Amazon systems are barcode-driven. Each unit that you send to a fulfilment centre requires a barcode so that it can be tracked throughout the fulfilment 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, then 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 Use the Manufacturer barcode to track inventory.
Any item that requires an Amazon barcode but that arrives at a fulfilment centre without one will be subject to an unplanned prep service fee. For more information, go to Unplanned Prep Services.
Labelling your products is the third step in the six-step shipment creation process:
You have three options for labelling your products:
Products that do not qualify for stickerless, virtually tracked inventory must have FBA labels in order to be received at Amazon's fulfilment centres. By selecting the Labelling required filter on the Label Products page, you can view the products in your shipping plan that require labels. For products that require labels, you must affix a label to each unit of the product, and the label must cover any existing barcodes.
The Labelling required tab displays a list of all of the products in your shipping plan that require Amazon barcodes. Click All products to see a list of all of the products in your shipment.
The Who labels column displays information about who will affix Amazon barcodes to the products in your shipping plan.
If Amazon appears in the Who labels column, then you are required to use the FBA Label Service, because you either signed up for the FBA Label Service or selected Amazon in the Who preps column of the Prepare Products page. The per-item label fee appears in the Label cost column. Please ensure that the barcode on the product is clearly visible so that the fulfilment centre personnel can scan the UPC/EAN and label the right FNSKU on the product.
If Merchant appears in the Who labels column, then you are required to label your items yourself. To have Amazon label your products, select Amazon in the Who preps drop-down list.
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.
If you use a thermal printer, then labels are printed immediately. For laser printers, a PDF is generated which you can use to print labels using standard label paper.
In order to print quality barcodes, please make sure that you:
To create your barcodes:
You have several options for printing product labels:
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 the following:
If you are the product manufacturer or brand owner and you want to print barcodes directly onto the product packaging, then apply for your own GS1 standard UPC barcode.
When you are ready to place barcodes on your products, make sure that you do the following:
Watch this video demonstrating how to label your products (English only).
The tools in your seller account are optimised for thermal printers. You can also use laser printers. Do not use inkjet printers to print Amazon barcodes.
Each label must be readable and scannable for 24 months. The following guidelines will help to ensure that the label which 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 1 inch x 2 inches and 2 inches x 3 inches (for example, 1 inch x 3 inches or 2 inches x 2 inches).
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, then please 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, go to Inbound performance alerts and feedback.
The item arrived without a proper barcode.
The item arrived with a barcode that does not match with 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 labelling, packaging and prep, or shipping requirement errors.