register a brand, companies need to access USPTO (United States Patents and Trademark Office). For more information read 5 laws and legal concepts to keep in mind.
How do I check if a GTIN is valid?
Normal barcode scanners (downloadable to smart phones) can verify the validity of many codes.
The GS1 website offers the following free tool to check if a code is registered on its site.
The “Add New Product” feature on Amazon does not allow to check the validity of a GTIN, it only allows to check if an item is listed with a given identifier.
How much does it cost to obtain a GTIN from GS1?
Depends.
A single barcode costs $30.
Creating an account allows to purchase multiple barcodes. A company that purchases a subscription will follow the pricing of the following table.
Plans can be upgraded. A company can start with 10 and graduate to the following threshold.
How to access the GTINs on the GS1 website?
Any company that opens an account with GS1 will have to input the company’s information, and follow the instructions indicated on the website. There’s not much science to that part of the process and I will not dwell on explaining how to input the company name or address. I will just emphasize the importance of being accurate when providing this information.
Once the account is up and running, the user will access the GS1 US Data Hub. This dashboard lists the existing GTINs (none for first time users) and gives the option of creating new GTINs (as long as the existing plan allows for new GTINs).
The dashboard of the Data Hub will look something like this:
4 replies
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
How to assign a new GTIN to a product using the GS1 portal?
It’s not a difficult process. I have added a large amount of print screens, but it’s a simple sequence.
First step is to click “Add new”. The following screen will open, and the user will input the basic information of the product.
Product description will be a short description of what the product is: (i.e.) TallyTony’s Boiled Peanuts 12 oz.
Brand name: the name of the brand. (i.e.) TallyTony.
The SKU is optional, but for consistency I suggest using it. In this case let’s assume that it is TTBP12Oz (easy to read, TallyTony’s Boiled Peanuts 12 Oz)
Packing level: refers to what is being identified by this particular GTIN. On this case is “each” because it refers to the individual can of 12 oz.
I have highlighted the option to the right: “can this product be purchased by the consumer?” For products that are in the level “each” the answer is usually a checkmark. For higher levels (perhaps a pallet) the answer may be “no” in which case the option should not be checked. The problem with not checking this symbol is that some marketplaces (Walmart) will not allow the seller to list products that are registered as “Can not be purchased by the consumer”. If the option is not selected, the GTIN will be different in shape, and it will start with a different value.
Once this information is added, the user can press “save”. The GTIN has not been created, but it is in an incipient state.
From here, the user can switch to the additional tabs. For instance, “Additional Information will require weights, measures and comments”.
Once this information is included, the user goes back to product details, where the user will select “Auto Assign GTIN” and “save”.
Unless otherwise indicated, the product has been saved as a draft. It will be listed as “pre-market”. (There is a drop-down menu where the user can select the option “market” directly) but please check the post below for the missing steps and how to switch the GTIN from “pre-market” to “in-use”.
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
How to assign a new GTIN for a higher-level product using the GS1 portal? A barcode for a box containing X units of a product that has a GTIN of its own.
The process is similar. We click “Add New” and fill the information. On this example we will create a 12 pack for the product we created previously.
We are creating the GTIN for a 12 pack that contains 12 units of 12 oz each.
The information will be filled exactly as indicated before. So for this example, the product description will be “TallyTony’s Boiled Peanuts, 12 pack”, the brand “TallyTony’s” the SKU “TTBP1212”, packing-level “case” and we will select that this item can be sold to the public. Once the product is “saved”, the screen will look like this (after the product is saved, the new section won’t open until the basic information is saved)
When pressing “Add content” the following window will open:
From there we will select the product that goes inside the box. Press “Add to Container”.
We will be returned to the previous screen, where we will select the number of items that make up the box. In this case, as it is a 12pack, it will be 12 units.
Just like with the lower-level code, we can add the dimensions and weights of the box by clicking on the “Additional Information” tab, and we can check the “Hierarchy” tab to confirm that the product is indeed linked to the right lower-level GTIN.
The “tree level” value simply indicates the distance from this GTIN to the ones it contains. For instance, if we created a GTIN for a pallet, and the pallet had 120 boxes, the “Tree Levels” of that new barcode would be “1” to the box, and “2” to the individual barcode.
