- Short answer
- Apply per category and store in Seller Central, only for products with no GTIN or catalog match, then send the approval to Marketplace Connect.
- Who can apply
- Private-label, handmade, bundles, parts without a product ID, generic goods, and unbarcoded products you make or brand
- What one approval covers
- The category and brand named on the approval, in one Amazon store only
- Brand field (US form)
- Type Generic, case sensitive, for unbranded items and bundles; a listing can't later switch between generic and branded
- When you hear back (US)
- Amazon emails the approval status within 48 hours
- Fee
- No fee is named on the Amazon exemption help pages or GTIN guide we read in September 2026
- Shopify step
- Email a copy of the approval to marketplace-connect@shopify.com, then wait the recommended 24 hours before listing
Which products qualify for an Amazon GTIN exemption?
Search Amazon's catalog first: a matching product takes your offer without a GTIN, and nothing already listed, carrying a GS1 barcode or GTIN, or from a brand that requires a UPC can get an exemption; a book can't list its publisher as generic.
Shopify's requirements say products without unique identifiers need an exemption from the marketplace; Amazon accepts requests for:
- private-label or handmade goods;
- items you manufacture, brand or publish without barcodes;
- parts without a product ID;
- bundles;
- generic, unbranded goods.
The Amazon exemption help pages and GTIN guide we read in September 2026 name no fee for the request. Buying codes instead? What GS1 charges is in our barcodes guide.
How do you apply for a GTIN exemption in Seller Central?
In Amazon's US store, use Amazon's GTIN exemption steps.
One approval covers the category and brand named on it, and each other Amazon store needs its own approval.
- Pick the category and type the brand — or Generic, case sensitive, for unbranded items and bundles; a listing can't later switch between generic and branded.
- Click Check for eligibility, then Continue to submit proof.
- Add the product name and two to nine photos of every side and the packaging, then Submit request.
Amazon emails the approval status within 48 hours.
What do you do in Shopify once Amazon approves the exemption?
Shopify's Marketplace Connect app asks for proof, because Amazon doesn't confirm a granted exemption to it:
After successfully applying for a GTIN exemption, you must share a copy of the approval with marketplace-connect@shopify.com to enable the necessary changes to your Shopify Marketplace Connect account.
Wait the 24 hours it recommends. Then in Single Edit:
- Enter the brand.
- Map Manufacturing Part Number to the SKU (no SKU: type a unique MPN).
- Set Offer Details to Active.
Walmart runs its own exemption request — how to get a Walmart GTIN exemption.
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