Amazon has put in place a strict policy that requires sellers to get their codes directly from GS1 and not resellers. They are keen on validating their authenticity by conducting a UPC lookup against the GS1 UPC database.
If Amazon identifies a product with an invalid barcode, it will temporarily or permanently revoke the seller’s Amazon trading abilities. It will also do away with any reviews on the product that users left behind.
First, you must register your business with GS1. Also, you need to have your prefix and serial numbers ready. It is then that you will log on to an online barcode generator such as this.
There, you will also be required to pick the appropriate barcode type for you. You also need to fill in vital information such as the barcode data, its measurement, your email, and the UPC (optional). It is then that you can download the code to your email.
Ideally, barcodes are placed at the back of a product’s packaging, on the bottom-right side. However, you also need to consider the packaging’s curvature before placing the barcode on a product. If the surface is flat, consider the ‘picket fence’ barcode orientation and ‘ladder’ orientation for curved surfaces.
Remember that all codes should be imprinted on a smooth surface to ensure the barcode scanner reads it well.
A barcode is a set of 8 to 12 universally acceptable bar codes that label a product for easy identification.
SKUs are for the sole purpose of keeping track of inventory while UPCs are for universally identifying products and manufacturers. Another notable difference between the two is that the latter comprises numerical values only while the former consists of numbers and letters.
A barcode scanner will help you read product codes in seconds.
It was invented in 1951 by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver.
