To change from manufacturer barcode to Amazon barcode, you create a new offer on the same ASIN with a new SKU and choose “Amazon barcode” as its barcode type, then label every unit of that SKU with its FNSKU. Amazon does not let you flip the barcode type on an existing SKU, and the change only affects future shipments, so stock already in a fulfillment center sells through under the old SKU.
The reason to switch changed in 2026. Until March 31, 2026, the argument was commingling: units sent on a manufacturer barcode went into a shared pool, so another seller’s unit could ship against your order. Amazon ended commingling on that date. Today the question is mostly decided for you by one thing, whether you own the brand or resell it. I’d settle that before reading anything else on this page.
The March 31, 2026 rule, in one table
Amazon’s FBA barcode FAQ sets out who can use which barcode now:
| Brand owner (Brand Representative role) | Reseller, including authorized resellers | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer barcode allowed? | Yes, for eligible products | No, for units shipped from March 31, 2026 |
| Amazon barcode (FNSKU) allowed? | Yes | Required on every unit |
| Commingling | Ended: your customers get only your units | Ended |
| Units shipped without the required label | Not applicable | Treated as defective, not eligible for reimbursement |
| Stock received before the change | Unaffected | Keeps selling under its original SKU |
So the search phrase “change from manufacturer barcode to Amazon barcode” now means two different jobs. For a reseller it is mandatory housekeeping. No judgment call is left. For a brand owner it is a real choice, and the useful question has flipped to whether you should go stickerless.
Stickerless eligibility is narrow. A product qualifies for the manufacturer barcode only if it is new, carries one scannable UPC, EAN or ISBN that matches a single ASIN, and belongs to a brand in Brand Registry where you hold the Brand Representative role. A product with a GTIN exemption must use an Amazon barcode. That is plain enough. Most private label sellers meet it, and most wholesalers do not.
How to change from manufacturer barcode to Amazon barcode
Five steps. The second is the one people get wrong, because they look for a single account setting that switches everything.
1. Confirm which SKUs are on the manufacturer barcode. In Manage All Inventory, the barcode type sits against each offer. Make a list before touching anything, since every change below happens SKU by SKU. In practice I’d export the inventory report and filter it, because scrolling a large catalog misses things.
2. Create a new offer with a new SKU. On the ASIN, use “Add another condition” (or the equivalent add-offer route), enter a new SKU, and set the barcode type to Amazon barcode. Amazon’s barcode change help page explains that the barcode type is fixed when the offer is created, and that changes apply to future shipments only. The new SKU gets its own FNSKU, an X00 code.
3. Rebuild what was attached to the old SKU. The new SKU keeps the ASIN’s reviews and your seller feedback, because both belong to the product and the account rather than to the SKU. It does not inherit ads, coupons, Subscribe and Save enrollment or bundle links. Re-add those, or the new SKU launches without its advertising. Don’t skip this step: in my view it is the costliest oversight in the whole switch, because sales drop quietly while the ads point at a SKU with no stock.
4. Label the next inbound shipment. Print the FNSKU labels from Send to Amazon and apply one to every unit, covering or removing any other scannable barcode so the warehouse reads only one. Our guide to sending your first shipment to Amazon FBA covers label placement.
5. Let the old SKU run down. Stock already received keeps selling under its original SKU. Once it reaches zero, close the old offer so new shipments cannot be created against it by mistake. When you run several warehouses or a prep center, tell them the new SKU in writing; a carton built against the old one is a common, avoidable error.
The reverse direction works through the same page. A brand owner moving eligible products to stickerless can use the “Manufacturer barcode: Convert eligible offers” spreadsheet, or the “Save using manufacturer barcode” option inside Send to Amazon, per the same help page.
Who applies the label, and what each option costs you
This is where the real cost of an Amazon barcode sits, and the options narrowed in 2026.
The factory applies them during production. You send the FNSKU file, they print and affix during packing, and your workflow barely changes. Cheapest per unit and least disruptive. I’d write it into the purchase order rather than ask for it as a favor, and ask for a photograph of a labeled unit before the run ends.
A prep center applies them. Goods route through a third party who labels, inspects and forwards to Amazon. It costs more per unit than the factory and buys an inspection step that, for a first order from a new supplier, I’d want anyway.
Amazon no longer does it in the US. Amazon’s US prep and FBA labeling service ended on January 1, 2026. Any older guide that tells you to let Amazon label for a per-unit fee is out of date for the US store, and units that arrive unlabeled when a label is required now count as defective.
You apply them yourself. Fine at 200 units. Miserable at 2,000, and the bottleneck grows precisely as the product succeeds, which is the worst possible timing.
One detail that trips people regardless of route. The label must scan: flat, not over a seam, not wrapped around a curve. A label that will not scan is functionally absent, so test-scan a printed sample before committing to a batch of thousands. I’d do it with a phone scanner app and the warehouse’s own label size. Our label printer guide and barcode size requirements cover the hardware and the dimensions.
