Amazon's FBA prep requirements exist to keep its fulfillment centers running efficiently and to make sure every item that reaches a customer arrives in sellable condition. Sellers who skip or misunderstand these requirements risk having shipments rejected at receiving, which delays inventory and can trigger additional fees. Here's a plain-language breakdown of what's actually required.
Every unit sold through FBA needs a scannable barcode Amazon can use to identify it in their system. In most cases this is your FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) label, though manufacturer barcodes can sometimes be used if you've opted into Amazon's barcode program. Labels need to be placed where they're clearly scannable and not obscured by existing packaging text.
Loose products, products with small parts, and items that could be damaged by exposure need to be poly bagged. Any poly bag with a 5-inch or larger opening requires a suffocation warning printed on the bag. Amazon is specific about the exact wording and font size required for this warning — a small detail that trips up a surprising number of new sellers.
Fragile items, glass, and anything that could damage other units nearby needs bubble wrap or equivalent cushioning. Liquids and items that could leak need to be sealed to prevent damage to other inventory during transit and storage.
Products with a shelf life need a human-readable expiration date visible on the outside of the packaging. Amazon requires the date in a specific format and will reject inventory where expiration information is missing or hard to read.
When shipping in bulk, cartons need to meet Amazon's weight limits (generally under 50 lbs unless the product itself is oversized) and dimension guidelines. Each carton also needs a shipping label generated through Seller Central, applied to the correct side, matching what's declared in your shipment plan.
If you're selling multiple units as a single listing (a "bundle" or multi-pack), Amazon requires the bundle to be clearly marked as a set — with packaging that makes it obvious the units shouldn't be split apart and sold individually. Bundles typically also need a "This is a set, do not separate" type label.
Retail arbitrage sellers dealing with a handful of SKUs can often prep manually. Wholesale and private label sellers moving hundreds or thousands of units at once benefit far more from outsourcing this to a prep center that already tracks Amazon's requirement updates — because Amazon does update these requirements periodically, and missing an update can mean an entire shipment gets flagged.
None of these requirements are complicated individually, but missing even one on a large shipment can mean delays, extra fees, or a rejected inbound shipment. Whether you prep in-house or use a prep center, build a checklist against Amazon's current requirements before every shipment leaves your hands.
We track Amazon's current requirements so your shipments don't get rejected.
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