Do You Need a UPC Barcode to Sell Korean Products in the US?

When your 880 EAN-13 is enough, and when a buyer needs a 12-digit UPC barcode

Korean brands, and the US importers who carry them, often ask us:

"Our products already have an 880 barcode from GS1 Korea. Can we use it in the US?"

"Do we need a US barcode before we list on Amazon?"

The short answer: in most cases, you do not need a new barcode. GS1 Korea's FAQ says an EAN-13 can be used in North America, and Amazon accepts a 13-digit number as a product ID.

The exceptions: some buyers require 12 digits, two Walmart guides disagree, and cases and pallets need different barcodes. Here is where an 880 barcode works and where it does not.

EAN vs UPC vs GTIN: one numbering system, three lengths

EAN and UPC are not competing systems. Both are a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), the number GS1 assigns to each version of a product, written at different lengths. A GTIN barcode is the picture of that number a scanner reads.

UPC-A (GTIN-12): 12 digits, the standard on retail packs in North America.
EAN-13 (GTIN-13): 13 digits, the standard outside North America, including Korea.
GTIN-14: 14 digits, for a case or outer pack rather than a single unit.

The digit counts come from Amazon's and Walmart's product ID pages.

A Korean 13-digit number is built from a 3-digit country code (880), a 6-digit company code, a 3-digit item code and a check digit, per GS1 Korea's 2024 guide. The same guide says the 880 country code does not indicate origin. 880 is GS1 Korea's prefix, not a country-of-origin mark. US origin marking is a separate rule, covered in our post on US labeling requirements.

A Korean 880 barcode works in the US

An 880 barcode can be used in the US. GS1 Korea's FAQ says so directly. GS1 Korea's barcode page adds that GS1 policy is reducing 12-digit use in North America, and that 12 digits are not needed without a special reason.

GS1's global help center notes that some small shops and specialty stores in the US and Canada cannot handle 13 digits and may ask for a 12-digit UPC.

Find out what each channel and buyer accepts before you buy a second barcode.

Amazon accepts an EAN-13 as the product ID

Amazon takes an 880 number as a product ID, as long as GS1's record matches.

Product ID: Amazon's GTIN requirements by category list the 12-digit UPC and the 13-digit EAN and JAN as product IDs. In Beauty, Health & Personal Care and Grocery, major brands need a product ID, and private label brands can request a GTIN exemption.
GS1 check: per Amazon's GTIN exemption guide, Amazon verifies barcodes against the GS1 database, and a number that does not match GS1's record is invalid.
Exemptions: the same guide says exemptions are for products with no GS1 barcode available. If your pack already carries an 880 barcode, use it.
FBA labels: per Amazon's FBA barcode requirements, as of March 31, 2026, brand owners can keep using manufacturer barcodes without stickers. Resellers must use Amazon barcodes even when the product has a manufacturer barcode. Amazon can apply its labels for a per-item fee through the FBA Label Service.

Before you send inventory, look up your number in the GS1 database, which allows up to 30 free searches a day, and check that it shows your company. If you are still weighing FBA against shipping from your own US warehouse, see Amazon FBA vs a 3PL.

On Amazon, what counts is whether GS1's record ties the number to your brand.

Walmart: Marketplace accepts EAN, WFS item labels do not

Walmart takes an 880 number for listings but, in a separate guide, rejects it on the unit labels for Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS).

Marketplace listings: Walmart's product identifier policy (updated September 1, 2026) accepts a GTIN (14 digits), UPC (12), EAN (13) or ISBN. Walmart checks IDs against the GS1 database and prohibits reusing a product ID for a different item.
WFS inbound: Walmart's WFS label guide (updated August 6, 2026) asks for a scannable GTIN-14 or UPC-12 label on each unit and says EAN is not an acceptable barcode. Walmart may return units without a scannable label at the seller's cost and may charge a fee.
Store suppliers: Walmart's supplier requirements ask for a GS1 Company Prefix (the company number GS1 issues to a brand owner) on the application and point to GS1 US. The page does not say whether a GS1 Korea prefix qualifies.

If you plan to use WFS, ask Walmart in writing how to label your 880 items before you print. "Walmart accepts EAN" is only confirmed for Marketplace listings.

When you do need a 12-digit UPC barcode, and how to get one

Get a 12-digit UPC barcode when someone you sell to asks for it in writing. The cases covered in this post:

A buyer or distributor whose system needs 12 digits
A small US or Canadian store that cannot scan 13 digits
A channel with its own unit label rule, such as Walmart WFS
A retailer vendor guide, such as Target's or Costco's. Each retailer sets its own rule, so ask your buyer for the current document.

For a Korean company, the route to 12 digits is not clear-cut. GS1 Korea's FAQ says a separate UPC application exists for buyers that need 12 digits, but also says 12-digit issuance outside the Americas is strictly limited without a special reason. GS1 US lists a single GTIN at $30 with no renewal fee, and a GS1 Company Prefix for 10 barcodes at $250 plus $50 a year, as of October 2026. The GS1 US pages we read do not say whether a company based in Korea can buy them.

A new 12-digit number also gives the product a second GTIN next to its 880 code. Before you pay anyone, ask both GS1 Korea and GS1 US which route applies to you, and agree with your buyer which number goes on which channel. GS1 US pricing and the one-barcode-per-variation rule are in section 7 of our labeling post.

Buy 12 digits because a buyer needs them, not because you are selling in the US.

