Amazon FBA shipping: Products preparation requirements

Before sending products for Amazon FBA shipping, it is important to prepare your inventory. If it is not pre-processed or labeled when delivered to the Amazon prep center, pre-processing service fees may be incurred.

Earlier, we’ve already told your everything about Amazon fulfilment centres and warehouse locations and how to send FBA inventory to Amazon warehouses.

Now it’s turn to properly prepare products before sending them to Amazon.

Packaging requirements for Amazon FBA shipping

Amazon packaging requirements are pretty high. Amazon may reject, return or repackage any products that are not sufficiently packaged or do not meet the requirements when delivered to the Amazon fulfillment center, and you will bear the corresponding fees.

Some Amazon FBA shipping tips:

• The inventory delivered to the operation center must not be equipped with anti-theft devices on the goods.
• Any FNSKU you use for a product must be unique and must correspond to a single product.

For example, each classification type (such as size or color) must have a different FNSKU.

• Products belonging to multiple categories must be pre-processed according to all applicable pre-processing types.

For example if you sell lotion and micellar water as a set, both products must meet the pretreatment requirements for liquid products, and they must be labeled with a “Sold as set” label to ensure that they will not be split.

• Each product must have a scannable barcode or label (including a scannable barcode and corresponding human-readable number) that is easily visible on the outside.
• Remove, cover or make all existing scannable barcodes on the outside of the box unscannable.

For example, use opaque tape to cover the existing barcode, or use a thick black felt pen to paint to make the barcode unscannable. This prevents accidentally scanning the wrong bar code during the receiving process.
Bulk goods

Each product (including multiple book sets) must be individually packaged for Amazon FBA shipping

• Amazon does not accept products that require multiple parts to be assembled by Amazon

For example, a bag with handles and legs that are packaged separately but sold as a single product.

• Products without safety packaging must be packed in bags or secured with non-adhesive tape or removable tape.
• No matter what material the shoes are made of, they must be packed in a shoebox or a polyethylene bag with a suffocation warning to ensure that the material of the shoes will not be exposed.

Products sold as am set for Amazon FBA shipping

• Packaged goods for example: a set of six different toy cars sold as one product) must be marked with a packaging mark on its packaging.
• Add a label to the packaged product to clearly indicate that the product will be received and sold as a single product.

For example: “Sold as set”, “Ready to ship” or “Set. Do not separate”.

Boxed goods

1. Must be six-sided.
2. Should have an opening or lid that does not open easily. If the box is easy to open on its own, use tape, glue or staples to seal it.
3. Must not collapse when moderate pressure is applied on either side.
4. If the boxed product has perforated sides or openings, the product must pass the 3-foot drop test, including one drop on each side and one drop in the center.

If the product fails the drop test, it must be placed in a polyethylene bag and marked with a suffocation warning.

Products packed in polyethylene bags

The polyethylene bags used to protect the goods must meet the following requirements:

• A polyethylene bag with an opening of not less than 5 inches (measured horizontally) must provide a suffocation warning.
• The warning information can be printed on the plastic bag or affixed to the plastic bag in the form of a label.
• If the suffocation warning is not marked, the product may be repackaged.

Warning example:

“Warning: To avoid the danger of suffocation, please keep this plastic bag out of reach of babies and children. Do not use this plastic bag in a cribs, beds, carriages, or playpens. This plastic bag is not a toy.”

This warning should be printed or placed in a prominent location, and a clear font size suitable for the size of the plastic bag should be used.

The sum of the length and width of the plastic bag, the minimum printing size:

1. The thickness of the plastic bag must be at least 1.5 mils (thousandths of an inch).
2. The polyethylene plastic bag must be transparent.
3. Polyethylene bags must have barcodes (UPC, EAN, etc.) or X00 labels that can be scanned through the plastic bags, or have X00- or ASIN labels affixed to the outside of the plastic bags.
4. The polyethylene bag must be completely sealed.
5. Black opaque polyethylene bags or shrink wrap must be used to pack adult products.
6. The polyethylene bag or shrink wrap must not exceed the product size by more than 3 inches.
7. Items with a great smell (such as candle) must be sealed or bagged to prevent the smell from entering other items.

