Amazon Project Zero vs. Transparency: Which Program Actually Stops Fakes?

If you sell on Amazon and counterfeits are a problem, you have probably heard of both Project Zero and Transparency. Amazon positions them as its most powerful tools for stopping fakes. They are genuinely useful. But they are not the same thing, they do not cover the same ground, and neither one is a complete solution on its own.

This post breaks down exactly how each program works, where the gaps are, and what that means for your brand protection strategy.

Key point: Project Zero and Transparency are both Amazon-native programs. By design, they only protect you inside Amazon's store. Counterfeits on social media, independent websites, other marketplaces, and grey-market channels are outside their scope entirely.

What Is Amazon Project Zero?

Project Zero is Amazon's brand-led counterfeit removal program. It gives enrolled brands three tools to work with:

• Automated protections: Amazon scans over 5 billion product listing updates every day using machine learning. Brands supply their logos, trademarks, and key brand data, and Amazon's systems use that information to proactively identify and block suspected counterfeits before they go live.
• Self-service counterfeit removal: Instead of filing a report and waiting for Amazon to act, brands enrolled in Project Zero can remove suspected counterfeit listings themselves, directly, through a self-service tool in Brand Registry. This is a significant operational shift from the old report-and-wait model.
• Product serialization via Transparency: Project Zero integrates with Amazon's Transparency program to add unit-level verification to the mix (more on that below).

Who Can Use It?

Project Zero is not open to every seller. To be eligible, you need:

• A Brand Registry account where you are the registered trademark owner
• A history of using the Report a Violation tool with at least a 90% acceptance rate on submissions within the last six months
• A track record of using Brand Registry in line with Amazon's policies

The self-service removal tool is free. Brands that add serialization through Transparency pay for the codes.

The 99% Accuracy Requirement

One important constraint: Amazon requires brands using the self-service removal tool to maintain at least a 99% accuracy rate. If your accuracy rate drops below that threshold, you lose access to the tool. This keeps the system from being abused, but it also means brands need to be confident before they act. Amazon recommends doing a test buy to confirm a counterfeit before removing the listing.

Since launch, Project Zero has enrolled more than 35,000 brands across 22 countries, including markets in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.

What Is Amazon Transparency?

Transparency is a product serialization service. It works differently from Project Zero because it operates at the unit level rather than the listing level.

Here is how it works in practice:

• Every individual product unit manufactured gets a unique, scannable Transparency code
• The brand applies these codes during production or packaging
• When an order is placed on Amazon, the code is scanned and verified before the product ships to the customer
• Customers can also scan the code themselves using the Amazon Shopping App or the Transparency App, regardless of where they purchased the product

The core idea: a counterfeit unit cannot have a valid Transparency code. If a fake product enters the supply chain and a seller tries to fulfill an order with it, the missing or invalid code stops the shipment.

As of Amazon's 2024 Brand Protection Report, more than 2.5 billion product units have been verified as genuine through Transparency. The program has enrolled 88,000 brands worldwide.

What Transparency Does Not Cover

Transparency is powerful within Amazon's fulfillment network. But it has real limits:

• It only applies to products sold through Amazon. Units sold on other marketplaces, through your own website, or via physical retail are outside the program's scope.
• It requires manufacturing integration. Brands need to apply codes during production, which adds a step to the process (though Amazon's 2024 API launch has simplified enrollment and code ordering considerably).
• It does not prevent counterfeit listings from appearing. It prevents counterfeit units from being shipped. That distinction matters because a fake listing can still damage your brand's search visibility and customer trust before it is caught.

Project Zero vs. Transparency: How They Fit Together

The two programs are designed to complement each other, not compete. Amazon's own guidance is clear: brands that use both see the best results.

A useful way to think about the difference:

• Project Zero focuses on removing bad listings and training Amazon's automated systems to catch future infringements faster
• Transparency focuses on stopping counterfeit units from reaching customers at the point of fulfillment

Used together, they create a two-layer defense: stop fake listings from going live, and stop fake products from shipping even if a listing slips through.

Where Both Fall Short

Neither program was built to protect your brand off Amazon. That is not a criticism; it is just the reality of what they are. Both are platform-specific tools designed to keep Amazon's store clean.

The problem is that counterfeiting does not stay on one platform. Fake products show up on social media marketplaces, independent websites, regional platforms like Zalando or OLX, and grey-market channels. A brand that only monitors Amazon is only seeing part of the picture.

This is where a dedicated brand protection service becomes relevant. The work of identifying and removing unauthorized content across the broader web requires different tools, different expertise, and ongoing monitoring that goes well beyond what any single marketplace program can provide.

What a Complete Brand Protection Strategy Actually Looks Like

Amazon's tools are a solid starting point for any brand selling on the platform. But the brands that take counterfeiting seriously tend to treat them as one layer of a broader strategy, not the whole answer.

A more complete approach typically includes:

• Marketplace monitoring beyond Amazon: Platforms like Alibaba, eBay, Zalando, and regional marketplaces are common destinations for counterfeit products. Each has its own takedown process, and managing them manually is time-consuming.
• Social media enforcement: Fake product listings increasingly appear on Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop, and similar channels. These require platform-specific reporting and often direct outreach.
• Website takedowns: Counterfeit-selling websites that mimic your brand or use your trademarked content need to be identified and removed through DMCA notices or direct hosting provider contact.
• Ongoing monitoring: Counterfeiting is not a one-time problem. New listings appear constantly, and the response needs to be continuous rather than reactive.

At Remove.tech, we work with brands to handle exactly this kind of cross-platform enforcement. Our team combines automated detection with manual review to identify unauthorized content, counterfeit listings, and copyright infringements across the web, then action takedowns directly. For brands that want to understand what marketplace abuse looks like in practice, our guide to fighting unauthorized sellers on Alibaba is a useful starting point.

If you are already using Project Zero and Transparency on Amazon, you are ahead of most brands. The next question is what is happening to your brand everywhere else.

FAQ

Is Project Zero the same as Transparency?

No. Project Zero is a brand-led program that gives you tools to find and remove counterfeit listings on Amazon, including a self-service removal tool and automated protections. Transparency is a product serialization service that assigns unique codes to individual product units, preventing counterfeit units from being shipped to customers. The two programs work together but address different parts of the problem.

Do I need to enroll in both Project Zero and Transparency?

You do not have to, but Amazon's own guidance is that brands using both see better results than those using either program alone. Project Zero handles the listing layer; Transparency handles the unit layer. Together they create a more complete defense within Amazon's store.

Is Project Zero free to use?

The self-service counterfeit removal tool and automated protections are free for enrolled brands. Brands that add serialization through Transparency pay for the codes, with volume discounts available.

What happens if my Project Zero accuracy rate drops below 99%?

Amazon requires a minimum 99% accuracy rate for the self-service removal tool. If your rate drops below that threshold, you lose access to the tool. Amazon recommends performing a test buy to confirm a counterfeit before using the tool to remove a listing.

Do Project Zero and Transparency protect my brand on other platforms?

No. Both programs are specific to Amazon's store. They do not cover counterfeit listings on other marketplaces, social media platforms, or independent websites. For protection across the broader web, you need a dedicated brand protection service that monitors and enforces across multiple channels.

How does Remove.tech help brands dealing with counterfeits?

Remove.tech identifies and removes unauthorized content, counterfeit listings, and copyright infringements across the web, covering marketplaces, social media, and standalone websites. Our work complements Amazon's native tools by handling the channels they were not built to address. See our brand protection FAQ for more detail.

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