Online Marketplaces and Amazon
      Back to home
      1. Online Helpdesk
      2. Using your Barcodes
      3. Online Marketplaces and Amazon

      I'm having trouble listing my barcodes on Amazon. What should I do?

      If you are trying to list your products on Amazon but are receiving errors, we have a few suggestions that could help.

      Amazon can't verify who owns my barcodes. What could be the problem?

      When you purchase a new licence, that information is shared with our online database but it can take a few days for the system to reflect the new information.

      While the details are being processed, you can share your GS1 Licence certificate with Amazon and it may speed up the verification process.

      When listing on Amazon, I get an error “The value specified is lesser than the minimum allowed for the field.” What should I do?

      If you get this error message, you have likely selected the incorrect product ID for your listing.

      Below are three simple steps to fix the problem:

      • Identify the product ID: When you upload your product into Amazon Seller Central, the first attribute you are asked for is the product ID. This is the unique GS1 GTIN that is provided to you by GS1.
      • Select EAN, not GTIN: Amazon's terminology differs slightly from the GS1 language. So, for a GTIN-13, which is the barcode number length used for consumer units, you need to select 'EAN' from the product ID dropdown menu, and not 'GTIN'.
      • Go on with your listing: You should no longer see the error message and can continue building your listing. Make sure to provide as much information as possible to help those interested in your product make a buying decision.

      When listing on Amazon, I get a “8576 – EAN/UPC do not match the product you’re trying to list” error. What should I do?

      Error 8572 means that Amazon believes the GTIN is not associated with the brand of the product listed and wants more information before selling it on their platform.

      To resolve this error, you must first identify if you are a brand owner (selling a product from a brand that you created), selling someone else’s product, or if you are trying to sell a generic/unbranded product.

      • If you are selling a product from your own brand:
        • If you have a trademark:
          • Provide both your trademark certificate and GS1 license certificate to Amazon Selling Partner Support.
          • In opening a ticket with Amazon Selling Partner Support, you should mention error 8572 as well as provide the following information to ensure that the ticket ends up in the right ticket queue. 
            • Product name
            • Manufacturer name
            • Brand name
            • UPC/EAN/GTIN you’re trying to list in the first communication
            • GS1 license certificate
            • Trademark certificateIn opening a ticket with Amazon Selling Partner Support, you should mention error 8572 as well as provide the following information to ensure that the ticket ends up in the right ticket queue.
          • If you do not have a trademark:
            • Amazon accepts other solid proof than the trademark to show that the legal entity on the GS1 certificate is related to the brand. You can share this proof together with your GS1 certificate with Amazon. To do this, open a ticket with Amazon Selling Partner Support.
            • Amazon asks for: a website that displays your products or brand and its relationship the UPC/EAN/GTIN owner. Amazon only considers official websites owned by the brand, manufacturer or the UPC/EAN/GTIN owner – and the affiliation must be clearly called out.
      • If you are selling a product from someone else’s brand:
        • If the product already has a GTIN
          • You should use the product’s original GTIN assigned by the brand owner (do not assign a GTIN yourself).
          • If the error persists with the brand owner’s original GTIN, you will need to get a document from the manufacturer or brand owner clearly calling out the affiliation between the brand and the GTIN, such as the trademark.
          • You can also share an invoice or proof of purchase/transaction with the brand.
        • If the product does not have a GTIN
          • You will need to get a document from the manufacturer/brand owner stating that you are allowed to use their GTIN: it can be a legal agreement, letter of affiliation, or email with a letterhead/logo and contact information that Amazon can reach out to.
          • A copy of you GS1 prefix certificate with the legal entity
          • You can also share an invoice or proof of purchase/transaction with the brand.
      • If you are selling a generic or unbranded product:
        • If the product you want to sell does not have a brand, you will still need to enter the GTIN during the listing process. When listing the product, you will need to select the checkbox “this product does not have a brand,” after entering the GTIN.
        • You should make sure the product fulfils the non-branded /generic requirements such as no logo permanently affixed to the packaging, see all requirements here.
        • After “Generic” is used, the product cannot be branded later, and a new listing will need to be created with another GTIN for the product.

      When listing on Amazon, I get a “Potential match” error. What should I do?

      Before starting your listing process, always check Amazon's catalogue first. The “Potential match” error message means that your product is probably already in Amazon's catalogue, and you must not create a new listing.

      If your product is already in Amazon's catalogue, go to the product listing, click on the button 'I have one to sell', and add your offer to that listing instead.

      You can do this by providing details on your product, such as:

      • price
      • delivery
      • how many units do you have available
      • any other unique information you believe would be helpful.

      If you believe Amazon has matched your product to one already in their catalogue incorrectly, you will need to raise a case with Amazon via Seller Central.

      I get a “8541 – Product Already Exists” error or a “5461 – ASIN Creation Violation” error when listing on Amazon. What should I do?

      If you encounter this error, it means someone else is likely already using the same GS1 GTIN on Amazon and that the product data you entered does not match with the product already online. We call this “GTIN hijacking”.

      If you are the product brand owner, or have the right to assign a GTIN, you should first open a ticket with Amazon Selling Partner Support. In the ticket you should include the following information from the first communication, to ensure that the ticket ends up in the correct ticketing queue.

      • Your GS1 license certificate for the prefix
      • Your trademark certificate (if applicable)
      • Statement that this is a GTIN hijacking scenario with the text of the error message and error code from Amazon (error code: 8541)
      • A screenshot of the product that is misusing the GTIN
      • If possible, the ASIN/link for the product that is misusing the GTIN

      If the response from Amazon Selling Partner Support is not helpful, close the ticket and re-open it with all the information listed above. The ticket may have ended up in the wrong ticket queue.