FBA packaging has two layers: unit-level prep so each item can be stored and picked safely in a shared network, and the master carton that gets your stock there. Both are governed by published requirements, and getting them wrong produces rejections, fees or unsellable stock rather than just an untidy pallet.
Why FBA packaging is prescriptive
In a shared fulfilment network your units sit alongside everyone else's, are picked by people who have never seen them before, and travel in totes with other sellers' goods. The requirements exist because that environment is unforgiving of anything ambiguous or fragile.
That is why the specification is externally set rather than up to you. The useful approach is to treat it as a compliance exercise with a cost-optimisation layer on top.
Layer one: unit-level prep
| Requirement | Applies to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Poly bagging | Items that could be soiled or damaged | Protection in a shared tote |
| Suffocation warning | Bags above a size threshold | Safety requirement |
| Bundling | Multi-packs sold as one unit | Stops units being split |
| Barcode labelling | Units needing scannable identification | Receiving and picking |
| Opaque bagging | Adult or sensitive items | Category requirement |
| Fluid or powder containment | Liquids and powders | Leak protection |
Common unit-level requirements.
Requirements change, so verify against the current published version. See Amazon FBA prep.
Layer two: the master carton
The carton that carries your units into the network has its own constraints - size and weight limits, labelling, and the practical requirement that it survives a pallet journey and a receiving process.
- Stay within the published dimension and weight limits.
- Label where it can be scanned without unstacking.
- Specify board for the stack, not for the units inside.
- Size the carton so it divides sensibly into a pallet layer - see bespoke carton manufacture.
Where sellers lose money
- Prep done late. Rushed prep is inconsistent prep, and inconsistent prep produces rejections.
- Oversized master cartons. More to ship in, more weight limits to worry about, and wasted deck space.
- Under-specified board. Cartons crush in the stack and units arrive damaged.
- Unclear labelling. Slows receiving and delays stock becoming sellable.
- Reactive buying. Prep materials bought in small quantities at short notice cost more.
Prep in advance versus prep on arrival
Prep can be done before stock ships, or paid for within the network. Doing it beforehand is generally cheaper and always more controllable, because you can inspect it.
It also lets you buy prep materials in sensible quantities rather than reactively - see packaging supplies and packaging stockholding.
If you also sell elsewhere
Units prepped for FBA are not necessarily suitable for your own site - a poly-bagged unit with a barcode label is functional rather than attractive.
Plan for both from one stock pool where you can: prep applied at the point of sending into the network, rather than to everything. See multi-channel fulfilment and kitting and assembly.
A working checklist
- Confirm current prep requirements for each of your categories.
- Specify unit-level prep and source the materials in sensible quantities.
- Specify master cartons within limits and sized to the pallet.
- Agree who does the prep, and when.
- Inspect a sample consignment before it ships.
- Keep a record so the next consignment is a repeat rather than a rediscovery.
The short version
- Two layers: unit-level prep and the master carton.
- Prep exists because units sit in a shared network.
- Size master cartons within the limits, not up to them.
- Reactive prep is inconsistent prep, and inconsistent prep gets rejected.
- Keep a record so the next consignment is a repeat, not a rediscovery.
Frequently asked questions
What is FBA prep?
Preparing units so they can be received, stored and picked in a shared network - bagging, bundling, labelling and protecting - plus the master cartons that carry them in.
Can we do prep ourselves?
Yes, and it is usually cheaper than paying for it in-network, provided it is done consistently and in advance rather than reactively.
What happens if prep is wrong?
Depending on the issue, consignments can be refused, charged for additional handling, or stock can become unsellable. It is a compliance requirement rather than a preference.
How big can master cartons be?
There are published dimension and weight limits. Check the current version, since they change - and size within them rather than up to them.
Can WSUK do FBA prep?
Yes - see Amazon FBA prep, alongside Amazon fulfilment for the wider operation.