ASINs blocked on Amazon: understanding the new GS1 compliance rules
What is really happening: Amazon tightens GTIN control
Since the start of the year, Amazon has started blocking thousands of GTINs deemed non compliant with GS1 rules.
Affected sellers often receive a message such as:
“This ASIN has been removed due to a mismatch between your GTIN and the brand in the GS1 database.”
In short, several issues come up repeatedly:
- Barcodes (GTINs) not recognised as valid in the official GS1 database;
- A brand name that does not match the one registered with the GTIN at GS1;
- GTINs bought through unofficial platforms, sometimes even resold illegally.
Immediate consequences: products removed, loss of the Buy Box, deindexing, or even account suspension in the most serious cases.
Why Amazon is acting now
Two objectives explain this tightening:
- Cleaning up its catalogue of millions of poorly filled in or duplicated listings;
- Limiting legal risks: intellectual property, product safety, environmental compliance…
More broadly, Amazon is increasingly shifting regulatory responsibility onto third party sellers: tax compliance, EPR, product information, recyclability. It is up to you to prove you are compliant.
For sellers, this is a double warning
Sellers now need to:
- Check that their GTIN codes are properly registered with GS1;
- Carry out a full audit of their catalogue: codes, brands, product listings, EPR compliance including presence of UINs.
CompliancR: take back control of your EPR compliance on Amazon
At CompliancR, we support Amazon sellers to:
- Check their EPR eligibility (by ASIN, by category);
- Obtain their UINs and register with the right producer responsibility organisations (PROs);
- Automate volume declarations (via Seller Central integration or catalogue file);
- Provide proof of compliance in case of an Amazon block or an administrative check.
Your product compliance must be as solid as your catalogue listings. Do not let an administrative detail ruin your sales.