Amazon listing errors with UPC / EAN codes

What each error means, what to try first, and a ready-made message for Amazon Seller Support.

Most Amazon listing errors are not caused by the barcode itself. They come from the brand field, Amazon's brand-approval rules or a product that is already in the catalogue. Find the message Amazon showed you below. Our codes are GS1-origin UPC / EAN numbers, resold with a transfer certificate: they are valid and unused, but GS1's own lookup still shows the company the prefix was first issued to, not you. Several of the fixes below come back to that point.

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If Amazon won't accept one of our codes because of the code itself, we help you fix it - and if we can't, we refund your unused codes.

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Error 8572: codes that do not match the products

You are using UPCs, EANs, ISBNs, ASINs or JAN codes that do not match the products you are trying to list.

What it means

Amazon compares the code with GS1's records and expects the brand on your listing to match the company GS1 has on file. For a resold code, GS1's record names the company the prefix was originally issued to, so this automatic check can fail even though the code is valid and unused. Amazon then wants proof that you have the right to use it.

What to try

Make the Brand field match your product and packaging exactly - same spelling, spaces and capital letters.
Fill in your transfer certificate with that same brand or company name, using the CERTIFICATES link in your order email. It must match the Brand field character for character.
Open a case with Amazon Seller Support. Give the product name, brand, manufacturer and the UPC / EAN, and attach all the documents listed above.
If Amazon insists on a GS1 company prefix in your own name, our codes cannot provide one. Your options are then a GTIN exemption from Amazon or a GS1 membership - contact us before you decide and we will look at the case with you.

Message for Amazon Seller Support - copy it, then replace the parts in [brackets]

Hello,

I am getting error 8572 when listing my product.

UPC: [UPC]
Product: [PRODUCT NAME]
Brand: [BRAND]
Manufacturer: [MANUFACTURER]

I bought this UPC from BarcodeLove (Lovco Ltd), a reseller of GS1-origin barcodes. The code has never been used. GS1's records show the company the prefix was originally issued to, which is expected for a resold code.

Attached:
- Certificate of GTIN Assignment (transfer certificate naming my brand)
- Letter of Authorisation
- Barcode Confirmation letter
- GS1 Certificate for the prefix [if included]
- Purchase invoice

Please allow me to list this product with this UPC.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

Errors 5665 and 5461: brand approval

Amazon must approve your brand before you can use it to list products (5665), or: you may not create new ASINs for this brand (5461).

What it means

These are Amazon brand rules, not barcode problems. Amazon wants proof that the brand on the listing is yours, or the brand is already protected by someone else. A different barcode will not change the result.

What to try

If it is your own brand, use the application link in the error message (or ask Seller Support for it) and send photos of the product and packaging that show the brand name and the barcode, together with your documents.
Make sure the brand is printed on the product or its packaging, not only on a sticker or in the listing.
If your brand is a registered trademark, enrolling it in Amazon Brand Registry usually stops these errors for good.
If you are still choosing a name, a distinctive brand that nobody else sells under is approved more easily than a common word.

Message for Amazon Seller Support - copy it, then replace the parts in [brackets]

Hello,

I am getting error [5665 / 5461] when creating a listing for my own brand.

Brand: [BRAND]
Product: [PRODUCT NAME]
UPC: [UPC]

I own this brand. Attached are photos of the product and its packaging showing the brand name and the barcode, and the documents for the barcode:
- Certificate of GTIN Assignment (transfer certificate naming my brand)
- Letter of Authorisation
- Barcode Confirmation letter
- GS1 Certificate for the prefix [if included]
- Purchase invoice

Please approve the brand for my account so that I can create listings.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

Errors 8541 and 8542: conflict with the Amazon catalogue

The details you submitted conflict with a product that is already in the Amazon catalogue.

What it means

The code is already attached to an ASIN (8541) or to several ASINs (8542), and your title, brand, size or colour do not match it. Amazon will not create a second product for the same code.

What to try

Search Amazon for the code and look at the product it already shows.
If it is your own product from an earlier listing, sell against that ASIN or make your details match it.
If it is a different product, do not use that code for this listing. Use another code from your order and tell us which code it was, with a screenshot, so that we can check it.
Never re-use one code for a different product: each size, colour and pack size needs its own.

GS1's lookup shows another company

Amazon, or GS1's lookup (Verified by GS1 / GEPIR), shows a company name that is not yours.

What it means

This is expected for resold codes. GS1 records the company each prefix was first issued to, and that record does not change when the codes are resold. You do not receive your own company prefix, so neither you nor we can change what GS1 shows. It does not make the code invalid, and the code is not used by anyone else.

