What’s the difference between products and offers and when do we require an EAN code

⏱️You’ll read this article in about 5 minutes

Learn what a product is, what an offer is, what an EAN is, why you need them, and how to obtain them.

empik.com operates based on a product catalog where every item has an individual EAN code.

What’s an EAN (GTIN)?

1. GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) – it’a an unique and internationally recognized identifier for a product. 
2. EAN (European Article Number) – it'a a bar code which is a visual representation of GTIN number (GTIN is encoded in EAN). 
   

Thanks to the EAN system, marketplaces can recognize that you are selling the exact same authentic product as other Sellers.

How to check if GTIN for the products you're selling is verified?

1. If you are not the manufacturer or the brand owner of the products you sell and the GTIN numbers (EAN codes) were assigned by another company, verify the numbers in the GS1 database.
   
2. If you need to verify a lot of GTINs, register on the platform and import an excel file with a list of GTIN numbers of your products to the Verify Data tab.

You'll learn whether the number is correct, what company licenses it in GS1 and what product is labeled with it.

You can also check if your products already exist on empik.com using our comparison tool.

How to acquire a GTIN number for your product

1. Determine how many codes you need. Each product variant (color, size, model) requires a separate code.
   
2. Apply for a code range on the GS1 Poland website.
   
3. After receiving your company prefix, generate GTIN numbers for your products.
   
4. Activate your GTINs on the MojeGS1 platform by adding product details: name, brand, category, description and image.
   Remember to activate GTINs before you put up your product on sale.
5. The data is published in the eProdukty catalog, which Empik uses to verify all products.
   

GS1 is the only organization that provides GTIN numbers (EAN codes) – please contact your local GS1 Member Organization to obtain your GTINs. For example, Polish producers and brand owners receive GTINs from GS1 Poland.

Who can obtain a GTIN?

The right to assign product codes belongs to brand owners (usually the manufacturer). A GTIN may be obtained by:

1. A manufacturer/supplier who produces a product and sells it under their own brand.
   
2. An importer/wholesaler, if they modify a product or create product bundles.
   
3. A retailer, if the product is manufactured specifically for them and sold under their own brand.
   

When is an EAN (GTIN) required?

An EAN is required whenever you want to add a new product to the empik.com catalog.

Every product must have a unique GTIN (EAN code). You cannot add two product cards with the same EAN.

Don’t have a GTIN? Request an exemption

If you are a manufacturer who doesn’t have EAN codes, or you sell products that are exempt from them, you can submit a request to have the EAN requirement removed.

When can you request an exemption?

You can be exempt from the requirement to provide EAN codes if:

• You are the manufacturer and exclusive distributor of the products.
• Products are assigned to the appropriate category in Empik Marketplace.
• You do not have EAN codes registered in the GS1 system, or you have only a few for testing purposes.
• You create your own bundles from other products - in this case, we might enable the label “Bundle without EAN code”.
• You sell jewelry, custom-built computers, personalized products, or items in the Fashion category.
• You have EAN codes for some of your products but want an exemption for a particular category.

There is also an exception: if you are not the exclusive manufacturer, but the actual manufacturer does not provide EAN codes, we may consider granting an exemption for that category (excl. Electronics, Home Appliances, and Health & Beauty).

How to submit a request?

Please prepare the following information:

• Are you the manufacturer and/or the exclusive distributor?
• Do you have any EAN codes already registered in GS1? If yes, provide the number of codes and specify which products they apply to.
• Which categories should the exemption cover?
• A link to your company’s website.
• The estimated number of products included in the request.
• A brief justification, e.g., “personalization,” “bundles,” “no codes from the manufacturer.”

Send a request including information above to our Support Team.

Product vs Offer

Product - technical data describing an item. In other words, it is a product page containing a complete set of information about the item. You can think of it as a “core” - it is the same for all Sellers.

A product page isn’t available to customers and doesn’t lead to sales.

Offer - your individual sales proposal for a product, including price, stock level, and shipping time.

How does it work?

1. If you want to add a new product that doesn’t yet exist in our catalog, you need to create a product page and add your offer to it.
2. If you want to sell a product that already exists in our catalog, you only need to add your own sales offer.
   

You can add offers and products in three ways:

1. Add a single offer to an existing product in the catalog.
   
2. Add a single product, then create an offer for it.
   
3. Add products and offers in bulk.
   

🔗 How to add products and offers

🔗 How to manage the product catalog

Required fields when adding a product

• Category - down to the most specific subcategory
• Product ID – no more than 26 characters
• Name – include key words to help customers find your product
• Description – as detailed as possible (at least 40 characters)
• EAN code
• Main image – plain background, no watermarks, no logo etc.
• Manufacturer
• VAT rate

Required metrics may vary depending on the product category. Mandatory fields will be marked with an asterisk (*).

Many offers from different Sellers can be linked to one product card (one EAN). This makes it easier for customers to shop on empik.com.

Required fields when adding an offer

• Gross price
• Stock level – number of products available for sale
• Shipping time – how quickly you plan to ship the order
• Offer SKU - individual offer number. If left blank, in some cases, the system will assign it automatically.

Remember to check whether a product already exists in the catalog - only then can you link your offer to it. Otherwise, you will need to create a new product card.

We hope this article was helpful. Your next step: Adding an offer 

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