How Do You Get a GTIN When Dropshipping?

A GTIN is the number printed under a product's barcode. In North America it is usually a 12-digit UPC. In Europe it is usually a 13-digit EAN. The maker gives it out, not the store that resells the product.

So the first question is who made the thing. If it is a real brand, like a known gadget or skincare maker, look for its code first. A generic item that ships in a plain bag with no brand on it may have none at all. Google says the same about store brands and products only you sell: they generally won't have a GTIN.

If you think a code exists, look in four places. The barcode on the box, so order a sample. Your supplier, asking for the UPC or EAN of that exact variant. The maker. And Google Shopping, where the same product from other sellers often shows its details. Every colour and size has its own code, so one number for the whole product is wrong.

Google is clear here. Don't guess or make up a GTIN. If the product has none, leave gtin empty.

No GTIN is not the end of the check. Next, look for the maker's part number, the MPN. Google wants the one the manufacturer assigned, so your own SKU does not count unless you made the product. If a real MPN exists, send it with the brand. Set identifier_exists to no only when you are sure the product has no GTIN and no MPN. The brand field is its own question, and the related answer on supplier brand names covers it.

In Shopify, the code sits in the Barcode field of each variant, under Inventory. That is the field that usually lands in gtin. Old imports can fill it with SKUs or random numbers. Clear those. Keep the real codes. On another platform, check which field your feed app sends as gtin. One warning: if you set identifier_exists to no on a product Google knows has a GTIN, you get a warning, and Google says branded products sent without their GTIN may have limited visibility. So only say no when it is true.

Only when the brand is yours. If you sell private label, with your own logo on the product and the box, you are the brand owner, so the codes are yours to get. You license them from GS1, the body that runs the barcode system.

GS1 US prices on its site on 2026-10-09: one GTIN costs $30 with no yearly fee. A block for 10 products costs $250 plus $50 a year. A block for 100 costs $750 plus $150 a year. Each variant needs its own code, so a hoodie in 4 colours and 5 sizes needs 20. Outside the US, your local GS1 office sets its own prices.

If the product is the supplier's, buying a code does not fix anything. Google asks for the value the manufacturer assigned. A code you bought for a product that many other stores also sell is not that.

An empty gtin field on a product with no GTIN is correct. A fake one is not. Google wants the number to pass the GS1 rules, last check digit included, and it tells you not to send codes that start with 2, 02 or 04. An invalid GTIN also stays invalid until you fix the field. A feed resync will not clear it.

And you are not behind. In our July 2026 Product Feed Quality Index, 81.3% of 12,375 products across 251 Merchant Center accounts had neither a GTIN nor an MPN. For a generic product, put the work into the title instead of a number you invented.

If you want a feed checked, post it in our free Google Ads eCom Lab on Skool. If your store spends at least €10K a month on ads, our team can run the account for you through our Google Ads dropshipping service.