Amazon Transparency and Project Zero in Australia: Who Can Join, What They Cost and the Eligibility Catch

Project Zero is available to brands on Amazon Australia. Enrolling and using its self-service counterfeit removal tool is free once you meet the eligibility rules. Transparency is the catch. Amazon's US Transparency page says "Currently, brands from Australia aren't eligible to enroll in the Transparency program", while still protecting the Australian store for brands from other countries. Amazon's Australian Transparency page, however, says the programme "is currently available in Australia" and links an eligibility check. The two pages do not fully agree as of October 2026, so test your own eligibility before you spend anything.

Both programmes sit on top of Brand Registry. Start with Amazon Brand Registry in Australia and the trade mark guide. The wider hub is Amazon Australia for sellers.

What is the difference between Project Zero and Transparency?

Amazon describes Project Zero as the ability to immediately remove counterfeit listings, and Transparency as using unique codes to verify individual units. You can use Project Zero without Transparency. Amazon says serialisation through Transparency is separate and paid.

Who can join Project Zero in Australia?

Amazon's Project Zero page sets four conditions:

1. A Brand Registry account where you are the rights owner of a registered trade mark.
2. You have used Report a Violation to report suspected registered trade mark infringement in the last six months.
3. At least a 90% acceptance rate on those reports.
4. A history of using Brand Registry and Report a Violation in line with Amazon's policies.

Once in, you must keep an accuracy rate of at least 99% to keep access. That means a single sloppy takedown can matter. Amazon recommends a test buy to confirm a suspected fake before you remove it.

A pending trade mark may be enough for Brand Registry in some cases, but Project Zero's condition says registered trade mark. Check your IP Australia status and see Amazon IP complaints in Australia for the day-to-day reporting process.

How do you use Project Zero well?

1. Build a track record first. File accurate Report a Violation reports for six months. Only report what you can evidence.
2. Do a test buy. Order the suspect product and compare it with the genuine item. Keep photos.
3. Remove at the right level. Amazon says you can remove individual offers or an entire product listing. Choose the smaller action when the listing itself is legitimate and only one seller is fake.
4. Do not remove authorised resellers. A grey-market or parallel import is not necessarily a counterfeit. If the product is genuine, the right tool is a commercial or legal one, not Project Zero.
5. Log every removal. Date, ASIN, seller, evidence. If your accuracy is questioned, this is your defence.

Can Australian brands enrol in Transparency?

Maybe not, and Amazon's own pages are not consistent.

• Amazon's US Transparency page lists eligible brand origins as the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, India, Japan and China, and says "Currently, brands from Australia aren't eligible to enroll". Australia appears as a supported store, so brands from eligible countries are protected here.
• Amazon's Australian Transparency page says Transparency is "currently available in Australia" among a list of countries and links a "Check eligibility for Transparency" step. It does not state outright that Australia-based brands can enrol.
• The eligibility form lists three conditions: enrolment in Brand Registry, a government-registered trade mark and a GTIN, and it does not state a country rule.

The honest reading: the programme operates in the Australian store, and whether a brand based in Australia can enrol is not settled on Amazon's public pages. The explicit exclusion sits on the US page. Do not print labels, order codes or brief a co-packer until Amazon confirms your eligibility in writing through the eligibility check or your Brand Registry support case. Keep that reply.

If you are not eligible, your protection options are Brand Registry tools, Report a Violation, Project Zero and a test-buy plan. A brand from an eligible origin that sells into Australia is protected here by its own Transparency enrolment.

What does Transparency cost and how does it work?

If your brand is eligible, Amazon's US page lists these charges for Amazon-issued codes:

The page lists these figures with a dollar sign and sits on Amazon's US site, so treat them as US-dollar prices until Amazon quotes in Australian dollars. There is no enrolment fee and no cost to add or remove products. Illustrative cost: 20,000 units at US$0.05 per code is US$1,000 for codes, before labels and application, and before exchange rate and any GST on the import or service.

Requirements include a Brand Registry account with the rights-owner role, an active registered trade mark, a GTIN per product and the ability to add a code to every unit you manufacture, wherever it is sold. Codes are scanned when units arrive at a fulfilment centre, and customers can scan them in the Amazon Shopping or Transparency apps. Protections do not start until the product passes the operational performance review.

Labelling every unit is a manufacturing decision, so raise it with your factory or prep centre early. See Amazon FBA prep and labelling in Australia.

What should an Australian brand do now?

1. Confirm Brand Registry status and the trade mark. See the IP Accelerator guide if you have not filed.
2. Start Report a Violation use now so the six-month clock for Project Zero is running.
3. Run the eligibility check for Transparency and keep Amazon's written answer.
4. Use Brand Analytics for sales and search insight on your brand. See Amazon Brand Analytics in Australia.
5. Use test buys and a monitoring routine for your top ASINs.

This is general information, not legal advice. For trade mark and counterfeit disputes, talk to an Australian IP lawyer or IP Australia.

FAQ

Is Project Zero available in Australia? Yes. Amazon's Australian Project Zero page says you can enrol and use the self-service counterfeit removal tool for free once you meet the eligibility criteria. You need a registered trade mark in Brand Registry and a clean record of accurate Report a Violation use.

Can Australian brands use Amazon Transparency? Unclear. Amazon's US page says brands from Australia are not currently eligible to enrol, while its Australian page lists Australia as an available country and links an eligibility check. Check your own status and get Amazon's answer in writing.

Does Transparency still protect the Australian store? Yes, for brands that can enrol. Amazon says enrolled brands are protected across all stores where Transparency is supported, and Australia is on that list. You do not enrol separately per store.

How accurate do Project Zero removals have to be? At least 99%. Amazon says brands must maintain that accuracy rate to keep access. It also recommends a test buy to confirm a violation before removal, which is the best defence against a wrong call.

Do I need a trade mark for either programme? Yes. Project Zero needs you to be the rights owner of a registered trade mark, and Transparency needs an active registered trade mark and Brand Registry. Start with IP Australia.

What does Amazon Transparency cost? No enrolment fee. Amazon-issued codes cost US$0.05 each up to 1,000,000 codes a year, US$0.03 for the next tier and US$0.01 above 10,000,000. Label printing and application are extra and depend on your supplier.

Next step

Both programmes depend on a clean Brand Registry set-up. Amazon Brand Registry services for Australia covers enrolment support. Blooprint works with Australian sellers remotely from Bengaluru. Use the checks above first.