Once all the information is in, and accepted, we can return to the “Product Details” tab.
Here we will press “Auto Assign GTIN” and then “save”. This step is common for any level of GTIN that is being done.
A user that zooms into the image will see that below the “Auto Assign GTIN” button there is a drop-down menu that reads “Status”; that “Status” can be changed to “pre-market” or “in-use”. If switched to “in-use” and then saved, the GTIN will be ready to be used. (Do wait 24-48 hours for it to be active)
I like however to take steps one at a time. So assuming that the drop-down menus is not changed, the GTIN will be saved as “draft” or “pre-market”. The Dashboard of Data Hub will look something like this:
By clicking on the “Pre-market” tab, we will reach this screen:
From here, if we “Select All” and “Update Status to Use”, the barcodes will be switched to “In Use” status. Again, allow for some 24-48 hours for the GTIN to be readily available to use in the marketplaces.
The last step would be to print the barcode. Any designer worth its salt would be able to “generate” the barcode from the numbers. However, it is easy to print from the Data Hub. If we click on the newly created product (that is already switched to In-Use) we will see that a new tab “Barcode” has appeared:
If we click on the “Barcode” tab, we will be redirected to:
If we click Preview Barcode a new screen will open, and it will allow us to download a .png file with the barcode.
Seller_4RRTjOpWG0qkj
Regarding SKUs
Anybody who took the time and trouble to read the guide may have seen that the SKUs I used were very short, but informative and consistent. I’ll list them again:
For the can of 12 oz: TTBP12OZ
For the 6 pack of 12 Oz: TTBP6P12
For the 12 pack of 12 Oz: TTBP1212
All of my SKUs are the same length. It doesn’t matter if it refers to a raw material, a finished product, a product that I do or a product that I do for a customer. They always have 8 digits. This is not just elegant, is simple to read.
The first question would be, aren’t you limited by just having 8 digits? The answer of course is not. I can use the 26 letters of the alphabet plus the 10 numbers from 0-9. That allows me to permutate 36 values on 8 different positions. A binomial distribution 36! on 8! allows for an infinite number of combinations; if not infinite, larger than I care to count. We are a family company that has been in business since 1970, handle thousands (if not tens of thousands) of codes, and they all follow the 8-digit limit.
Now, I’m not saying that this is the only way to do things. I’m only saying this is the way I do them to keep things easy for me to read.
Let’s go back to the example:
TTBP12OZ easily reads T ally T ony’s B oiled P eanuts 12 OZ
TTBP6P12 easily reads T ally T ony’s B oiled P eanuts, 6 p ack, 12 Oz
TTBP1212 easily reads T ally T ony’s B oiled P eanuts, 12 pack, 12 Oz
Let’s assume that I’m mostly FBM, and I have been selling FBM for a long time. One day I decided to switch to FBA. If my existing SKU for FBM was TTBP12OZ. My SKU for FBA would likely be TTBP12OP, where the “P” would stand for “Prime”.
Again, any seller that would simply call the SKU TTBP12OZ-FBA is correct and well within the right to do so. I’m just fastidious and try to keep my codes the same length.
Inside my shop, how do I call my raw materials using an 8-digit code?
Instead of using the first 2-digits for the brand I can use them to refer to the raw material: TCBP12OZ would be “Tin Can, Boiled Peanuts, 12 Oz”. PCBP12OZ would be “Plastic Cap, Boiled Peanuts, 12 Oz”. If I had a 6 Oz presentation, I could simply call the finished product TTBP06OZ, the empty can TCBP06OZ and the lid would be PCBP06OZ.
If I wanted to fill the product for a customer, let’s say that Mr. Peanuts wanted me to fill for them, I could call the product MPBP12OZ. Thanks to the beauty of standardization, I would try to use the same can and lid, so the codes for those raw materials would remain the same. If they were to be different, I would simply change some of the digits in a logical way to keep track. For instance, TCBPMP12 could read “Tin Can, Boiled Peanuts, Mr. Peanut, 12 oz”.
