Amazon 2023 Packaging Necessities for FBA

When promoting merchandise by way of Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program, adhering to the platform’s packaging necessities is important because it impacts how Amazon receives and processes your stock. 

If you don’t package deal and prep your merchandise in response to Amazon’s pointers, they’ll refuse or return your stock, and also you, as the vendor, could also be topic to additional charges and even lose the flexibility to ship to Amazon achievement facilities.

This text goals to make clear Amazon’s FBA packaging necessities, making certain sellers are well-equipped to fulfill these pointers and stop sellers from violating Amazon’s TOS. 

Amazon FBA packaging necessities

Earlier than creating an FBA cargo or having your provider package deal your items, make sure you totally perceive Amazon’s FBA packaging and prep necessities. 

Tip: When working together with your provider, ask them in the event that they know tips on how to package deal and prep for Amazon FBA (most of them do know by now).

This part will go over prep, labeling, and packaging necessities for FBA shipments. In case your merchandise are usually not prepped or labeled appropriately, it’s possible you’ll incur a preparation charge.

FBA product barcode necessities 

FBA makes use of barcodes to trace and establish sellers’ stock all through the achievement course of. Having the right barcodes tells Amazon which merchandise belong to your vendor account. 

Every unit despatched to an Amazon achievement heart will need to have a scannable barcode. 

Amazon makes use of two sorts of barcodes to trace stock: Producers barcode and Amazon barcode, aka the FNSKU. 

Producer barcodes

Amazon will use the producer barcode (similar to a UPC barcode) by default except you modify your barcode settings to the Amazon barcode. When a couple of vendor of a product makes use of the identical producer barcode, Amazon might fulfill orders with the stock that’s closest to the shopper.

If you’re an arbitrage or wholesale reseller and don’t need your stock commingled with different sellers stock, you should utilize the Amazon barcode labels in your models. 

By utilizing the FNSKU (Amazon barcode) it tells Amazon that these precise models belong to your particular vendor account. 

Amazon barcodes (FNSKU)

FNSKU barcodes have to be utilized to all merchandise that don’t use the producer barcode. You possibly can both print and label the barcodes on every unit your self (you are able to do this throughout FBA cargo creation), have your provider print the barcode in your product packaging, or you possibly can have Amazon label your merchandise for a charge. 

In case your product doesn’t have a producer barcode, you possibly can apply for a GTIN Exemption in Vendor Central and your whole merchandise will use the Amazon barcode as an alternative. 

We recommend all the time utilizing the Amazon barcode because it makes monitoring your stock simpler, and that approach, your stock doesn’t combine with one other vendor’s stock. 

Notice that each product on Amazon can have its personal FNSKU, even when you use the producer’s barcode. 

READ MORE | How you can Record Merchandise on Amazon With out a GTIN or UPC

Basic packaging necessities

Listed below are the final packaging pointers in response to Amazon: 

Going again to the barcode part, this principally states that each product despatched to Amazon FBA will need to have a scannable barcode that hyperlinks these merchandise to the corresponding vendor account. 

Amazon additionally has completely different necessities relying on how your merchandise have to be packaged. 

Unfastened merchandise 

Every unit despatched to Amazon have to be contained in a single, safe package deal. Items that aren’t contained in a package deal, have to be bagged or secured with straightforward to take away tape. 

The barcode have to be scannable with out having to take away any baggage or tape. 

Footwear have to be packaged with no shoe materials uncovered, both in shoe bins or in poly baggage with a suffocation warning. 

Clothes similar to shirts or pants, must also be secured in a polybag to stop harm. 

Poly-bagged models

Poly baggage with a 5-inch opening or bigger (measured when flat) will need to have a suffocation warning, both printed on the bag or hooked up as a label. Failure to use a suffocation warning might result in the gadgets being re-bagged.

Print measurement of this warning ought to conform to the next desk:

Whole size plus width of bag
Minimal print measurement

60 inches or extra
24 level

40 to 59 inches
18 level

30 to 39 inches
14 level

lower than 29 inches
10 level

• The thickness of the bag have to be at the least 1.5 mil (thousandth of an inch).
• The poly bag have to be clear.
• The poly bag will need to have a barcode (similar to a UPC or EAN) or X00-label that’s scannable by way of the bag or have an X00- or ASIN label on the skin of the bag.
• Poly baggage have to be fully sealed.
• The poly bag or shrink wrap should not protrude greater than 3 inches previous the scale of the product.
• Grownup merchandise have to be packaged utilizing black, opaque poly bagging or shrink wrap

Bought as set

Items which can be units, similar to a set of six tubes of toothpaste bought as one unit, have to be marked as units on their packaging. 

Add a label to the unit that clearly states that the merchandise are to be acquired and bought as a single unit. For instance, “Bought as set,” “Able to ship,” or “It is a set. Don’t separate.”

For bundled units, the barcodes on the person models within the set should not be seen. The bundle set ought to have its personal distinctive FNSKU barcode that tells Amazon the unit is a set. 

