GTIN vs UPC, EAN, and ISBN: The Complete Guide for Amazon Sellers in 2025

GS1 Membership Costs in 2025

The cost of purchasing GTINs for your product line depends on how many you need, referred to as "Prefix Capacity." In 2025, GS1 continues to offer flexible pricing tiers for businesses of all sizes.

Initial Membership Fees

Annual Renewal Fees

GTINs are licensed on an annual basis. You must renew your license each year to keep your barcodes valid. The renewal fee is typically 50% of your initial membership cost.

Cost-Saving Tip:

If you're launching multiple products, it's more cost-effective to purchase a larger capacity upfront. Upgrading later requires additional fees. Calculate your 2-3 year product roadmap before selecting your tier.

What's the Difference Between GTIN and FNSKU?

FNSKU stands for Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit, which is Amazon-specific. An FNSKU is automatically generated when you create a product listing in Amazon Seller Central and needs to be visibly labeled on your product when shipping to Amazon fulfillment centers.,,

Just like a GTIN, an FNSKU is a unique set of numbers connected to a specific barcode for a product. However, there's a key difference in when you need each type:

When to Use GTIN/UPC

• Creating your product listing

• Selling products you manufacture

• Brand-registered products

• Multi-channel selling (Amazon + retail)

• 15%+ discount from reference price

• No active coupons or promotions

• Clean account health (ODR < 1%)

When to Use FNSKU

• Multiple sellers offer the same product

• Using Amazon FBA services

• Reselling branded products

• Inventory tracking at Amazon warehouses

Amazon FBA Best Practice:

FNSKUs are essential when selling on Amazon if you're using FBA and multiple sellers offer the same product. The FNSKU identifies both the product AND the seller to Amazon's fulfillment staff.

This way, if an item is determined to be counterfeit or unsellable, Amazon can identify which seller is responsible. If you sell a branded item that no one else sells on Amazon, you can use your UPC/EAN directly without needing FNSKU labels.