Listings · Beginner · 6 min read · 9 steps
How to apply for a GTIN exemption on Amazon
Most Amazon categories want a GTIN, usually a UPC, before they'll let you create a new listing. That's fine for a brand with a GS1 account. It's less fine for a candle maker, a private-label startup or anyone bundling a belt with a wallet. For them, Amazon has the GTIN exemption: a pass to list without a product ID.
The pass is granted by category and by store, not product by product, so one approval can cover a whole line. The catch is the paperwork, which is mostly photos. Amazon lists its top rejection reasons in plain sight, and almost all of them are about pictures. Here's how to get it right the first time.
Part 01
Step by step
9 steps, in the order Seller Central asks for them.
- 01Confirm you actually need one
You qualify if your product isn't already in the Amazon catalog, has no product ID or GS1 barcode, and you have category approval where it's required. Private-label and handmade goods, parts without a product ID, bundles and generic unbranded products all fit. If the item already has a GTIN, list it with that instead.
Sources: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN), Seller Central Help, Listing requirements: Product IDs (GTINs)
- 02Check for an exemption you already have
Exemptions are granted at the parent product type and cover every child type under it. A Party_Supplies exemption already covers Balloon, for example. If you're covered, the Apply now option simply won't appear, because there's nothing to apply for.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 03Shoot real photos of every side
Take real-world photos, not renderings, of the front, back, left, right, top and bottom of the product and its packaging. Flat items need front and back. Books need the front cover, back cover, spine and the inside cover with the publisher name. Use JPEG or PNG, well lit, no bigger than 10MB each.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 04Make sure the brand is permanently on the product
Amazon accepts embossed or debossed logos, printed or screened names, sewn-in labels, permanent stickers and tags, and metal or plastic nameplates. Removable stickers, temporary tags and anything added digitally don't count, and the brand name has to match across every image.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 05Start a new listing in Add Products
Go to Add Products, type your product title into the search bar and click Search, then click Create a new listing. Fill in the details and pick the right product type.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 06Enter the brand name exactly
Type the brand as it appears on the product. Hyphens, periods and all caps are fine when they match the product. Extra spaces, underscores and trademark symbols are not. For a truly unbranded item, choose "This product does not have a brand name" instead.
Sources: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN), Seller Central Help, Amazon generic product policy
- 07Check "I don't have a product ID" and click Next
Generic items get an automatic approval. A brand on Amazon that isn't GTIN-mandatory opens an application window. If you don't see the link right away, look in your Seller Application dashboard for a pending draft, then finish it with your photos.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 08Watch the case log for the decision
Branded applications get an answer within 48 hours, and the status is in your case log. If you own the brand, approval brings both brand name approval and the GTIN exemption. If you're not yet affiliated with the brand, approval also covers creating new ASINs for it.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 09Wait 30 minutes, then list
After approval, give Amazon's systems 30 minutes before you list, or you may hit a product ID error. Enter the category and brand exactly as they appear in the approval notice. One by one, use the Blank form and check "I don't have a product ID." In bulk, pick GTIN exempt as the Product ID type and leave the Product ID column blank.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Part 02 Compare
Compare the options: Which GTIN exemption path are you on?
Tap the situation that sounds like you. Each one comes straight from Amazon's own scenario table.
Generic
- Who
- Truly generic, unbranded products
- Brand field
- This product does not have a brand name
- Decision
- Automatic approval
- Then
- Wait 30 minutes before you list
- Not for
- Printed books
Your brand
- Who
- Brand owner without a product ID
- Brand field
- Your brand, for brand name approval
- Decision
- Within 48 hours, in the case log
- If approved
- Brand name approval plus the exemption
- Photos
- Every side of product and packaging
Someone else's brand
- Who
- Seller not yet affiliated with the brand
- Brand field
- The brand's name
- Decision
- Within 48 hours, in the case log
- If approved
- New ASIN creation approval plus the exemption
- Tip
- A letter of authorization helps an exception request
GS1 brand
- Who
- Brands Amazon has seen with GS1 barcodes
- Brand field
- Shows a notice that a GTIN is required
- Decision
- Automatic decline
- Way forward
- Get the GTIN from the brand owner or GS1
- Exception
- Ask Selling Partner Support with photos
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Part 03
The picture
The same facts, drawn. Each chart links to the Amazon page it comes from.
