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How to properly package your items for Amazon FBA?

Published

11 months ago

December 25, 2022

Unfortunately for sellers, it’s not just a question of packing your items into any box you have lying around and sending it off to Amazon. Amazon has some specific packaging requirements for their FBA clients.

It may seem onerous at first but when you think about the below, it’s really just common sense:

Poorly packaged goods can be damaged in transit.
Poorly labelled goods may get lost or mixed up.
Over-packaged goods are wasteful and damaging to the environment.
Poor packaging could negatively impact the reputation of your business.

All fair points, no?

Amazon takes its packaging requirements seriously and there are penalties for suppliers who fail to comply. For example, Amazon may dispose of your inventory and even block future shipments to its fulfilment centers – not the makings of a successful business model.

Improperly-labelled products may be marked as unsellable, and you might be slapped with a non-compliance fee. Not good.

But don’t worry, it’s all totally avoidable if you just stick to the rules.

General packaging requirements

Each unique unit or product type (e.g. size or color) must have a unique FNSKU.
Each unit must have an exterior scannable barcode with corresponding readable numbers that are easily accessible.
You can either use manufacturer barcodes (eg GCID, UPC, EAN, or ISBN) or Amazon barcodes (ASIN or FNSKU).
Existing barcodes on the outside of shipping boxes must be rendered unscannable. This can be done by covering the redundant code with tape or by using a black felt-tip to block it out. This ensures that the incorrect barcode cannot be accidentally scanned.
Each unit, including multiple volume book sets, must be contained within a single, secure package.
Units may not include multiple pieces requiring assembly by Amazon.
Units not contained in secure packaging must be bagged or secured with tape.
Footwear must be packaged with no shoe material exposed, either in boxes or in poly bags. Poly bags must have a suffocation warning (see below for detailed packaging requirements for poly bags).

Approved packaging materials

Amazon can provide packing materials for you which meet their requirements. You can get Amazon-preferred poly bags, boxes, stretch wrap, bubble packs and other materials directly from Amazon.

US-based sellers can also get free supplies from UPS, FedEX and USPS provided the seller is using those services to send products to Amazon fulfilment centers.

Amazon FBA-approved standard boxes

You can’t just use any box to ship to Amazon FBA, you need to stick to the following:

Regular slotted carton
B flute
ECT-32 (edge crush test)
200BH (burst strength)

Amazon FBA-approved packaging materials

The types of packaging that Amazon uses include:

Foam sheets or cushioning
Air pillows
Bubble wrap
Full sheets of paper

Amazon FBA general labeling requirements

The labels you need for Amazon FBA must meet the following criteria:

Product labels must all include the exact same product title.
Use no more than 50 characters.
Capitalize the first letter of each word but do not use ALL CAPS.
Symbols and special characters are not allowed.
Promotional titles are not allowed.

FBA items sold as sets

Units that are sold as sets must be marked as sets on their packaging, and clearly labelled to that effect. For example: “Sold as set” or “Part of a set, do not separate.”

Units must be sealed so that sets cannot be separated.

FBA items sold as boxed units

If you intend to ship boxed sets to Amazon FBA warehouses, make sure to follow these instructions:

Boxed units must be six-sided and must have openings that will not easily open on their own.
If the box can be easily opened on its own, adhesives or staples must be used.
The box must not collapse when medium pressure is applied to any of the sides.
If the boxed unit has perforated sides or openings, it must pass a 3 foot drop test. This consists of one drop on each side and one drop on a corner.
If the product does not pass this test, it must be placed in a poly bag with a suffocation warning.
Boxes containing multiple standard-size items must not exceed 25 inches on any side. The limit may be exceeded if the box contains oversize units that measure longer than 25 inches.
Boxes may not exceed the standard weight limit of 50 lbs unless they contain one single oversized item that exceeds 50 lbs.
Boxes containing jewelry or watches must not exceed 40 lbs.

