FBA prep, packaging, and labeling: A beginners guide

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If you’re a seller getting ready to send your first shipment to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, understanding Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) prep requirements is one of the most important steps you can take.

Proper packaging, labeling, and preparation ensure your products move smoothly through Amazon’s fulfillment process and help you avoid costly returns, repackaging fees, or refused shipments.

What is FBA prep?

FBA prep refers to the process of preparing your products to meet Amazon’s packaging, labeling, and shipping requirements before sending inventory to a fulfillment center. This includes applying the correct barcodes, packaging items securely, and ensuring every unit is scannable and ready for Amazon’s receiving process.

Think of it this way: with FBA, your product travels from your supplier or warehouse to Amazon’s fulfillment center, where it’s unpacked, shelved, and eventually shipped to the customer. Every step of that journey requires your product to be properly identified and protected—and that’s what FBA prep is all about.

How to prep for Amazon FBA

Prepping for FBA comes down to three core areas: barcodes and labeling, packaging, and product-specific preparation. Here’s how to approach each one.

1. Apply the right barcode

Amazon uses scannable barcodes on all products to identify and track inventory throughout the fulfillment process. Barcodes also identify you as the seller, ensuring you get credit for each sale.

Amazon uses three types of barcodes:

• Manufacturer barcodes: The default option, which can include a UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN. Amazon uses these to track inventory unless you change your barcode setting. When multiple sellers share the same manufacturer barcode, Amazon may fulfill orders from the closest inventory to the customer.
• Amazon barcodes: Required for products that aren’t tracked via manufacturer barcode, are in used condition, don’t have a scannable manufacturer barcode, are media products, are restricted or dangerous goods, or are consumable or topical products (like baby items). Non-brand-registered sellers must apply Amazon barcodes to ineligible products.
• Transparency barcodes: Item-level authentication codes that protect brand owners and customers from counterfeiting. These feature the Transparency “T” logo and must not cover or be covered by any other label.

Pro tip: Brand-registered sellers may be eligible for an exemption to use manufacturer barcodes on otherwise ineligible products by enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry.

2. Print and apply labels correctly

If you’re printing and applying Amazon barcode labels yourself, follow these specifications:

• Size: 1 to 2 inches tall, 2 to 3 inches wide
• Ink: Black ink on non-reflective paper with adhesive backing
• Printer: Laser printer at 300 DPI for best results
• Label content: Scannable barcode, corresponding FNSKU number, product title, and product condition (new or used)

Placement rules:

• Place labels on a smooth, flat surface—avoid corners, edges, and curves.
• If your product doesn’t need extra packaging, cover any original barcodes (UPCs, EANs, ISBNs) so they can’t be accidentally scanned.
• If your product requires extra packaging (like bubble wrap), place labels on the outside so they’re easily scannable.
• Amazon does not accept damaged or photocopied labels.

For large shipments, select all pages and generate a label file for each page. Use the product title and condition to match labels with the correct units, or generate a packing list to match FNSKUs with corresponding products.

3. Package products properly

Amazon categorizes products as either individual or case-packaged:

• Individual products: Products packaged and shipped in the same box but sold separately. They may differ in quantity, condition, and SKUs. Example: a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner from the same seller, sold separately but shipped together.
• Case-packaged products: Products packaged and shipped in the same box with matching SKUs, conditions, and equal quantities. These are generally packaged by the manufacturer. Example: a DVD collection or a series of books.

Selling products as a set? If items aren’t an official set but you’re selling them as one unit, package them together and clearly mark the outside with a label stating: “Sold as set,” “Ready to ship,” or “This is a set—do not separate.”

4. Secure loose products

Every unit, including multi-volume book sets, must be contained within a single, secure package. Key rules:

• Amazon does not accept units requiring multi-piece assembly (e.g., a wheelbarrow with disconnected handles).
• Units not in secure packaging (like loose sleeves or pouches) must be bagged or secured with a non-adhesive band or removable tape.
• All footwear must be packaged with no material exposed either in shoe boxes or poly bags with a suffocation warning.

5. Follow product-specific prep guidelines

Certain products require additional preparation.

Products that need bagging:

• Perforated packaging, pellets, powders, granular items
• Plush products, baby products
• Apparel, fabrics, textiles
• Jewelry, small products
• Liquids

Bagging requirements:

• Use transparent bags that are 1mm thick and completely sealed.
• Apply a suffocation warning label to any bag with an opening larger than 5 inches.
• Ensure barcode labels are readable on the outside of all bags.
• Bags should fit the product—don’t extend more than 3 inches beyond the product’s dimensions, and don’t force products into bags that are too small.
• Use clear bags unless the product is an adult product or specified for opaque bagging.

Products that need bubble wrap:

• Sharp items, fragile items, ceramics, and glass should be fully bubble wrapped instead of bagged.
• Place labels on the outside of the bubble wrap so they’re easily accessible and scannable.

6. Prep your shipping boxes

Before sending boxes to Amazon, remove, cover, or render any existing barcodes on the outside of your shipping boxes. You can:

• Cover existing barcodes with opaque tape
• Use a black felt-tip marker to make the barcode unscannable

This prevents incorrect barcodes from being accidentally scanned during the receiving process.

What happens if you don’t comply?

Amazon may refuse, return, or repackage any product delivered to a fulfillment center with inadequate or non-compliant packaging at your expense. Amazon may also add specific prep requirements to a product based on damage-related returns.

Getting FBA prep right from the start saves you time, money, and potential disruptions to your selling account.

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