Will My Barcode Work with Amazon, eBay, Google, Etsy, and Other Platforms?
- GTINs (UPC and EAN) are the global standard used by nearly every POS system and online marketplace.
- There is no such thing as a special “Amazon barcode”—Amazon uses the same GS1-compliant GTINs recognized worldwide.
- All GTINs provided by Bar Codes Talk come from GS1-USA, pre-2002, making them legally ownable instead of rented.
- Most platforms accept legally owned GS1-compliant GTINs, though some retailers may have their own internal rules.
Yes. GTINs (UPCs and EANs) are the standard product identifiers used across the world in all major POS systems. There is no unique “Amazon barcode.” Instead, Amazon uses the same GS1-based barcode standards that global retailers have relied on since the early 1970s.
All GTINs provided by Bar Codes Talk originate from GS1-USA and are specifically from pre-2002 ranges. These numbers are legally ownable and not subject to GS1’s modern rental model. While nearly all stores accept GS1-compliant GTINs, a few retailers create custom rules, so it is a good idea to verify requirements with any store that seems to operate outside normal GS1 standards.
A note on Amazon
We, along with many thousands of Amazon sellers, have confirmed through Amazon Seller Support that Amazon still accepts legally owned GTINs. Sellers may use their own GTINs as long as the numbers are legitimate and compliant.
Amazon’s stricter GTIN messaging is generally intended to deter fraudulent sellers who attempt to guess, steal, or fabricate GTINs to exploit Amazon’s listing system. Using another company’s GTIN without permission is illegal. This does not apply to Amazon’s “piggybacking” system, where sellers list against an existing ASIN—this functionality is intentionally built into Amazon’s POS framework.
For more information on Amazon’s exceptions and GTIN rules, see: Exceptions to GTIN usage on Amazon
