Amazon rolls out serialization service to Japan, Australia

Amazon has said it will expand its item-level Transparency coding platform into Japan and Australia, three years after it launched in the US.

The product serialization service allows brands to apply unique T-shaped datamatrix codes to their products, giving each a unique identity.

Amazon says it can be used to inspect and authenticate every unit – preventing counterfeits from ever reaching customers – and also as an authentication measure by the purchaser scanning them with a smartphone app.

Brand owners are responsible for adding the codes to the units they intend to sell, and every time one of these products is ordered via Amazon, the online retailer scans and verifies the code before shipping.

Amazon has rolled out Transparency in 10 countries to date, including India, Canada and several countries in Europe. The company says it is also celebrating a milestone of enrolling over 10,000 brands into the programme.