The path for a brand that isn't GTIN-mandatory, from Amazon's scenario table.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceMinimum sides to photograph from Amazon's image requirements. Bundles also need each component on its own plus the assembled set.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Data desk by XENA Intelligence- Real-world photos, not digital renderings
- Front, back, left, right, top and bottom
- Product and packaging both shown
- Well lit and clear
- JPEG or PNG, 10MB or less each
- Same brand name in every image
From the image requirements on Amazon's GTIN exemption help page.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePasses
- Brand Name
- BRAND NAME, if the product says so
- Brand-Name
- Brand.Name
- bRand, when that's the real styling
Bounces
- B rand Name, with an extra space
- BrandName with a trademark symbol
- Brand_Name with an underscore
- Capitals that differ from the product
- A removable sticker as your brand marking
Amazon's correct and incorrect examples for the brand name field.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePart 04
Tricks the help page buries
The lines in Amazon's own documentation that most sellers scroll past.
- 1One approval covers the whole category
You need a separate exemption for each store and category, but not for each product. Amazon's own example: one apparel exemption covers a shirt, pants and any future apparel you list without product IDs. Sell in more than one Amazon store and you'll repeat it in each.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 2The rejection list is a photo checklist
Amazon's top reasons for rejection are missing six-sided images, renderings instead of real photos, low quality, a brand name that isn't permanently affixed or was digitally altered, a name that doesn't match across images and a GS1 barcode that already exists. Fix those and you've fixed most denials.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 3Generic means generic forever
Once a listing goes live with "generic" as the brand, the brand field can't change. Rebranding later means a brand new listing. If you plan to put your name on the product within a few months, apply as a brand now.
- 4Cheap UPCs can cost you the account
Amazon checks UPCs against the GS1 database. Codes that don't match are invalid, those listings get removed, and ASIN creation or selling privileges can be suspended. Buy from GS1 directly or use the exemption, not a reseller's bargain bin.
Source: Seller Central Help, Valid UPCs
- 5An exemption can expire
Amazon regularly looks for brands that have registered GTINs and may expire old exemptions for brands that have since acquired GS1 barcodes. If you buy barcodes later, use them on new listings rather than mixing the two approaches.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
- 6Read the error number before you rewrite anything
Error 5665 is a brand name mismatch, 5461 means you aren't approved to create new ASINs, 8541 means an attribute matches an existing ASIN and 8542 is a multiple-match error. An error 400 usually means an image file failed the requirements.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Part 05
Questions sellers ask
Tap a question to open it.
What is a GTIN exemption on Amazon?
It's Amazon's approval to create listings without a product ID such as a UPC, EAN, JAN or ISBN. It's granted for a product category in a specific store and covers every product you list in that category, which suits private-label, handmade, generic and bundled products that have no barcode.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
How long does an Amazon GTIN exemption take?
Truly generic, unbranded products are approved automatically. Branded applications get a decision within 48 hours, shown in your case log. After approval, wait 30 minutes before you list, or you may see a product ID error while the exemption reaches all of Amazon's systems.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Why was my GTIN exemption denied?
Amazon's most common reasons are missing photos of all six sides, digital renderings instead of real photos, low-quality images, a brand name that isn't permanently on the product, a name that doesn't match across images and an existing GS1 barcode. Brands Amazon knows use GS1 barcodes are declined automatically.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Do I need a GTIN exemption for every product?
No. You need one exemption per category and per Amazon store. Once you're approved for apparel in the US store, for example, the same exemption covers a shirt, pants and any future apparel you list there without product IDs.
Source: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN)
Can I list a generic product on Amazon without a UPC?
Yes. Choose "This product does not have a brand name," check "I don't have a product ID" and the GTIN exemption is approved automatically. Just know that a generic listing's brand field can never be changed later, and listing a branded product as generic breaks Amazon's policy.
Sources: Seller Central Help, List products that do not have a product ID (UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN), Seller Central Help, Amazon generic product policy
Can I buy cheap UPC codes instead of applying?
Amazon verifies UPCs against the GS1 database and treats codes that don't match as invalid. Those listings are removed and can cost you ASIN creation or selling privileges. Amazon tells sellers to get UPCs directly from GS1, not from third parties reselling UPC licenses.
Source: Seller Central Help, Valid UPCs
Sources
Every fact above comes from these Amazon pages, opened on . Amazon updates them; if a step looks different in your account, trust Seller Central.