07:20
Amazon FBA
The video walks through Amazon Seller Central's actual UI to show how to apply for GTIN/UPC exemption, which lets a seller list a product without buying a GS1/UPC barcode, and argues the process is straightforward as long as the seller can supply Amazon's required brand and product photos.
Go to Seller Central > menu > Catalog > Add products, choose the blank form, and click start to reach the listing creation page.
Enter the item name (product title) and press enter; Amazon auto-suggests a product type, which you confirm or override via 'select other'.
Amazon assigns 'recommended browse nodes' (its term for categories) based on the product type, and these can be manually edited if wrong.
Enter a brand name; having Amazon Brand Registry (a registered/pending trademark) makes the process slightly quicker, but the required documentation is nearly identical either way.
In the External Product ID field, choose 'I don't have a product ID' instead of entering a GS1/UPC code to trigger the exemption path.
Clicking next without brand approval or an exemption produces two errors: 'Brand name approval required' and 'UPC exemption required' (Amazon has renamed GTIN exemption to UPC exemption in parts of Seller Central).
Testing done by the presenter found that if you already have brand approval, Amazon granted UPC exemption in almost any category without asking for additional documentation.
Without existing approval, clicking 'apply to sell' opens a brand-approval application form requiring: an image of the brand's logo alone (no other products, file named after the brand), at least two images of the branded product and packaging, non-blurry/non-truncated images, legible brand text, branding that matches the brand name exactly, photos taken by the seller and handheld or on a table, and no digitally altered or photoshopped images (which cause instant decline).
Branding must be permanently affixed (stamped, stitched, printed, or stuck) and not easily removable; stickers are implicitly disallowed, though branded hand tags are acceptable for apparel or jewelry.
If requesting GTIN exemption specifically, images should show all sides of the product and packaging and must not show a GS1 barcode; if a GS1 barcode is visible, it should be used as the product ID instead of requesting exemption.
After uploading images and an email address, submitting the form completes the application, which can then be tracked via Catalog > View Selling Applications, showing the brand and category applied for.
GTIN/UPC exemption approval is category-based, not per product: once approved, a seller can list further exempt products in that same category without reapplying.
Amazon also publishes an official PDF on GTIN exemption, which the presenter mirrors at fbalite.com/gtin.pdf.
Amazon's form explicitly tells sellers attempting to list an unbranded product to leave the workflow and use 'generic' in the brand field, but the presenter states he does not recommend doing this and tells private-label sellers not to use it as a workaround.
GTIN Exemption / UPC Exemption — Amazon's approval that lets a seller list a product without providing a GS1-issued barcode, referred to as GTIN exemption in some parts of Seller Central and UPC exemption in others. Apply: In the listing's External Product ID field choose 'I don't have a product ID,' then submit the brand and product images Amazon requests when it flags 'UPC exemption required.'
GS1 Barcode / UPC — The standard product-identifying barcode number a seller would otherwise have to purchase and enter as the External Product ID. Apply: Skip purchasing one by requesting exemption instead; if a GS1 barcode already appears in your product photos, use it as the product ID rather than requesting exemption for that product.
Amazon Brand Registry — Amazon's program for brand owners who have a registered or pending trademark, which streamlines brand-related approvals. Apply: Enroll before listing if you hold a trademark, since the presenter found brand-registered sellers got UPC exemption in almost any category without extra documentation.
Brand Name Approval — A separate Amazon requirement that any brand name used in a listing, registered or not, must be approved before it can be used. Apply: When the 'Brand name approval required' error appears, click 'apply to sell' and submit a standalone logo image and at least two images of the branded product and packaging.
External Product ID field — The listing form field where a GTIN/UPC/GS1 code is normally entered to identify the product. Apply: Select 'I don't have a product ID' instead of entering a barcode to trigger the exemption request workflow.
Browse Nodes (Category Nodes) — Amazon's term for the category structure it automatically assigns to a listing based on the entered product type. Apply: Confirm the product type Amazon suggests after entering the item name, then review and manually edit the recommended browse nodes if the assigned category is wrong.
Selling Applications tracking — A Seller Central page that lists the status of a seller's brand and GTIN/UPC exemption applications by brand and category. Apply: Go to menu > Catalog > View Selling Applications to monitor whether a submitted exemption or brand approval request has been approved.
Because exemption approval is granted per brand+category rather than per SKU, it functions as a durable, scalable unlock rather than a one-time fix for a single listing.
The presenter's own testing suggests prior Brand Registry enrollment is the real determinant of difficulty: brand-registered sellers reportedly skip the documentation-heavy path almost entirely, making brand registry the higher-leverage move for anyone planning multiple exemption applications.
The presenter flags two gray-area workarounds beyond Amazon's stated rules: getting a supplier/factory to take the required branded product photos when the seller lacks domestic samples, and the theoretical possibility of photoshopping a logo onto product photos — while explicitly declining to recommend the latter.
Amazon's photo requirements (no photoshopping, handheld or on-table, permanent branding rather than stickers) act as an implicit anti-fraud check aimed at sellers who might otherwise fabricate branded products purely to avoid paying for GS1 barcodes.
The explicit instruction against using 'generic' in the brand field appears aimed at private-label sellers who might try to exploit the unbranded-product exemption path to avoid both GS1 costs and brand approval scrutiny.
«So what this does, this allows you to avoid having to purchase expensive GS1 barcodes when you're creating your Amazon listing.»
— 00:07
«If you are attempting to list an unbranded product, please leave this workflow and use generic in the brand field. I do not recommend doing this. Do not use generic.»
— 03:54
«The branding on your product or packaging must match FBA Elite perfectly.»
— 04:36
«Digitally altered or photoshopped images will result in your application being declined.»
— 04:48
«I've been testing this today and what I found is if you do have brand approval, Amazon allowed me to get UPC exemption in pretty much any category without asking for additional documentation.»
— 02:52
«And GTI exemption or UPC exemption is categorybased. So it's not just for one product.»
— 06:22
Reception
Comments are mostly neutral-to-confused technical questions and troubleshooting requests about GTIN/UPC exemptions with no explicit praise or criticism of the video itself.
A concrete, screen-recorded walkthrough of Amazon's actual GTIN/UPC exemption flow that documents the exact fields, error messages, and image requirements a seller will encounter, with the presenter's own untested-by-Amazon observation (that prior brand approval skips extra documentation) offered as a genuine finding rather than official policy.
07:20