Amazon Transparency Program: The Ultimate 2025 Guide for Protecting Your Brand

In today’s digital-first e-commerce landscape, the ability to maintain your brand’s integrity and customer trust is more critical than ever. The rise of counterfeit products, unauthorised sellers, and fake listings poses a serious threat to both small businesses and well-established brands.

Enter Amazon Transparency—a product-level authentication program designed to stop fakes in their tracks.

This blog is a comprehensive guide for Amazon sellers who want to secure their listings, protect their brand reputation, and give their customers peace of mind.

What is Amazon Transparency?

Amazon Transparency is a product serialization service offered by Amazon that enables brands to uniquely identify each unit they sell. This is done through a 2D Transparency code—a unique, alphanumeric, non-sequential code printed on every single unit of a product.

When Amazon receives a unit enrolled in Transparency, it scans the code to ensure that:

• The product is authentic
  

• It was produced and shipped by the brand owner or authorized seller
  

• It hasn’t been duplicated, tampered with, or counterfeited
  

Only units with valid Transparency codes are shipped to customers. If a counterfeit or unauthenticated unit attempts to enter the supply chain, it’s flagged and removed.

Why Should Amazon Sellers Use Transparency?

Transparency is not just a protective tool; it’s a competitive advantage. Here’s why more brands are turning to Transparency:

1. Eliminate Counterfeit Products

Counterfeits not only affect your sales—they damage your customer trust. Transparency ensures only verified products are shipped.

2. Build Buyer Confidence

Customers can scan Transparency codes to confirm authenticity using Amazon’s mobile app. This builds trust and increases repeat purchases.

3. Control Over Product Listings

Once enrolled, even if another seller lists your product, their inventory must carry your Transparency code—putting control back in your hands.

4. Improve Review Quality

By ensuring customers only receive genuine products, your chances of negative reviews due to poor product quality or fakes significantly reduce.

5. Global Reach, Secured

Transparency supports products sold across Amazon marketplaces, allowing international brands to maintain their quality reputation worldwide.

How Does Amazon Transparency Work?

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Enroll in Transparency

   • Sign in to Seller Central.

   • Go to the Brand Registry dashboard.

   • Submit enrollment request for eligible ASINs.
     

2. Apply Transparency Codes

   • For each unit manufactured, a unique 2D barcode (Transparency code) must be applied to the packaging

   • You can print them yourself or use an Amazon-approved partner
     

3. Amazon Scans Each Unit

   • When the product arrives at an Amazon fulfillment center, the Transparency code is scanned

   • If valid, the item moves to the next stage of fulfillment

   • If invalid or missing, the unit is removed
     

4. Customer Verification

   • Shoppers can scan the Transparency code using the Amazon app to see item-level information and confirm authenticity
     

Who Is Eligible for Transparency?

To enroll in Amazon Transparency, you must:

• Be enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry
  

• Be the brand owner of the product(s)
  

• Have a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for each ASIN (like a UPC or EAN)
  

• Commit to applying a Transparency code to every unit of the product you ship
  

Transparency is available in all Amazon marketplaces including:

• Amazon.in

• Amazon.com

• Amazon.co.uk

• Amazon.de

• Amazon.fr

• Amazon.it

• Amazon.ca

• Amazon.com.au
  

Real Examples of How Transparency Helps Sellers

Case Study 1: A Cosmetics Brand in India

A growing skincare brand noticed that customer complaints were increasing due to fake products shipped by unauthorized sellers. After enrolling in Transparency:

• Their returns dropped by 45%
  

• They regained Buy Box control
  

• Authenticity scans by customers increased trust and improved ratings
  

Case Study 2: Electronics Manufacturer in USA

The brand faced heavy counterfeit sales during festive seasons. Transparency allowed them to detect and prevent fake listings during shipment.

• Counterfeit reports dropped to zero
  

• Sales increased 22% YoY
  

Tips to Implement Transparency Successfully

1. Plan Your Packaging

   • Make room for the 2D Transparency code on every unit

   • Ensure scannable surface area
     

2. Keep Track of Transparency Codes

   • Use a spreadsheet or Amazon's API for large inventories
     

3. Train Your Logistics Partner

   • Make sure your warehousing/packing team understands Transparency labelling requirements
     

4. Promote Transparency to Buyers

   • Let your customers know your product is enrolled—build trust
     

5. Stay Compliant

   • Codes must be unique to every unit; duplicating or skipping codes will result in removals
     

FAQs about Transparency

Q: Can I enroll just one product line in Transparency? A: Yes, you can choose to enroll specific ASINs rather than your full catalog.

Q: Can FBA and FBM sellers both use Transparency? A: Yes. Both fulfillment models are eligible.

Q: Will my customers know the product is in Transparency? A: Only if they scan the code. You can also mention it in your listing copy to encourage trust.

Q: Does Transparency protect from Buy Box hijackers? A: Indirectly, yes. Hijackers without Transparency codes cannot fulfill the order.

How to Enroll in Amazon Transparency: A Quick Guide

Step 1: Brand Registry

Ensure your brand is registered under Amazon Brand Registry with an active trademark.

Step 2: Access the Transparency Dashboard

Log into Seller Central > Brand Registry > Transparency > Request Access

Step 3: Provide ASINs for Enrollment

Submit a list of products you want to enroll. These must have GTINs.

Step 4: Apply Codes

Either request printed Transparency labels or generate them digitally. Apply one per unit.

Step 5: Monitor

Track performance, counterfeits stopped, and scans by customers.

Transparency vs Other Brand Protection Tools

Feature	Transparency	Project Zero	Brand Registry
Blocks Fakes at Fulfillment	✅	❌	❌
Lets Buyers Verify Authenticity	✅	❌	❌
Requires Code on Every Unit	✅	❌	❌
Requires Manual Reporting	❌	✅	✅

Transparency offers prevention, not just detection.

📣 Final Thoughts: Is Transparency Worth It?

Yes—if you:

• Face frequent counterfeits

• Want to protect brand perception

• Value customer trust

• Sell high-demand or luxury goods

While it takes some effort to set up, Amazon Transparency is one of the most proactive and scalable ways to protect your listings, profits, and brand identity.

If your products are at risk, this program isn’t optional—it’s essential.

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