Part 6: registering on Amazon and applying for a GTIN exemption

Name: Part 6: Amazon registration and GTIN exemption
Uploaded: 2022-07-18
Duration: 6 min 47 s
Description: The step that blocks most print-on-demand sellers. Amazon wants a barcode for every product, and custom-printed items have none. Here is the exemption process.

6:47 Published July 2022 Watch on YouTube

Amazon expects a GTIN, meaning a UPC or EAN barcode, for every product listed. Print-on-demand garments have none, and buying barcodes for designs that may sell a handful of units makes no sense. A GTIN exemption, applied for per brand and category in Seller Central, is the way through.

This part registers the seller account and walks through the exemption application. More print-on-demand sellers give up on Amazon at this step than any other. The process is procedural rather than difficult, and you have to know it exists.

What you will learn

How to register as an Amazon seller for a new print-on-demand brand.
Why Amazon requires a GTIN and when an exemption applies.
How to complete the GTIN exemption application.
What to prepare so the application is approved first time.

Steps shown in the video

Register an Amazon seller account for the region you will sell in.
Complete the identity and business verification Amazon requires.
Open the GTIN exemption application in Seller Central.
Apply for the exemption for your brand and product category.
Wait for approval and confirm listings can be created without barcodes.

PreviousPart 5: final edits and launching the store NextPart 7: creating variation products directly on Amazon

19 Jul

Registration on Amazon & GTIN Exemption – T-Shirt dropshipping with Shopify

03 Oct

List on Amazon, eBay and Etsy without barcodes: errors and solutions

Questions about this workflow

Permission from Amazon to list products without a UPC or EAN barcode. Amazon grants it per brand and product category, and it is the standard route for handmade, custom-printed and private-label goods that have no manufacturer barcode.

No. eBay accepts listings without a product identifier in most categories, and Etsy does not use GTINs at all. Amazon applies the strict rule, so this step appears in the Amazon part of the series.