One sequencing point. The FNSKU exists only once the SKU exists, so create the new offer before asking a factory for labels. Negotiating labeling before there is a code to print gets the order backwards.
Should a brand owner go stickerless or stay on FNSKU?
This is now the live decision, and it only applies if you own the brand. With commingling gone, the old counterfeit argument against stickerless has largely disappeared: Amazon says customers who buy from you receive only your inventory, including returns and removals.
Reasons to use the manufacturer barcode:
- No labeling step, which saves real money at volume.
- A faster inbound flow from a factory that already prints a UPC on the packaging.
- No risk of a mislabeled carton from a rushed labeling job.
Reasons to stay on FNSKU:
- You sell the same GTIN through other channels or in bundles, and you want unit-level separation in your own records.
- Some of your products fail the stickerless test (a GTIN exemption, more than one ASIN on a code, a used or renewed variant).
- Your factory’s barcode quality is unreliable. A smudged UPC is as useless as a missing FNSKU.
My default for a brand owner in 2026 is the manufacturer barcode on every product that qualifies, with FNSKU kept only for the exceptions above. Before March 31, I’d have argued the opposite. The rule change is the reason. My take is simple: label only where it buys you something.
What this means for resellers and wholesalers
If you buy branded goods and resell them, the decision is made. Every unit you ship needs an X00 FNSKU, even when the brand’s own UPC is printed on the box, and that applies to authorized resellers as well.
Three practical consequences:
- Labeling becomes a fixed cost of the model. Price it into every buy, either at a prep center or in your own workflow. With Amazon’s US labeling service gone, there is no fallback, and I’d treat a buy that only works without labels as a buy that doesn’t work.
- Your reimbursement position depends on it. Units without the required label are treated as defective and not eligible for reimbursement, so a labeling mistake can turn into a straight loss.
- Amazon softened the transition on fees. During the reseller changeover, Amazon waived the low-inventory-level fee at FNSKU level in the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Spain stores, according to the barcode FAQ, so a new SKU starting from zero stock is not penalized while it builds.
Getting approval to resell a brand in the first place is a separate process. Our guide on how to apply for brand approval on Amazon covers invoices and documents, and the overview of Amazon barcodes explained covers UPC, EAN, GTIN and FNSKU side by side.
Two mistakes worth avoiding
Assuming the change works retroactively. It does not, and I think this is the most common misreading of Amazon’s help pages. Stock received before the switch keeps selling under its original SKU, so plan the sell-through and set a date to close the old offer.
Leaving two scannable barcodes on a unit. If the product carries a manufacturer barcode and you apply an FNSKU, cover the original. Two scannable codes on one unit cause mis-picks, and the resulting inventory discrepancy is very hard to trace afterwards. Don’t trust a thin sticker to hide a dark UPC either; I’d use an opaque label or a second blank label underneath.
If you would rather have prep, labeling and the account side managed together, that sits inside our account management service. We are an Amazon Ads partner and an Amazon SPN Verified Partner.
FAQ
How do I change from manufacturer barcode to Amazon barcode?
Create a new offer on the same ASIN with a new SKU and set its barcode type to Amazon barcode, then label each unit of that SKU with its FNSKU before shipping. Amazon fixes the barcode type when an offer is created, and the change applies only to future shipments, so existing stock sells through under the old SKU.
Do resellers have to use Amazon barcodes now?
Yes. From March 31, 2026, resellers, including authorized resellers, must put an Amazon barcode (FNSKU) on every unit they send to FBA, even when the product has a manufacturer UPC. Units shipped without the required label are treated as defective and are not eligible for reimbursement.
Is commingled inventory still a risk on Amazon?
Not in the old sense. Amazon ended commingling on March 31, 2026, and says customers who buy from you receive only your own inventory, including returns and removals. Brand owners can still ship eligible products on the manufacturer barcode without stickers.
Does changing the barcode affect inventory already at Amazon?
No. The change applies to future shipments only. Units already received keep selling under their original SKU until they run out or you remove them, which is why the switch is done by creating a new SKU rather than editing the old one.
Will a new SKU lose my reviews?
No. Reviews belong to the ASIN and seller feedback belongs to your account, so both carry over. What you must set up again on the new SKU is advertising, coupons, Subscribe and Save and any bundle links.
Does Amazon still apply FNSKU labels for a fee?
Not in the US. Amazon’s US prep and labeling service ended on January 1, 2026, so labels must be applied by your factory, a prep center or yourself before the goods reach Amazon.
Last updated: October 25, 2026. Rewritten for Amazon’s March 31, 2026 change to FBA barcodes and commingling, and the end of the US labeling service on January 1, 2026. Barcode rules differ by marketplace and change over time; Seller Central shows the current options for your account.
