On this page, you will learn about the general prep requirements for sending FBA inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers, as well as the specific product categories that require specialized prep.
IMPORTANT: Failure to comply with FBA product preparation requirements, safety requirements,
and product restrictions may result in the refusal of inventory at the Amazon fulfillment
center, disposal or return of inventory, blocking of future shipments to the fulfillment center, or charging
for preparation or for noncompliance at the fulfillment center.
Before sending products for Fulfillment by Amazon, it's important to know what is suitable for our fulfillment process and what is not.
Be sure to review the other sections below for additional product requirements and restrictions:
Note: Your products should be sent to FBA ready to be fulfilled. Any products that require additional prep upon receipt at the Amazon fulfillment center may be subject to charging for preparation or for noncompliance.
The following documents are available for you to print off and use as a quick reference when preparing your products for shipment to Amazon fulfillment centers:
Prep Matrix: A downloadable document providing
a summary of basic prep guidelines, available for you to print off and refer to when prepping your Units for FBA shipments.
[Check back periodically for updated versions]
Packaging and Shipping Inventory to Amazon: Download and print this manual for Packaging and Shipping Inventory to Amazon, or share with your distributor or supplier when they send directly to Amazon. [Check back periodically for updated versions]
Note: A unit that falls under multiple categories must be prepped
according to all applicable prep types. For example,
if you are selling bottles of Shampoo and Conditioner as a set, both units will
need to meet the Liquid requirements as well as be labeled with a "Sold as Set"
sticker so that they are not separated.
Follow these general requirements when shipping Units to Amazon fulfillment centers. Certain
products have other specific requirements. Amazon may refuse, return, or repackage any product
delivered to an Amazon fulfillment center with inadequate or non-compliant packaging at your
expense, and you may also be subject to noncompliance fees.
Any FNSKU you use on a Unit must be unique and must correspond to one unique product.
For example, each assortment type, such as size or color, will have a different FNSKU.
Each Unit must have an exterior scannable barcode or label (which includes a scannable barcode and the corresponding human-readable numbers) that is easily accessible .
Remove or cover scannable barcodes on the outside of a carton that includes multiple Units.
Only the individual Units within the carton can have scannable barcodes.
Loose products
Each Unit, including multiple-volume set book publications, must be contained within a single,
secure package.
Amazon does not accept Units that would require Amazon to assemble multiple
pieces (for example, wheel barrows where the handles and legs are separate, but are sold as one piece).
Units that are not contained in secure packaging (like loose sleeves or
pouches) require bagging, or need to be secured with a non-adhesive band or
removable tape.
Footwear, regardless of material, must be packaged with no shoe material exposed, either in shoe boxes or bagged in a polybag with a suffocation warning. Shoe box lids must be secured with a non-adhesive band or removable tape.
Watch this brief video for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.
How to Prep Loose Products
Sold as set
Units that are sets (for example, a NASCAR set of six unique Hotwheel cars, sold as one Unit) must be marked as sets on their packaging. Add a label to the Unit that states: "Sold as set" or "This is a set. Do not separate."
Watch this brief video for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.
How to Prep Products Sold as a Set
Not permitted: Units within a set can be separated.
Permitted: Units are sealed so they cannot be separated and are clearly labeled as a set.
Not permitted: Units within a set can be separated.
Permitted: Units are sealed so they cannot be separated and are clearly labeled as a set.
Boxed Units
Must be six-sided.
Must have openings or a lid that will not easily open on its own. If the box can easily open on its own, then tape, glue, or staples must be used to keep it closed.
Must not collapse when medium pressure is applied to any of the sides.
If the boxed unit has perforated sides or openings, the product must pass a 3-foot drop test, consisting of one drop on each side, and one drop on a corner. If the product does not pass the drop test, it must be placed in a poly-bag with a suffocation warning.
Watch this brief video for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.
How to Prep Products with Perforated Packaging
Poly bagged Units
Poly bags used to protect Units must meet the following requirements:
Poly bags with a 5" opening or larger (measured when flat) are required to have a suffocation warning, either printed on the bag itself, or attached as a label.
For example: "WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs,
beds, carriages or play pens. This bag is not a toy."
The warning should be printed or placed in a prominent location and in a legible font size for the size of the bag.
Print size of this warning should conform to the following table:
Total Length plus Width of Bag
Minimum Print Size
60 inches or more
24 point
40 to 59 inches
18 point
30 to 39 inches
14 point
less than 29 inches
10 point
The thickness of the bag must be at least 1.5 mils
The poly bag must be transparent.
The poly bag must have a barcode (UPC, EAN, etc) or an X00-label that is scannable through the bag or have an X00- or ASIN-label on the outside of the bag.
Poly bags must be completely sealed.
Poly bag or shrink wrap must not protrude more than 3" past the dimensions of the product.
Case-packed products
All products in a box will have matching SKU and condition and will have been previously packaged together by the manufacturer.
All boxes with the same product will contain equal quantities of that product in each box. For example, a case-pack of 24 units must always contain 24 units.
The case pack limit is 150 units per case.
While receiving this type of shipment, the fulfillment center scans one unit from the box and the box is placed in inventory.
There is no need to scan every unit because they are all the same.
In some cases, a manufacturer or distributor may package more than one case-pack into a larger box called a master carton. Master cartons do not qualify as a case-pack and must be split at the appropriate case-pack level.
Watch this brief video for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.
How to Ship Case-Packed Products
Note: For Case-Packed Items, you must remove or cover any scannable barcode from the case. Only the Units within the case can have scannable barcodes.
Individual Items: Each box will contain one or more products of varying quantities and conditions.
Case-Packed Products: All products in a box will have matching SKU and
condition. All boxes with the same product will contain equal quantities of
that product in each box, and will have been previously packed by the manufacturer.
Expiration dates
Products that expire must include the expiration date on the master carton in 36+ point
font and on the individual Units. Lot numbers alone are insufficient.
Expiration dates must be displayed in the format MM-DD-YYYY. If the
expiration date is printed in a different format, a sticker with the correct
format must be applied, covering the original expiration date.
Products that expire and are contained in packaging that requires additional prep, such as glass jars or bottles, must be prepped to ensure that the expiration date is accessible for Amazon associates during the receive process.
Watch this brief video for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.
How to Label Products with Expiration Dates
Marketing materials
Amazon will not accept marketing materials (such as pre-priced labels, pamphlets, price tags, or other non-Amazon labels).
Safety
You must use safety knives with covered blades when packing products. This helps prevent sharp objects, such as blades, from being accidentally left in boxes and potentially injuring an Amazon associate or Amazon customer.