FBA case-packed products

To send case-packed products to Amazon FBA, make sure your items meet the following criteria:

All products in a box must have a matching SKU and condition and must have been packaged by the manufacturer.
Boxes with the same product must contain equal quantities of that product in the box and contain no more than 150 units per case.
When receiving this type of shipment the fulfillment centre scans one unit from the box and the box is placed in the inventory.
In some cases multiple case packs may be packed into a larger box called a master carton. The above requirements apply at the case pack level.

Requirements for poly bags

To use an Amazon FBA poly bag for protecting items, you must follow these instructions:

Poly bags with a 5 inch opening or larger (measured when flat) must have a suffocation warning either printed on the bag or attached as a label.
Amazon has precise requirements for minimum suffocation warning label print sizecorresponding to the length plus width of the bag.
The thickness of the bag must be at least 1.5mm.
The poly bag must be transparent.
The poly bag must have a barcode or XOO-label that is scannable through the bag or have an XOO or ASIN label on the outside of the bag.
The poly bag must be completely sealed.
The poly bag or shrink wrap must not protrude more than 3 inches past the dimensions of the product.

You can use poly bag alternatives as long as they meet these requirements. If you want more environmentally-friendly options, there are plant-based poly bags and biodegradable poly bags.

Expiration dates

Do your products have expiration dates? Make sure to follow these rules:

Products that expire must include the expiration date on the master carton in 36-point or larger font and on the individual units.
Expiration dates must be in the format MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY.
The expiration date must be accessible to Amazon during the receiving process even when the product is subject to additional packaging requirements (e.g: for fragile items).

I hope you found this article helpful. Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Regarding Amazon Seller Performance, you can always participate in our Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide group, where you will be very welcome.

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Kika Angelic

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My name is Kristina Hajdukova, but I am known as Kika Angelic. I have been selling online since high school and I dedicated my entire life to helping other Amazon Sellers and building the seller community Regarding Amazon Seller Performance, you can always participate in my Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide group, where you will be very welcome. If you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with any Amazon-related issues such as suspensions, listing blocks or is looking for professional assistance, please don’t hesitate to subscribe to my new OnlyFans page at: www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic

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New “At Risk” Account Health Status Warnings in Amazon Seller Central

Published

3 weeks ago

November 7, 2023

Kika Angelic

As an Amazon seller, maintaining a healthy account status is crucial for the success of your business on the platform. Amazon continually updates and enhances the tools and features available to sellers to help them navigate their seller journey. One recent change that sellers may be aware of is the display of the “Account Health at Risk” status.

Previously, the “At Risk” Account Health status used to be displayed in a marketplace-specific rectangle which reflected that particular store’s state.

Now, Amazon Sellers will see a drop-down menu called “Account Health” displaying the number of “At Risk Stores”. This then expands to show more information, as pictured below:

At the same time, there is now an orange rectangle in the middle of the screen displaying the At Risk status in the specific store as well (below):

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are experiencing issues with your Amazon Seller Account and your Seller Account already received a warning or is under a review, I can help you resolve the matter.

If you would like to hire me to privately assist you, feel free to subscribe and reach out through my dedicated assistance page at www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic, where I provide support with Amazon related matters in exchange for a small $24.99 fee. Alternatively, you can post into my free public discussion forum for Amazon Sellers, where I will answer your question.

To stay in touch, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am presenting you several secret tips about appealing Amazon Seller Account suspensions (don’t be confused by the opening of the video, where I am enjoying a vacation – it’s a part of the story):

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You will be automatically enrolled in EPR Pay on Behalf, unless you prove compliance by December 31, 2023

Published

3 weeks ago

November 6, 2023

Kika Angelic

As Amazon sellers, staying compliant with various regulations and requirements is crucial for a successful and hassle-free selling experience. Recently, Amazon has announced changes related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance in Spain, which may impact sellers offering packaged goods. In this blog post, we will explain what EPR compliance entails and how Amazon is here to assist you through the Pay on Behalf service.

What is EPR Compliance?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a concept that places the responsibility for the management and recycling of packaging waste on the producers or manufacturers of the packaged goods. In Spain, Amazon is required to ensure that packaged goods offered for sale by sellers not established in Spain comply with EPR requirements.

