What Is Amazon FNSKU?

‍FNSKU is Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. It’s a barcode Amazon applies to track products in its fulfillment centers.

Several sellers can sell the same product, so the items can be easily confused if they don’t have unique identifiers. FNSKUs allow distinguishing between these units and tracking inventory locations in real time.

Keep reading to find out what is an Amazon FNSKU, the difference between ASIN and FNSKU, and how to get FNSKU labels.

What Is An Amazon FNSKU?

Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit (FNSKU) is a barcode Amazon applies internally to track inventory in its fulfillment centers.

Barcodes are machine-readable digital symbols. They consist of a combination of bars and spaces readable with barcode scanners.

FNSKUs are internal Amazon barcodes used to find your products in the warehouse and monitor them in the process of fulfillment. They help distinguish your orders from the identical units of other sellers and products of the same manufacturer.

FNSKU barcodes include the information necessary to track orders in Amazon warehouses. When the units are moved from one fulfillment center to another, their FNSKUs are scanned, and the data are processed by the Amazon fulfillment system.

Benefits Of Using FNSKU 

FNSKU is a unique identifier of your product on Amazon. Fulfillment centers apply the FNSKU number to identify each of your orders. It helps avoid mistakes and delays in the fulfillment process and deliver the correct order to the right buyer on time.

Differentiating between the products of the same manufacturer

International barcodes, like UPCs or EANs, are applied by manufacturers. However, if many merchants sell products from the same manufacturer, that may create confusion. Therefore, FNSKU helps differentiate your product from other units having the same manufacturer’s UPC.

Distinguishing identical products of different sellers

When the same product is sold by several sellers, they can get co-mingled with identical products from other merchants that land in one fulfillment center. FNSKU helps distinguish between them.

Connecting the inventory to your seller account

FNSKU matches the inventory with the right seller. Amazon uses FNSKU in the fulfillment process to ensure that the specific seller is credited for the corresponding sale.

What Is The Difference Between ASIN and FNSKU?

ASIN is an Amazon Standard Identification Number, a unique product identifier in the Amazon product catalog. That is a number you can find on the product detail page.

FNSKU is a Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. That is a barcode. It is used to track products in its Amazon fulfillment system.

ASIN is product-specific, while FNSKU is seller-specific.

ASIN identifies the product in the Amazon catalog, and the FNSKU is a barcode containing the product name, tracking information, and the seller’s details.

What Are Amazon FNSKU Guidelines?

When you send your FBA inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers, you must ensure that it is prepared in line with Amazon guidelines. FNSKU must contain all necessary elements, and all products must have a printed FNSKU label on the packaging if Amazon requires you to have an FNSKU.

What are the FNSKU elements?

• FNSKU number;
• product name;
• product condition ('New,' 'Used,' 'Renewed,' etc.);
• scannable barcode.

FBA sellers’ inventory with enabled Amazon barcodes has FNSKU. FBM sellers’ inventory doesn’t have an FNSKU. For FBA sellers, FNSKU is issued by Amazon.

Does Amazon Require To Apply FNSKU On Every Product?

On Amazon you can use two kinds of barcodes for identifying products—manufacturer barcodes (eligible barcodes include GCID, UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN), and Amazon barcodes (such as FNSKU).

Amazon recommends sellers include FNSKU on all products. However, some items don’t require FNSKU. In that case, it’s matched with an ASIN.

When you add a product to the inventory, you have the option to select between the manufacturer's barcode or an Amazon barcode. At that stage, Amazon may require you to use FNSKU.

Items that don’t have the manufacturer barcode must apply FNSKU.

Inventory that must apply FNSKU:

• items that are not in new condition;
• units that don’t have a UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN;
• restricted and dangerous category products;
• products with an expiration date;
• consumable or topical items;
• media products;
• children or infants category items.

How To Label Your Items With An FNSKU Barcode?

Before Amazon activates your inventory, it must be labeled with the FNSKU barcode if it is required. The labels should be printed and placed on each product.

The label must contain the FNSKU number, product name, product condition, and scannable barcode.

To print FNSKU labels, go to «Manage Inventory» and select the product you want to label. Find the «Edit» button, click the down arrow next to it, and select “Print Item Labels.” Specify the number of labels you want to print and click “Print Item Labels.”

Since FNSKU label contains a barcode, and is placed on the product packaging, it must follow both the requirements to the barcodes and printed label placement guidelines.

Amazon printed barcodes guidelines

• barcodes must be printed in black ink on white, non-reflective labels with removable adhesive;
• dimensions must be between 1 x 2 inches and 2 x 3 inches;
• printed barcodes must include ASIN or FNSKU, product name, and condition;
• enough white space must be applied around the barcode and the text: (0.25 inches on the sides and 0.125 inches on the top and bottom).

Amazon FBA printed label placement guidelines

• the correct barcode must be placed on the matching unit;
• all other visible barcodes must be covered, except for serial number barcodes or Transparency codes (for Transparency-enabled products where the codes confirm their authenticity);
• barcodes should be scannable after applying prep materials;
• barcodes shouldn’t be labeled on curves or corners of the packaging;
• the label must be placed 0.25 inches away from the edge of the packaging;
• each item in a case pack should have a barcode.

How To Get Amazon FNSKU Labels?

You can choose between the two options to label your products on Amazon—use the Amazon FNSKU labeling service or label products yourself.

Using Amazon FNSKU labeling service

If you prefer to use Amazon services instead of purchasing a printer and labeling your products, Amazon can label products for you. It will cost you $.20 per unit.

When creating a shipment in your Seller Central, you will be asked “Who Labels”—select Amazon.

Labeling products yourself

To label products yourself, when you create a shipment in your Seller Central, choose the ‘Merchant’ option under “Who Labels” and follow Amazon instructions to export, print, and label FNSKU.

How To Create An FNSKU For Amazon FBA?

Creating FNSKU step by step

Step 1. Add a product to the catalog.
Step 2. Set your product to FBA. Amazon will assign an FNSKU to your item.
Step 3. Export the barcode generated by Amazon.
Step 4. Label your product with the FNSKU before you send it to the fulfillment center.‍

‍Related: How Does Amazon FBA Work. Is Amazon FBA worth it in 2022?

Final Thoughts

FNSKU is a barcode Amazon applies to track products in its fulfillment centers. It identifies your product in Amazon’s fulfillment system, helps avoid delivery mistakes and monitor inventory location in real time.

Amazon FBA is a convenient service for sellers. However, don’t forget that FBA fulfillment costs money, and you must thoroughly calculate your expenses for your products to be profitable. Seller Assistant App’s FBM&FBA profit calculator helps you do so.

Seller Assistant Аpp is an all-in-one extension incorporating all features vital for product research. Advanced IP Alerts can immediately tell you if a product has any sales restrictions or has previously triggered problems with account health. It combines an FBM&FBA profit calculator, Quick View, Stock Checker, and Restrictions Checker in one tool.