Amazon FBA Shipping Requirements: The Complete 2026 Checklist

Before sending inventory to US Amazon FBA, check product eligibility, barcodes, packaging, box and pallet limits, labels, and shipment information. Use the checklist below before dispatch, then refer to each section for the requirements that apply to your goods.

If you are still arranging freight or customs clearance, start with the guide to shipping from China to Amazon FBA.

TL;DR: the FBA requirements checklist

Before you book a shipment, confirm all of the following:

• [ ] Product is FBA-eligible — not prohibited, restricted, or a category your freight method cannot carry.
• [ ] Every unit has a scannable barcode — FNSKU or an eligible manufacturer barcode, with other product barcodes covered where required. Fewer products qualify for manufacturer barcodes since March 2026.
• [ ] You prep and label the units yourself — Amazon stopped doing it for US FBA inventory on 1 January 2026, so confirm who completes the work before dispatch.
• [ ] Each unit is prepped for its type — poly-bagged, bubble-wrapped, sold-as-set, case-packed, etc.
• [ ] Boxes meet size and weight limits — check dimensions, weight, cushioning and any single-unit exception; see the box requirements below.
• [ ] Pallets meet LTL requirements — ISPM-15 treated wood, no overhang, within the height limit, clear stretch wrap, one label per side.
• [ ] Every carton is labeled — FBA box ID label plus carrier label, flat, not on a seam.
• [ ] Box content is declared — what is in each box and how many, via Send to Amazon.
• [ ] Delivery deadline is realistic — shipments left open too long can be auto-closed (non-US origin commonly ~75 days); confirm the current window before booking.
• [ ] You keep proof of shipment — BOL, POD, packing list, invoice.

Common reasons FBA shipments get rejected

Check these errors before dispatch to avoid rejection, rework and receiving delays.

What non-compliance costs

Amazon’s per-unit FBA Label Service ran at roughly $0.55 per unit before it was withdrawn in the US, so a labeling defect across a 500-unit shipment already sat in the low hundreds of dollars, before counting the sales lost while the stock was unavailable. Since January 2026 that fallback is gone in the US: a defective shipment gets fixed at your cost, or not at all.

The pitfalls sellers don’t see coming (field experience)

These are operational situations reported by sellers rather than written FBA rules. Plan for them anyway.

• The warehouse is full and refuses your delivery. When an FC is over capacity it can reject appointments or turn trucks away even when the goods are fully compliant, and some FCs accept only LTL pallet deliveries during these periods. Amazon may also split one plan across several FCs, so one box can be rejected while another is still delivering.
• Customs inspection eats your delivery window. An ocean shipment held for inspection can miss the window and be refused on arrival. Broker paperwork that does not match the goods is a frequent cause of long holds.
• A rejection sets off a chain of cost, and you still have to close it out. The usual fix is to recreate the shipment, route it to an overseas warehouse, re-label the outer cartons and send it to a different FC, at a cost that scales with carton count. Cancel the original shipment as well (Send to Amazon → Cancel shipment): leaving a rejected shipment open hurts your inbound performance, and many sellers never realise it can be cancelled.
• Forwarder risk: Some forwarders have no real trucking or LTL capability, hand out tracking numbers that lead nowhere, or try to bill the freight twice. Vetting a freight forwarder before you book is part of protecting the shipment.

First-shipment example (anonymized). A first-time seller packed every unit in its own mailer box, then ordered master cartons with almost the same internal height; packing became a fight, and all of it landed on the day of shipment. The same seller created the FBA shipment only on labeling day, printed FNSKU labels without testing scan quality, and bought plain cartons with no country-of-origin marking. None of those choices breaks a written rule on its own. Together, they are how compliance work slides past the deadline. Confirm unit packaging size, master carton size, label size and placement, origin marking and carton strength as one decision, before you buy packaging or book freight.

Is your product FBA-eligible?

Check Seller Central for prohibited products, restricted categories and items that need approval. Then confirm that your carrier accepts the product on your chosen route. Amazon approval alone does not establish whether it can travel by sea.