Bubble film packaging

Products packaged in bubble film must meet the following requirements:

1. Pack tightly and seal with tape to prevent the product from falling out
2. Scannable barcode on the outside
3. Able to pass a 3-foot drop test on a hard surface, and the product contained in it is undamaged. A drop test needs to include five drops:

• Bottom landing
• Top landing
• The longest side touches the ground
• Shortest side landing
• Corner landing

Products with the following characteristics may need to use bubble wrap before Amazon FBA shipping:

1. Fragile and easily damaged during transportation
2. Heavy or bulky and may damage other goods during transportation
3. For products with expiration date that require additional pretreatment (such as polyethylene bag packaging or bubble film packaging), a label with expiration date must be affixed on the outside of the product pretreatment or packaging to ensure Amazon associates can see the expiration date during the registration process.

Over-boxing

If there are safety issues during transportation and handling, Amazon will request box packaging.

Box packaging refers to putting pre-processed or packaged goods in boxes to provide additional protection (even if the goods are boxed).

For products over 10 pounds, please use double-layer corrugated boxes for box packaging.

The following types of goods need to be box-packed:

1. Sharp products that may pierce the packaging material
2. Fragile products that have not passed a 3-foot drop test after being packaged in bubble wrap or may be damaged during transportation and handling
3. Dangerous liquids in glass containers over 4.2 ounces
4. Vinyl records

Hanger removal

• A hanger of normal size must be removed. Mini hangers with baby clothes are allowed. The following items cannot be shipped with any type of hanger: accessories, bras, hats, shorts, socks, knitwear, sweaters, swimsuits and underwear.

The following clothing is an exception and must be used with a hanger:

1. Jackets or blazers and suits
2. The market price of each product is higher than $299.99, is a formal or evening dress, or a dress that contains materials that will be damaged after being flattened (for example: full pleats, beads, sequins or other ornaments such as bows)
3. The market price is higher than $299.99 or the main material type is real leather, fur or wool coats
4. Pants, shirts, skirts and pajamas with a market price higher than $299.99

Tape

In addition to the bubble film packaging that is usually used to seal boxes, polyethylene plastic bags, or fixed packaging products, products with this requirement need to be packaged additionally.

If the product meets the following conditions, additional packaging may be required:

1. If the container is not sealed with tape, it may cause the product to fall from the package
2. Not completely sealed in the container
3. If the lid is not sealed in place with tape, leakage may occur

Mattress packaging guide for Amazon FBA shipping

Following FBA’s guidelines on mattress packaging will help ensure that the fulfillment center will not reject the mattress.

The mattress must:

1. Use corrugated box packaging
2. Be classified as a mattress when setting up a new ASIN
3. When creating a mattress ASIN, be sure to categorize it correctly: Home & Kitchen > Furniture > Bedroom Furniture > Mattresses & Box Springs > Mattresses.

Case-packed products

• All products in the box must have matching SKUs and product conditions, and must have been packaged by the manufacturer.
• For all boxes containing the same product, each box must contain the same number of products. For example: the original factory box of 24 pieces must contain 24 pieces of merchandise.
• Each box in the original factory box can only contain up to 150 items.
• When such a shipment is received, the fulfillment center scans an item in the box before placing the box in inventory. Since all products are the same, there is no need to scan them one by one.
• In some cases, the manufacturer or distributor may pack multiple original boxes in a larger box. These large boxes cannot be used as original factory packing boxes. They must be split into corresponding original factory packing boxes.
• For products shipped in original factory packaging, you must remove or cover all scannable barcodes on the box. Only the products in the box can have scannable barcodes.

Amazon FBA shipping: Expiration dates

• The display format of the expiration date must be MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY. If the expiration date is printed in other formats, a sticker with the correct format must be affixed to cover the original expiration date.
• Goods with expiration date must be marked with the expiration date/shelf life on the outer box in font size 36 or larger, and the expiration date must be marked on the single product. It is not enough to provide only the batch number.
• For products with expiration date that require additional pretreatment (such as polyethylene plastic bag packaging or bubble film packaging), a label with expiration date must be affixed to the product.
• Do not send perishable goods.

Marketing materials

Amazon does not accept marketing materials (such as predetermined price tags, brochures, price tags, or other non-Amazon tags).

Amazon FBA shipping safety

To prevent injuries caused by sharp objects accidentally falling into the box, please use safety knives with knife sleeves when packaging the goods.

Here we are 🙂

Happy sales, guys!