Amazon Barcodes Explained!

NO MORE CONFUSION! Avoid costly mistakes by understanding the difference between product identifiers! Find out the difference between UPC vs FNSKU vs ASIN (and more), as well as when to use each one in this Amazon barcodes explainer video. Watch now!

VIDEO TIMELINE

Intro	0:00
GTIN:	0:59
UPC:	1:33
EAN:	1:42
SKU:	5:06
ASIN:	6:12
FNSKU:	7:35
Recap	10:11

Product Identifiers

Product identifiers are unique codes (like GTINs, UPCs, EANs, ISBNs, SKUs, MPNs) that distinguish specific items for tracking, selling, and inventory; the main differences lie in their scope (global vs. internal), format (digits/letters), and who assigns them (manufacturer vs. retailer/platform), with GTINs (like UPC/EAN) being globally recognised standards, SKUs being retailer-specific, and MPNs being manufacturer-defined, while platform-specific ones like Amazon’s ASIN are unique to that marketplace. Think of a GTIN as a product’s unique fingerprint or social security number, allowing computers and people to instantly know exactly which item is being scanned or listed, whether at a supermarket checkout or on a website.

GTINs, UPCs, EANs, ISBNs, SKUs, and MPNs are all product identifiers: standardized codes like GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) (including UPC, EAN, ISBN) identify products globally for retail, while SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) are internal or manufacturer-specific codes for inventory/tracking, helping with online visibility, sales, and inventory management across platforms like Amazon or eBay.

GTINs, UPCs, EANs, ISBNs, SKUs, and MPNs are all product identifiers: standardized codes like GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) (including UPC, EAN, ISBN) identify products globally for retail, while SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) are internal or manufacturer-specific codes for inventory/tracking, helping with online visibility, sales, and inventory management across platforms like Amazon or eBay.

Table of Contents