Amazon · Guide
Amazon GTIN exemption checklist.
Before you click “I don’t have a product ID”, tick off what Amazon says it needs. The page shows what is missing and when a GS1 barcode is the better route.
Readiness checklist
Result
Tick the boxes that apply and press Check readiness.
What Amazon says
In an Amazon-staff “Quick Tip” on the Seller Central forums, Amazon says products “should not have a GS1-approved barcode” available on the product or packaging, and that if a product is not eligible you will not be able to continue the application. The steps it lists:
- Inventory, then Manage All Inventory. Click Add a product and choose “I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon”.
- Enter the product name and choose the category and product type.
- Enter the brand name. Amazon says it should be “an exact match” to the name on the product or packaging. For unbranded items and bundles, select that the product does not have a brand name.
- Select “I don’t have a product ID” and click Next. If an exemption is required, an Apply to sell button appears. Complete the form and submit.
Photos: a minimum of two and maximum of nine images showing all sides of the product, real-world photos of the product and packaging, with branding permanently affixed. Timing: an email within 48 hours, and the status shows in your case log.
When to buy GS1 barcodes instead
If your product already has a UPC or EAN from a GS1 licence, you do not need an exemption: list it with that number. A GS1 company prefix also keeps your numbers portable across retailers. Use the prefix capacity calculator to size one, and the check digit validator to confirm a number you were given is well-formed.
Limits of this page
This is a summary of one Amazon post, not Amazon policy text, and Seller Central screens change. It cannot see your account, your brand status or your category rules. Amazon’s forum page may need a Seller Central login to open.
Sources retrieved October 2026. Amazon Seller Central forums: Quick Tip, Request a Global Trade Item Number exemption (Amazon staff post).
Frequently asked questions
What is a GTIN exemption on Amazon?
A permission to list a product without a UPC, EAN or other GTIN, requested in Seller Central when you select that you do not have a product ID.
Who is not eligible?
Amazon says products should not have a GS1-approved barcode on the product or packaging. If yours does, list it with that barcode.
How many photos do I need?
Amazon’s post says a minimum of two and a maximum of nine images showing all sides of the product, as real-world photos of the product and packaging.
How long does it take?
Amazon says you will receive an email within 48 hours about the decision, and you can follow it in your case log.
Does the brand name have to match?
Amazon says the brand entered should be an exact match to the name on the product or packaging; for unbranded items and bundles you select that there is no brand name.
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