Brand registration is an important step to protect brand rights and establish credibility on the Amazon platform. However, for new sellers, there may be confusion about whether they still need to use UPC codes after brand registration. This article will discuss the relationship between brand registration and UPC codes to help you better understand and operate your Amazon store.
1. The relationship between brand registration and UPC code.
In the past, Amazon required sellers to use UPC codes (Universal Product Codes) to uniquely identify each product when listing them. However, with the launch of Amazon’s brand registration policy, brand owners can ensure the uniqueness and authenticity of their products by registering their brands without using UPC codes.
The advantage of brand registration is that it can help brand owners build unique product list pages and display related products under the brand. This means you can display all products belonging to that brand on your brand page, increasing your brand’s exposure and sales opportunities.
However, although the use of UPC codes can be avoided after brand registration, there are still some situations where they are required.
2. The use of UPC codes.
1. Brand registration requirements: Some Amazon marketplaces, such as Amazon US, still require sellers to provide UPC codes or other unique identification codes when registering brands. In this case, even if you have registered your brand, you still need to use the UPC code to meet the platform’s requirements.
2. Brand expansion: If you plan to expand to other sales channels, such as offline retail or other e-commerce platforms, you may need to use UPC codes. Many other retailers and e-commerce platforms still require UPC codes to identify and track products.
3. Brand resale: If you plan to sell other brands of products or second-hand products, you may need to use UPC codes. These products are not part of your brand registration, so they still need to use UPC codes to uniquely identify them.
3. How to obtain the UPC code.
If you need to use UPC codes, there are several ways to obtain them:
1. Purchase UPC codes: You can purchase UPC codes, which are globally unique identifiers issued by the GS1 organization code. There is a fee to purchase UPC codes, but this ensures that your codes are legal and valid.
2. Use the code provided by the platform: In some cases, Amazon may provide sellers with some alternatives to obtain UPC codes. For example, Amazon’s programs such as Amazon Vendor Central and Amazon Brand Registry may provide sellers with unique product identification codes.
3. UPC code sharing: Some sellers may choose to share UPC codes with other sellers. However, this approach can be risky, as the shared UPC code may already be used by other sellers, causing conflicts and issues.
Brand registration is an important step to protect brand rights and enhance credibility. After registration, you can avoid using UPC codes. However, UPC codes are still required in certain circumstances, such as complying with Amazon requirements, expanding into other sales channels, or selling off-brand products. Ways to obtain UPC codes include purchasing, using codes provided by the platform, or sharing codes with other sellers. Understanding the relationship between brand registration and UPC codes will help you better manage and operate your Amazon store and ensure that you comply with the regulations and requirements of the platform.