This helps be certain that achievement heart associates scan the barcode for the pack, not the barcode for the person models inside.

Boxed models

Should you promote models that are available a field, similar to granola bars, will need to have six sides, will need to have openings that can’t be simply opened on their very own, and should not collapse when medium strain is utilized to any sides. 

If the field perforated sides or openings, the product should cross a 3-foot drop take a look at. If it fails, the unit have to be positioned in a polybag. 

Bubble wrap

Bubble wrap could also be required as a result of the merchandise is:

• Fragile and could possibly be simply broken throughout transit
• Heavy or dense and will harm different gadgets throughout transit

A fragile product have to be packaged in both a six solid-sided field, or fully secured in bubble wrap, in order that it isn’t uncovered in any approach.

Merchandise with bubble wrap should meet the next standards:

• Tightly wrapped and taped shut so the product can not fall out
• Labeled with a scannable barcode on the skin
• Capable of cross a 3-foot drop take a look at on a tough floor with out the contents breaking. 

FBA inbound delivery necessities 

If you find yourself able to package deal your models right into a delivery field and ship to FBA, listed below are the necessities you will need to observe:

Step one is to supply field content material info in the course of the FBA cargo course of. You should present Amazon with what merchandise you’re sending, what number of of every, and what number of in every delivery field. 

If you’re having your provider package deal and ship your models on to Amazon FBA, be certain that they totally perceive Amazon’s packaging and labeling necessities earlier than delivery. 

There shall be sections for all of this info when creating your FBA cargo. 

Packaging shipments

Comply with these directions laid out by Amazon to make sure shipments arrive undamaged and prepared for consumption to Amazon’s achievement facilities.

Probably the most essential items of knowledge from above is the field measurement and weight you possibly can ship to Amazon. 

Most field dimensions: Not more than 25 inches on either side

Most field weight: 50 lbs

Should you go over the scale or weight, it might delay your cargo and Amazon might prohibit your potential to ship FBA shipments. 

The one time you possibly can exceed the utmost weight and dimensions is that if the person unit exceeds 50 lbs or 25 inches. 

• For a single merchandise that exceeds 50.00 lb, connect a label that clearly signifies Group Carry on the highest and sides of the field.
• For a single merchandise that exceeds 100.00 lb, connect a label that clearly signifies Mechanical Carry on the highest and sides of the field.

Packing supplies

Listed below are the packing supplies allowed by Amazon will sending in shipments to achievement facilities:

Use these:

• Bubble Wrap
• Full sheets of paper (heavy-weight kraft paper is finest)
• Inflatable air pillows
• Polyethylene foam sheeting

Don’t use these:

• All sorts of packing peanuts, together with these fabricated from biodegradable materials or corn starch
• Foam strips
• Crinkle wrap
• Shredded paper
• Thermocol chips
• Styrofoam

Cargo label necessities

After correctly boxing your models, it’s time to label the delivery bins and ship off to Amazon. 

Earlier than that although, you want to decide the suitable delivery technique and provider to make use of.

• SPDs. Small parcel deliveries (SPDs) are for gadgets packed in particular person bins, and the delivery bins individually labeled for supply. These are usually smaller shipments which can be despatched by way of DHL, UPS, FedEx, or native postal companies. For extra info, see Small parcel supply to Amazon.
• LTL/LFL. Much less Than Truckload/Full Truckload (LTL/FTL) cargo combines particular person bins on pallets for supply. For extra info, see Truckload supply to Amazon.

Listed below are the labeling necessities in response to Amazon: 

Be certain that the FBA field ID label is seen. This label tells Amazon what the contents of the field are and what vendor account the cargo belongs to. 

READ MORE | How you can Ship On to Amazon FBA

Comply with that information above to study extra about tips on how to create Amazon FBA shipments.

The place to purchase Amazon packaging provides

Provides similar to delivery bins, labels, bubble wrap, thermal label printers, and packing tape are issues that each one Amazon sellers ought to have when you’re dealing with your individual FBA shipments.

For many of this stuff, you possibly can truly organize them from Amazon! 

Listed below are acceptable customary field varieties you possibly can ship to FBA: 

• Common slotted carton (RSC)
• B flute
• ECT-32 (edge crush take a look at)
• 200 lb./sq. inch (burst power)

If you’re utilizing UPS to ship your FBA shipments to Amazon (certainly one of Amazon’s partnered carriers) you possibly can truly get free delivery labels from UPS. 

For heavy-duty delivery bins and different delivery provides, you too can take a look at native shops like Residence Depot or Lowes.

Now you’re able to ship to FBA

Delivery your merchandise to Amazon doesn’t must be troublesome. All you want to do is observe Amazon’s necessities and also you gained’t have any points sending your merchandise to FBA. 

Do you’ve got any extra questions on Amazon FBA packaging necessities? Tell us within the feedback.