Batteries, aerosols, flammables, liquids, powders and regulated products may need additional review, documentation or specialist handling. Check Amazon eligibility separately from import rules and the carrier’s acceptance policy. Confirm dangerous-goods classification and routing before booking.

One distinction that catches sellers out: products requiring FDA certification are refused by most China-based sea-freight forwarders, while products that only need an FDA filing are usually accepted. Check which one applies to your goods before you book the freight.

Barcode requirements

• Every unit needs one scannable barcode: a manufacturer barcode (UPC/EAN/GTIN) where eligible, or an Amazon FNSKU label.
• If your product has no GTIN, you can apply for a GTIN exemption.
• Cover any old or extra barcodes so only one scans.
• Complete unit labeling before shipping. Assign this work to your factory, prep center or forwarder; see the 2026 changes below.
• Check the barcode requirement assigned to your listing in Seller Central before printing labels.

Factory label check: send the required barcode file and label position to the factory or prep center. Approve a sample and test its scan quality before labeling the batch.

Prep & packaging requirements by product type

Prepare each unit for its product type:

• Loose / boxed units — sold and shipped as one unit; sets must be marked so they are not separated.
• Poly-bagged items — bag ≥ 1.5 mil, transparent, fully sealed; a suffocation warning is required if any opening is 5 in or larger; the barcode must scan through or be on the outside; the bag should not extend more than 3 in beyond the product; adult products use opaque/black bags.
• Fragile items — pass a drop test, bubble-wrap and/or over-box so units do not break in transit.
• Sets / bundles — label ‘Sold as set / Do not separate’, use a single FNSKU for the bundle, and cover the inner units’ barcodes.
• Case-packed — all boxes identical in SKU and quantity, matching the plan.

Allowed cushioning: bubble wrap, kraft/air pillows, full foam sheets. Banned: packing peanuts, shredded paper, crinkle wrap, styrofoam, loose foam.

Dangerous goods, batteries & liquids

Lithium batteries (standalone UN3480, packed-with or contained-in UN3481), aerosols and flammables may be subject to dangerous goods (DG) rules. Liquids require classification by their properties; not every liquid is dangerous goods. Depending on the product, requirements can include UN38.3 testing, watt-hour limits, battery marks, an SDS, and transport documentation. Check Amazon acceptance and your carrier’s DG capability separately, and protect liquids against leaks.

For UN38.3 testing and battery labeling rules, check Amazon’s lithium-battery requirements and battery prep guidance before preparing the shipment.

Date-sensitive / expiration products

For supplements, food, cosmetics and other dated goods:

• Units generally need more than 90 days of remaining shelf life at check-in (very short-dated stock can be disposed of and not returned).
• The expiration date must be printed on the master carton in ~36-point font and on each individual unit.
• The FNSKU must not cover the expiration date.
• Use a clear format such as MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY.

Box & packing requirements

• Box: 6-sided, rigid corrugated, flaps intact; longest side ≤ 36 in (raised from 25 in on 2025-06-20), the other two sides ≤ 25 in, ≤ 50 lb; a box may exceed 50 lb only when it contains a single unit that itself weighs more than 50 lb. Minimum box size around 6×4×1 in.
• Cushioning: ≥ 2 in between units and box walls; contents must not shift when shaken.
• Lift labels: Team Lift over 50 lb, Mechanical Lift over 100 lb.
• Box size/weight changes effective 2025-06-20 — confirm current figures on Seller Central’s shipping and routing requirements and product packaging requirements.

