How to properly package your items for Amazon FBA?

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.

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

In case you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with Seller Identity Verification on Amazon, please feel free to watch my most detailed video on the subject, addressing all common questions: