FBA is Amazon’s program where sellers on Amazon send their inventory directly to Amazon’s warehouse instead of shipping products themselves. However, in order for Amazon to accept and process your inventory there are certain rules that have been laid out by Amazon. It is important to understand these packaging requirements since Amazon can refuse to accept your products. Amazon may even ask for fees and return the products if the rules have not been followed.
General Packaging Rules for FBA
Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit
Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit or better known as FNSKU is the identifier for FBA products and for SKUs. As per Amazon’s FBA rules, each FNSKU should be unique and correlated one product only. If the same product has variations such as size, color or shape, they too must have a unique FNSKU.
Tracking
It is mandatory for all packages to have a barcode or label on the exterior. This label/barcode is scanned for easier tracking. It must also be easily readable and accessible.
There are different rules and regulations for products in different categories. Here is a guideline for packaging rules by different categories:
Boxed Units:
If the shipment is in a boxes, they must be a six sided box and should be sealed shut. Boxes should be strong enough to handle pressure on all sides.
Loose Products:
Loose products which are to be sold together must be in one package. If a product has multiple pieces in one box, it must be marked with “Sold as set” or “Do not separate”
Poly Bag products:
Products which are in a poly bag must be clearly labeled, If the size of the poly bag’s opening is large than 5 inches, there must be suffocation warning on the poly bag. The label can be printed on the poly bag or should be added on as a label at a location where it can be found easily. An example of a suffocation label is “Keep this bag away from children and babies, Danger of suffocation”. If your packaging does not comply with this rule, then they may have to be bagged again.
The poly bag should have a barcode that is easily scanned. The poly bag should be transparent and sealed completely. Bag thickness must be at least 1.5 mil.
Sizes of suffocation warning labels:
- Bag size 60+ inches = Print size 24 point
- The Bag size 40-59 inches = Print size 18 point
- Bag size 30-39 inches = Print size 14 point
- Bag size less than 29 inches = Print size 10 point
Expiration:
If you are planning to ship an item that has an expiration date to FBA, the date should be on each unit but also on the packaging. The date should be written in the US format which is MM-DD-YYYY.
Please note: If your product falls in to multiple categories then all packaging rules of applicable categories should be followed.
Amazon FBA Packaging Inspection Checklist:
When sending your products to Amazon FBA it is very important for you to follow all preparation Packaging requirements. One small mistake can be very costly, if you are planning to conduct this inspection service yourself. Please do make sure you are following all rules stated above. We have provided a FBA prep inspection checklist below.
- Ensure boxes are good quality. Tip: you can buy Amazon approved boxes directly from amazon. FedEx, USPS etc. also sell Amazon approved packaging but the downside of that is you must use the provider of the boxes to ship the products.
- Make sure EACH item is wrapped individually.
- Use high quality tape. Tip: Use 3M.
- Use the same address label which has accurate delivery and return details.
- Use cushioning while packing items into a box.
- If you are planning to use boxes you bought from a retail store, make sure you remove all barcodes and scannable labels.
Conclusion
We hope this article helps you in your FBA prep. If you intend to ship your products directly from your supplier in China or Asia to Amazon FBA, we at ATI provide an FBA inspection service that ensure that your supplier has followed all of Amazon FBA’s packaging requirements and rules. Sending items that are not within Amazon’s FBA guidelines can not only damage your items but can also be very costly in terms of material and finances.