Pallet & LTL requirements

For palletized LTL/FTL deliveries, confirm the pallet specification and receiving requirements with your carrier before loading:

• Pallet itself: standard 40 × 48 in, four-way access, no broken boards or protruding nails. Wooden pallets used for imports must be ISPM-15 heat-treated or fumigated and stamped, or customs can hold the shipment before Amazon ever sees it.
• Height: total stack height including the pallet is commonly capped around 72 in, with taller allowances (roughly 98–100 in) only for specific single-item or clamp-loaded cases. Confirm the current figure on Seller Central’s shipping and routing requirements page before you palletize.
• No overhang: keep cartons within the pallet footprint to protect them during handling.
• Wrap: clear stretch wrap only. Black or opaque wrap is refused because the dock cannot see the labels or inspect the load.
• Labels: four non-reflective pallet labels, one on each side, placed near the top and not covered by wrap. Do not photocopy or reuse them.
• Container loading: do not over-stuff the container. Leave clearance (around 6 in) between the top carton and the container roof so the top layer is not crushed, and keep BOL details consistent with what is physically loaded.

Labeling & marking requirements

• Each carton needs the FBA box ID label plus the carrier label.
• Standard label size ~ 3⅓ × 4 in (thermal 4 × 6 in); place flat, avoid seams/edges; do not cover with tape.
• Country of origin: confirm the applicable US origin-marking requirements for the goods and packaging with your customs broker. Where required, a marking such as ‘Made in China’ must be legible, conspicuous and sufficiently permanent.

What changed in 2026

1. US FBA prep and labeling services ended on 1 January 2026. Amazon stopped providing paid prep and per-unit labeling. Arrange the work before dispatch, including for inventory entering through AWD, AGL, Amazon SEND or the Supply Chain Portal.
2. Commingling ended on 31 March 2026, with changes to manufacturer-barcode eligibility. Check your listing’s current eligibility and apply FNSKU labels where required.

Before booking, agree who applies unit and carton labels, where the work happens, and what it costs. Include those charges when estimating your China-to-FBA shipping costs.

Inbound shipping plan, placement, methods & delivery window

Box content is mandatory

Declare what is in each box and how many, via Send to Amazon, before shipping.

Shipping method: SPD vs LTL/FTL

Small-parcel delivery (SPD) uses individual cartons. Less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) shipments generally use palletized loads. Confirm any alternative loading arrangement with Amazon and your carrier, and have the carrier arrange the required delivery appointment.

For the journey from China, compare the cost and transit time of sea and air freight for FBA before choosing the transport method.

Placement: distributed vs consolidated

Amazon defaults to distributed placement, splitting your shipment across multiple fulfillment centers; the Inventory Placement Service consolidates it to fewer destinations for a per-unit fee. A single direct shipment split across three FCs can spike last-mile cost, so decide consolidate-vs-distribute before you confirm the plan. The placement fee is a cost trade-off you weigh separately, not a compliance rule.

Your own restock and capacity limits

Amazon caps how much inventory you can send in through restock and capacity limits (FBA Capacity Monitor). Check your available capacity before you book, because exceeding it means part of the plan cannot be created. Account capacity and receiving-warehouse availability are separate constraints.

Delivery window and the auto-close deadline

Check both the delivery window and the shipment closure deadline:

1. When you create the shipment you pick a delivery window, a set date range for the receiving appointment.
2. A shipment left open too long without being received can be auto-closed or cancelled. Sellers shipping from outside the US commonly report a window of about 75 days. Treat any day-count as indicative and confirm your own shipment’s deadline in Send to Amazon.

Allow for production, ocean transit and customs delays when deciding when to create the shipment. Delivery to the warehouse does not mean inventory is ready for sale. Include FBA receiving time in your restock schedule.

If you ship directly from China

• Importer of record (IOR): Amazon generally does not take this role. Arrange the importer of record and consignee details with your customs broker before shipping from China.
• Approve packaging before production: confirm unit and master-carton dimensions, carton strength, barcode scan quality, label placement and origin marking before buying packaging or booking freight. Get the factory’s sign-off in writing.
• First shipment: some sellers route the first batch through a prep / inspection warehouse to catch damage and labeling errors before it reaches FBA.
• Keep shipment documents: retain the BOL, POD, packing list and invoice for receiving discrepancies and claims. Check the reconciliation deadline and submit any required evidence promptly.