Use an Amazon barcode to track inventory

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.

See our videos for additional information

• Your first FBA shipment: Labelling
• Inventory labelling requirements
• How to label products for Fulfilment by Amazon

Downloads

• Packaging and shipping inventory to Amazon (PDF)
• How to label products (PDF)

Label products

Labelling your products is the third step in the six-step shipment creation process:

1. Set quantity
2. Prepare products to be shipped with Amazon
3. Label products
4. Preview shipments
5. Prepare shipment
6. Summary of shipment process

You have three options for labelling your products:

• Use existing UPC or EAN barcodes for eligible products
• Affix Amazon barcodes directly to the product or packaging material
• Use the FBA Label Service to apply barcodes to your products for a per-item fee

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.

Labelling required

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.

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.

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:

• Use the correct label stock for your printer
• Use a printer with a resolution of 300 DPI or greater
• Test, clean and replace your printer heads as needed
• Periodically test the scannability of your printed barcodes

To create your barcodes:

1. Select the label stock that you want to use from the drop-down list.
2. Confirm the number of barcode labels that you want to print for each product or change the number shown in the # of labels to print column.
3. Click Print labels for this page. A PDF file will be generated that you can open to print your labels immediately or save to print the labels later.

You have several options for printing product labels:

To print Amazon barcodes from the Label Products page:

1. Select the shipment that you want to work on from the Shipping Queue page.
2. In the Items column, verify the number of each product that you want to send.
3. At the bottom of the page, click Print labels. For thermal printers, the labels will be printed automatically. For laser printers, a PDF will be generated for use with label paper.

To print Amazon barcodes from the Manage Inventory page:

1. Identify the listing(s) for which you would like to create your labels.
   • For single listings, select Actions next to the product.
   • For multiple listings, select the checkbox to the left of each listing.
2. Select Print Item Labels from the Actions drop-down menu.
3. Review the products, and choose your Paper/Sticker type.
4. Click Print Item Labels.

Amazon barcode requirements

When printing Amazon barcodes onto labels, make sure that the printed labels include the following:

• 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)
• ASIN or FNSKU
• Product name
• Item condition

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.

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.
• Place the barcode on the outside of 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.

FBA label products

Watch this video demonstrating how to label your products (English only).

Printer requirements

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:

• 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 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:

• 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, then please make sure that the printer scaling is set to None or 100%.

Common problems with inventory labels

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

• Barcode label missing: The item arrived without a proper barcode.
• Unit mislabelled: The item arrived with a barcode that does not match with the physical product.
• Barcode cannot be scanned: The barcode was either smudged or smeared, or the label was placed around a corner or curve, making the barcode unscannable.
• Unit/shipment preparation errors: One or more of the items in your shipment arrived with labelling, packaging and prep, or shipping requirement errors.

For more information, go to Inbound performance alerts and feedback.

Barcode label missing

The item arrived without a proper barcode.

Unit mislabelled

The item arrived with a barcode that does not match with the physical product.

Barcode cannot be scanned

The barcode was either smudged or smeared, or the label was placed around a corner or curve, making the barcode unscannable.

Unit/Shipment Preparation Errors

One or more of the items in your shipment arrived with labelling, packaging and prep, or shipping requirement errors.