Can you make your own UPC? Why generators and resold numbers fail

No. A barcode generator draws the bars, but it cannot make the number yours. Amazon and Walmart check who owns each number in the GS1 database.

Amazon: the exemption guide recommends getting numbers from GS1, not from third parties that resell licenses.
Walmart: the product identifier policy cross-checks GS1 and treats restricted-circulation numbers (in-store codes) as invalid.
GS1 US: per its company prefix page, a barcode tied to another company, or one that cannot be found, risks rejection or the cost of relabeling.

A cheap number that GS1 lists under someone else's name does not identify your product. A barcode is a number, and GS1 has to show that number belongs to you.

Case and pallet barcodes: ITF-14, GS1-128 and SSCC

Retail orders ship in cases and on pallets, and those carry barcodes for the distribution center, not the checkout.

ITF-14: holds only the item number and prints well on corrugated cases, per GS1. GS1 Korea's guide adds that the 14-digit case number is the 13-digit item number plus one digit for the pack level, and is not used at retail checkout.
GS1-128: can carry every GS1 key, such as the GTIN, lot number, dates and the SSCC (GS1).
SSCC-18: an 18-digit ID for one pallet or shipment, printed as a GS1-128 barcode on the pallet label.

Walmart's food traceability requirements apply to all food and beverage suppliers from August 1, 2025: pallets containing food need an SSCC-18 linked to the advance ship notice (ASN), and food cases need a GS1-128 label.

For Costco, Target and other retailers, the case and pallet rules sit in each retailer's routing guide and vendor guide. Unit barcodes are for the register. Case and pallet barcodes are for the retailer's warehouse.

Printed the wrong barcode? Relabel, do not reuse

GS1 rules block the quick fix of borrowing another number.

No reuse: GS1 Korea's FAQ prohibits reusing a barcode from a product already sold on the market. Codes created in KorEANnet, GS1 Korea's issuing system, cannot be deleted. Only an unused code that was never shared outside the company can be renamed for another product.
Pack changes: GS1 Korea's 2024 guide says a new code is needed when a change, even a small one, touches legally required information, and that any reuse should be agreed with the retailer first.

That leaves relabeling with a valid number. For example, units already in a US warehouse can have the old barcode covered or removed and a label in the format the channel asked for applied to each unit. Fix a wrong barcode with the right label, not a recycled number.

Which barcode each channel accepts

Where you sell	880 EAN-13	Barcode asked for	What to check
Amazon listing	Accepted as product ID	UPC or EAN that matches GS1	Resellers use Amazon barcodes at FBA
Walmart Marketplace	Accepted as product ID	GTIN-14, UPC, EAN or ISBN	No reuse of an ID for another item
Walmart WFS inbound	Not accepted on unit labels, per WFS guide	GTIN-14 or UPC-12 label	Confirm with Walmart before printing
Walmart stores (supplier)	Not stated	GS1 Company Prefix on the application	Whether a GS1 Korea prefix qualifies
Some small US and Canadian shops	May not scan	12-digit UPC	Get the buyer's rule in writing
Walmart food cases and pallets	Not applicable	GS1-128 on cases, SSCC-18 on pallets	From August 1, 2025, linked to the ASN

Each row follows the Amazon, Walmart, GS1 and GS1 Korea pages linked above.

Four things to check before you print

1. Has a channel or buyer asked for a 12-digit UPC in writing?

2. Does your 880 number show your company in the GS1 database?

3. Will you use a channel with its own unit label rule, such as Walmart WFS?

4. Which retailer's routing guide sets your case and pallet labels?

Wrap-up

It is easy to assume a US launch starts with a new US barcode. In most places, an 880 barcode works. Check three places: WFS unit labels, buyers that need 12 digits, and case and pallet labels.

The number itself has to come from GS1. Relabeling printed goods and meeting each retailer's shipping rules can happen in a US warehouse. From its Fullerton, California warehouse, LinkONE handles label removal and reattachment, carton and pallet labeling, and retail routing guide compliance.

In the end, the right US barcode is not the one you buy first. It is the one your channel actually accepts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a Korean GS1 barcode work in the US?

Yes, in most cases. GS1 Korea says an EAN-13 can be used in North America, and Amazon and Walmart Marketplace accept that number as a product ID. GS1 notes that some small US and Canadian shops cannot scan 13 digits.

Does the 880 prefix mean the product was made in Korea?

No. GS1 Korea's guide (February 2024) says the 880 country code does not indicate origin. It shows the number came from GS1 Korea. Country of origin has to be marked on the package separately.

Do I need a UPC barcode to sell on Amazon?

Not necessarily. Amazon's product ID requirements accept both the 12-digit UPC and the 13-digit EAN as product IDs. If your product already has a GS1 barcode, use it; a GTIN exemption is for products without one, such as some private label items (Amazon exemption guide).

Can I make my own UPC barcode?

No. A generator only draws the bars. Amazon and Walmart check each number against the GS1 database (Amazon exemption guide, Walmart product ID policy), and Amazon recommends getting numbers from GS1, not from third-party resellers.

Does Walmart accept an EAN barcode?

For Marketplace listings, yes (Walmart product ID policy). For WFS inbound, Walmart's label guide (updated August 6, 2026) asks for a GTIN-14 or 12-digit UPC on each unit and says EAN is not acceptable. Confirm with Walmart before you print.

Sources

Fees and rules in this post are as of October 2026.

-LinkONE-