What to try

Do not buy new codes straight away - most listings go through once the brand field is right.
Keep your documents ready: they show that you bought the code and which brand uses it.
If Amazon asks about it, reply with the message below and attach all of them.

Message for Amazon Seller Support - copy it, then replace the parts in [brackets]

Hello,

The GS1 lookup for my UPC shows a different company name. This is expected: I bought the code from BarcodeLove (Lovco Ltd), a reseller of GS1-origin barcodes, and GS1 keeps the name of the company the prefix was originally issued to.

UPC: [UPC]
Brand: [BRAND]

The code has never been used on another product.

Attached:
- Certificate of GTIN Assignment (transfer certificate naming my brand)
- Letter of Authorisation
- Barcode Confirmation letter
- GS1 Certificate for the prefix [if included]
- Purchase invoice

Please let me know if you need anything else.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

“Invalid product ID”

Amazon says the UPC / EAN you entered is not valid.

What it means

The number failed Amazon's format check. That is almost always a typo, a lost leading zero or the wrong product ID type - not a bad code.

What to try

Copy the number from your CSV file or your codes page instead of typing it.
A UPC has 12 digits: choose type UPC. An EAN has 13 digits: choose type EAN.
Spreadsheets drop leading zeros: an EAN that starts with 0 loses it and shows 12 digits. Format the column as text before you paste.
Check the number with our free barcode validator - it spots typos and wrong check digits.

Variations need codes from the same prefix

Amazon will not add a new size or colour as a variation of your existing product.

What it means

When you add variations to an existing product family, Amazon expects their codes to share the same prefix (the first digits). Codes from a different prefix can force you to create a separate product instead.

What to try

Buy the codes for a whole product family in one order: every code in one order comes from the same prefix.
Plan for future sizes and colours and buy a few spare codes up front.
If your codes already come from different prefixes, list the new items as a separate product.

Amazon asks for documents, or removes a listing

Amazon asks you to prove your right to use a UPC, or your listing is suppressed or removed.

What it means

Amazon sometimes reviews listings after they go live and asks where your codes come from. These requests usually come with a deadline.

What to try

Reply before the deadline, even if only to say you are gathering the documents.
Send all the documents listed above, not only the one Amazon names. The certificate and the invoice both show your order number.
Take screenshots of Amazon's message, the case ID and the deadline.
If you need help, contact us with your order number, the case ID and the screenshots.

Message for Amazon Seller Support - copy it, then replace the parts in [brackets]

Hello,

Regarding case [CASE ID]: here are the documents for the UPC on my listing.

UPC: [UPC]
ASIN: [ASIN]
Brand: [BRAND]

I bought this code from BarcodeLove (Lovco Ltd), order [ORDER NUMBER]. The code is unique to my product and has not been used on any other item.

Attached:
- Certificate of GTIN Assignment (transfer certificate naming my brand)
- Letter of Authorisation
- Barcode Confirmation letter
- GS1 Certificate for the prefix [if included]
- Purchase invoice

Please reinstate the listing.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

Our works-on-Amazon guarantee

If Amazon will not accept one of our codes because of the code itself, we work on the case with you. If we cannot resolve it, we refund the codes you have not used.

Covered

Amazon reports the code as invalid, as belonging to another product, or as not genuine.
Amazon still refuses the code after you have sent all the documents from your order and we have helped you with the case.

Not covered

Brand approval and Brand Registry (errors 5665 and 5461).
Category approvals and other restrictions on your Amazon account.
Listing details that conflict with your own earlier listing, and codes you have already used on another product.

How to claim

Contact us within 30 days of your purchase with your order number, the code and Amazon's message. We reply within 24 hours and work on the case with you; if it cannot be resolved, we refund the unused codes from that order.

Frequently asked questions

Do your barcodes work on Amazon?

Yes. Many of our customers list on Amazon with our UPC and EAN codes. Most problems come from the brand field or Amazon's brand-approval rules rather than the code, and this page covers the common ones. For some brands and categories Amazon can require a GS1 company prefix in your own name; our codes do not provide one.

Why does a GS1 lookup show another company for my code?

Because the code is resold. GS1 keeps the name of the company each prefix was first issued to, and that does not change when codes are resold. The code is still valid and used only by you; your transfer certificate and invoice show that you bought it.

Do I need a GTIN exemption if I buy codes from you?

No. A GTIN exemption lets you list without a barcode, mainly for unbranded, handmade or private-label goods. With our UPC or EAN codes you list with those instead. The exemption is only a fallback if Amazon will not accept a resold code for your brand.