Your goods are ready for the fulfillment center — but which barcode goes on the label? FNSKU or EAN? The wrong decision costs time, money, and in the worst case a rejected shipment. This article explains the difference once and for all.

What Is the Difference?

Both are barcodes — but they serve fundamentally different purposes. The EAN (European Article Number) is a universal product code used worldwide by retailers, supermarkets, and logistics providers. The FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit), on the other hand, is exclusively Amazon-internal and links a product directly to your seller account.

When Do You Need Which Code?

The answer depends on whether your product enters commingled inventory or whether you use stickered inventory.

The Most Common Mistakes — and What They Cost

In practice, we see the same mistakes in our warehouse over and over. Here are the top 3:

Conclusion: FNSKU Is Almost Always the Right Choice

If you work as a private label seller or reseller using FBA, you can’t avoid the FNSKU. It protects your inventory, ensures returns are correctly assigned, and prevents your products from being commingled with lower-quality goods from other sellers.

Labeling sounds simple — and it is, when you know what you’re doing. Those who prefer to delegate the work hand it off to an experienced FBA prep service provider.