Amazon FBA makes fulfilment and distribution simple.
All you have to do? Get your inventory to the warehouses.
Now, whilst the program is designed to make your life as easy as possible, you are still required to meet certain criteria when packaging your products for Amazon FBA.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Why does correct packaging matter in the first place?
- The Amazon FBA packaging requirements
- Packaging
- Packaging materials
- Labeling
- Items sold assets
- Items sold as units
- Items sold in cases
- Polybags
- Expiration dates
- Specialized items
- How to get started strong
- Stay on top of your FBA fees with A2X
You might want to bookmark this page or grab a notepad for this one. Let’s get started.
Why Does Correct Packaging for Amazon FBA Matter?
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.
Amazon FBA Packaging Requirements
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the detail of the requirements of Amazon FBA packaging. But if you simply break them down into categories by type of product and shipment, they make a lot of sense.
Plus, the Amazon website has a comprehensive help service within Seller Central that can provide you with advice on packaging and prep requirements.
There are video tutorials with links to more detailed, technical information and plenty of resources to help you learn the ropes.
Remember: Requirements can change at any time, so stay informed and check back in often.
Amazon’s specs cover general packaging requirements, and additional for particular categories including loose products requirements for items sold as sets, boxed units, and particular packaging materials. Let’s take a look at them.