Amazon’s Pay on Behalf Service

If you are a producer not established in Spain and sell on amazon.es, Amazon will automatically enroll you in the Pay on Behalf service for the period from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. This service ensures that Amazon reports and pays eco-contributions on your behalf for your packaged goods sales on amazon.es. The collected amounts are then recovered from your seller account.

How Does Pay on Behalf Work?

EPR Pay on Behalf allows you to continue selling on amazon.es without worrying about EPR compliance. Under this service, Amazon will handle the reporting and payment of eco-contributions on your behalf. This means you can focus on your business while Amazon takes care of the regulatory aspects.

The process of using Pay on Behalf involves Amazon reporting and paying eco-contributions for your packaged goods sales on amazon.es in 2023 and beyond. All the terms and conditions are specified in the EPR Requirements policy for third-party sellers in Spain, which can be found on sellercentral.amazon.es.

Learn more on our Pay on Behalf page.

Service Costs

You might wonder about the costs associated with the Pay on Behalf service. Amazon will charge your seller account with a service fee and the eco-contribution fees that Amazon pays on your behalf. Detailed service fee information will be communicated before December 2023. To learn more about the service fees, visit the Pay on Behalf page on Amazon.

Learn more on our Pay on Behalf page.

Opting Out of Pay on Behalf

If you prefer not to use the Pay on Behalf service, you have an option to submit a valid packaging registration number here by December 31, 2023. This ensures that you can manage your EPR compliance independently. For more information on how to submit a valid packaging registration number, you can refer to Amazon’s Help page.

In case you don’t have a valid packaging registration number, Amazon has designed the EPR Services on Amazon, a solution that helps sellers obtain a UIN (Unique Identification Number) and pay eco-contribution fees to PROs (Producer Responsibility Organizations) with the assistance of trusted service providers.

To stay in touch, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am addressing everything you need to know about Seller Identity Verification and how to pass it:

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Action required: Important information about your product listings – Explained

Published

3 weeks ago

November 5, 2023

Kika Angelic

Many sellers contact me daily through my OnlyFans page, informing me that they have received documentation requests for their Amazon listings and are feeling helpless, unsure of what to do. Some have even deleted their listings out of fear.

If you recently received a concerning email from Amazon titled “Action required: Important information about your product listings,” don’t worry. This article will tell you what it means and how to properly address the matter.

Here, you can view a screenshot of such an email:

The text of the wording states:

Hello from Amazon,

We are contacting you because you have listed products that require you to submit compliance documents. Click View Compliance Requirements below to see the list of affected products and submit the required compliance documents. If you do not submit the documents by the due date indicated for each product in this link, we may remove the affected listings.

Why is this happening?
This requirement helps ensure that products are compliant with local laws and safe for customers.

How do I continue to sell the affected products?
Click View Compliance Requirements to find out more information about the documents you need to provide for each product.

Was there an error?
If you believe that you do not need to submit documents for your product(s):

1. Click View Compliance Requirements.
2. Click Provide Documentation or Appeal next to the product.
3. Click Yes on Is this an Appeal?

For FBA Offers: If you do not want to continue selling these products and have any inventory of these products remaining in our fulfillment centers, you’ll have 30 days from the date your listing is removed to create a removal order. You can find instructions for creating a removal order on the Remove Inventory Overview page. If you do not request a removal, automated removal orders will be triggered. Standard removal fees apply.

Thank you,
Amazon Product Compliance

Following the link in the email called “View Compliance Requirements” will take you to the “Product Compliance Requests” and “Documentation Requests” sections on the Account Health Dashboard.

Click on the “Provide Documentation or Appeal” button.

All you need to do there is select “Yes,” insert your email address, and then submit.

Selecting “Yes” indicates that the product you are selling isn’t specifically intended for small children.

After completing this process, your listing will remain active, and you should also receive an email once your submission is reviewed.

Here is a screenshot of the correct site interface that you should see after clicking on the “Yes” option:

To stay in touch, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am addressing everything you need to know about Seller Identity Verification and how to pass it: