Overview

Item Identifiers are standardized codes that represent retail products worldwide. The most commonly used Product Identifiers are Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs). They provide information on each particular product and its manufacturer. GTINs are accepted internationally and include UPCs (12 digits), EANs (13 digits), JANs (13 digits), ISBNs (10 or 13 digits), etc.

Identifiers like UPC and EAN play a crucial role in seller performance. Merchants use them to track inventory more accurately and make sure that Channel recognizes the products they sell. Items with included Identifiers have greater visibility for customers and are ranked higher on search engines; thus, are more profitable.

Requirements for eBay, Amazon, and Walmart

Search engines on Channels and other websites use Product Identifiers in various algorithms to fulfill users’ queries and show relevant search results. Below are the requirements for assigning Products Identifiers on eBay, Amazon, and Walmart.

eBay

In M2E Pro, you can specify the proper Product Identifiers for items under eBay Global Settings. For products that do not have any identifier data, you can opt for the Does Not Apply value.

Apart from eBay Global settings and Description Policy, ensure that required Item Specifics are added for your products. It is important since they also can include GTIN (UPC, EAN, ISBN), MPN, or brand. 

To edit the eBay category and Item Specifics, go to eBay > Configuration > Categories.

Amazon

Product identifiers are obligatory for listing items on Amazon. UPC and EAN are the main Identifiers on this Channel. Based on the UPC/EAN values, your products can be matched with existing items in the Amazon catalog. As a result, they are assigned to the appropriate ASINs.

In M2E Pro, you can indicate Product Identifiers under Amazon Integration > Configuration > Settings > Main:

Based on these settings, M2E Pro will automatically assign products to an appropriate ASIN/ISBN. Alternatively, you can run a manual ASIN/ISBN search.

If an automatic or manual ASIN/ISBN search did not return any results, you can create a new ASIN/ISBN for the product. For this, make sure that your Listing uses the Description Policy and has UPC/EAN attribute indicated in Product Identifier settings. 

You can also set product IDs per M2E Pro Listing during listing creation or under Listings > Items > Edit Settings > Selling > Product Identifiers. Please note that Product ID settings adjusted at the Listing level will override any previously configured global settings. 

In case the products you sell do not imply Product Identifiers (e.g. handmade, private-label) you need to get Amazon approval for GTIN exemption. 

Walmart

Product Identifiers are essential for publishing items on Walmart. As a rule, UPC and EAN are the most commonly used ones on the Channel. They allow Walmart to associate your product with items in the catalog. In M2E Pro you can specify Product Identifiers under Walmart > Configuration > Settings.

In the General section, you can also enable Product ID Override for items that do not have GTIN (private label or handmade). However, first, please ensure Walmart has approved your UPC Exemption Request.