What Is Amazon Transparency?
Amazon Transparency is a program designed to stop counterfeit products from reaching customers. Every item enrolled gets its own special code, which acts like a unique ID for that product. Shoppers can scan this code even before opening the package, making it easy for them to know they are buying a genuine product and trust your brand instantly.
The codes themselves are alphanumeric, non-sequential, and printed as small square barcodes on the product packaging. Amazon is the only entity that creates these codes and keeps a record of each code along with the product it belongs to. This system ensures that every item can be verified and prevents fake products from entering the market.
When customers scan the Transparency codes on products using the Amazon Shopping or Transparency app, they can immediately see if the product is authentic. A green check mark appears for valid codes, while invalid codes show a red X. Brands can also provide extra information such as images, videos, or promotions, giving shoppers more confidence and a richer experience.
How Does It Work?
Before you can join Transparency, your brand needs to meet a few requirements. First, you must have an Amazon Brand Registry account that is tied to your registered trademark and gives you the role of “rights owner.” Second, your trademark has to be active and officially registered. And finally, each product you want to protect must have its own Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). If you meet these conditions, you’re ready to enroll your brand and products in the program.
Once you qualify, the next step is to enroll your brand directly through the Transparency portal. You’ll use the same login details you already use for the Brand Registry. After your brand is approved, you can begin enrolling products one by one and even add team members to your account for easier management.
From there, Amazon provides you with Transparency codes. You apply these codes to your product labels, and when items arrive at Amazon’s fulfillment centers, staff or automated systems scan them. If a code is missing or doesn’t match, the product is stopped before it reaches the customer.
Costs & Pricing
When it comes to Amazon Transparency, there are a few costs to consider. Amazon provides a unique 26-character code for each product, and the price per code typically ranges from $0.01 to $0.05, depending on your order volume. Payment is based on the number of codes you use and is generally charged per order.
In addition to the codes, printing and applying labels adds extra costs. Label printing depends on the type of label and quantity, with 1.375" square labels usually costing $0.02 to $0.05 per label. Additional expenses may arise from printing and applying the labels, depending on the equipment and labor used.
It’s important to remember that each unit being sold requires its own code and label, so these costs can add up quickly. Brands should carefully calculate expenses and make smart choices, applying Transparency only to the products that truly need protection. This ensures maximum impact without overspending.
Why Should You Join?
Joining Amazon Transparency gives your brand stronger protection and builds long-term trust with customers. Instead of worrying about counterfeiters or product confusion, you gain a system that proactively safeguards your listings and enhances the customer experience. Here’s what you get:
- Stop counterfeiters — Every Transparency code is checked before shipping, blocking fake units across both Amazon-fulfilled and seller-fulfilled orders.
- Prevent incorrect variations — Misleading or unauthorized versions of your product fail verification and cannot be listed.
- Block international diversion — Products created for other regions won’t pass listing checks in the wrong marketplace.
- Improve supply chain visibility — Track batch numbers, factories, and distributors to trace defective or returned items. Use this data together with customer feedback to address root problems.
- Boost customer trust — Shoppers can scan Transparency codes with the Amazon Shopping or Transparency app. A green check mark means authentic, a red X means invalid—simple proof of authenticity.
- Increase customer engagement — Add videos, images, or promotions to enhance the scanning experience; some brands may even earn a Transparency badge on their detail pages.
Content Application
After your products are enrolled in Transparency and you’ve downloaded the codes from the Self-Service Portal, the next step is adding these codes to your packaging. Each product unit must clearly show three elements: the Transparency logo (or lockup), a short call-to-action, and a 2D Data Matrix barcode. These elements make it easy for both Amazon and customers to verify the product’s authenticity.
You have different ways to apply Transparency content on your products:
- Use standard pre-made labels — These labels meet Amazon’s size requirements and can be printed by a Transparency Service Provider (TSP), a commercial printer, or on-demand using Amazon’s In-Plant Printing (IPP).
- Create a custom label — If your product already has a label, you can combine the Transparency content with the existing design. You can also modify a standard label to better fit your product. Custom labels can be printed by a TSP or any commercial printer you choose.
- Integrate into packaging artwork — The Transparency logo, CTA, and barcode can be built directly into your packaging design. This approach gives a clean look and can reduce extra labeling steps. TSPs or commercial printers can help make sure the design meets Amazon’s size and placement requirements.
What About Label Production?
Here’s something Amazon doesn’t always make clear: while they provide the Transparency codes, they don’t create or ship the actual labels for you. The codes usually come in a CSV file, and it’s up to your brand to turn those codes into properly formatted labels with the correct layout and scannable barcode. This step is crucial because every label must be applied correctly to ensure products are verified by Amazon and trusted by customers.
That’s where specialized tools come in handy. One of the most flexible and user-friendly solutions is LabelResizer’s Transparency Label Maker. With this tool, you can either upload the CSV file from Amazon or manually enter codes one by one. You also get the option to choose your preferred label design and customize the call-to-action (CTA) for each unit, so every product communicates authenticity clearly.
Once your labels are configured, the tool generates ready-to-print PDF files. This makes it easy to print your labels in-house, at a commercial printer, or even on-demand at your own facility. By using a solution like LabelResizer, you save time, reduce errors, and ensure that each product in your Transparency program is fully compliant and ready for the customer.
A Real-World Seller Scenario
Imagine you’ve spent months developing your own product, refining every detail, and building your brand on Amazon. You’ve worked hard on your listing, added high-quality images, and slowly collected positive reviews. Then, out of nowhere, you notice a drop in sales. After investigating, you discover that someone has started selling fake versions of your product under your listing.
These counterfeit units not only deliver poor quality to customers but also harm your reputation. Complaints start piling up, and your star rating takes a hit, threatening all the effort you’ve put into growing your brand.
By enrolling in Amazon Transparency, you gain a powerful safeguard. Only products with valid Transparency codes are allowed to sell through Amazon. Any unit without a code is blocked at fulfillment centers, stopping counterfeit listings instantly. As a result, authentic sales start to recover quickly, and customers regain confidence in your brand. Transparency helps protect both your product and the hard work you’ve invested in your brand’s growth.
Final Thoughts
Amazon Transparency is more than just another program—it’s a way to protect your brand and give you peace of mind. In today’s crowded online marketplace, counterfeiters, copycats, and hijackers can appear at any time, threatening the reputation and hard work you’ve put into building your products.
By setting up Transparency early, you’re taking a proactive step to safeguard your listings, ensure only genuine products reach customers, and prevent potential headaches before they start. The effort you put in now—applying codes, creating labels, and integrating the program into your operations—pays off long-term.
Trust in your brand is hard to earn but easy to lose. Transparency helps maintain that trust, keeping your customers confident in every purchase and letting you focus on growing your business without worrying about counterfeit problems. Your future self—and your customers—will thank you for taking this step early.