Hello,
Starting January 1, 2026, we’ll no longer offer prep and item labeling services for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) shipments in the US store. This change applies to all inventory that is sent to our US FBA service, including inventory that you send directly into FBA as well as inventory from Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD), Amazon Global Logistics (AGL), Amazon SEND, and Supply Chain Portal, when that inventory goes through FBA.
We initially introduced prep services to help protect products during the shipping process. Since then, we’ve seen a significant improvement in seller packaging capabilities and a reduced need for our prep services. The vast majority of Amazon sellers now handle their own packaging, including prep and item labeling, either on their own, through their own manufacturing partners or through third-party service providers which allows FBA to focus on providing faster and more efficient fulfillment center operations. To improve operational efficiency that ensures quicker delivery times for customers, we’re no longer planning to offer these prep and item labeling services within FBA.
To help you transition smoothly, here are some options to prep and label your products:
- Do it yourself. To get started, go to Prepare your products for FBA shipping.
- Use a service provider. You may work with your own preferred provider, or leverage the third-party service providers we have vetted for you. To review our vetted providers, go to FBA Prep Providers.
To help reduce your supply chain costs, you can use Ships in Product Packaging for FBA (SIPP) for eligible products, as it can lower prep needs and provide FBA discounts.
When this change takes effect on January 1, all products must be prepped and labeled before sending them to our facilities. This protects your inventory during shipping and ensures accurate processing.
- For shipments created before January 1, we’ll continue to provide prep and item labeling services, even if inventory arrives after that date.
- Shipments created after January 1, that arrive without proper prep and item labeling won’t be eligible for reimbursement if items become damaged or untraceable. For details on our reimbursement policy, go to FBA inventory reimbursement policy.
For more information on the prep services, go to FBA Prep Service.
The Amazon Services team
Never used but good to know.
They were known for mistakes without consequences. It’s very labor intensive, time consuming and I assume takes up a lot of space in the warehouse.
Interesting they are promoting prep centers though.
Props for the generous warning though!
Understatement of the year. Guaranteed mistakes on shipments with only one SKU.
You could go to home depot and .. … You can hire someone cheaper than paying their $0.55 per label.
True. But for the guy in Romania having containers shipped directly from China, this is gonna hurt…
(and sorry for the guy in Romania, I don’t see this as an overall bad thing. Maybe cut out some of the bottom feeders)
Won’t eliminate the guys asking “So when does Amazon come get my stuff”
I’m pretty sure that is a more sophisticated version of this one from today –
"I listed a used book for sale, but it’s inactive and I haven’t received the shipping label. "
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/4ec7feb0-c5e2-46cb-9718-3a724b2aabc3
I was so tempted to use this from my Lighten Up post in my response but I’m not ready for a forum suspension –
Now that I’m no longer invested in helping these people, I find them much funnier.
I still want to know who the sellers are that pay 55 cents a unit. Must be rich or something…
My guess is that they are sellers located outside the US, buying cheap garbage from Alibaba and having it shipped directly to Amazon. They have no option to label themselves, at least not without paying shipping and possibly customs fees twice.
There are two subcategories; those who believe the “get rich” schemes they learned on YouTube/TikTok, and those who have such outrageous markups on stuff so cheap that the dollar stores don’t bother with that they can cover the cost with no problem.
Amazon also sometimes just decides your label didn’t scan and tosses a barcode on “for you”. When the barcode was fine. I hear about it occasionally.
@ASV_Vites was a victim of this due to (I think) amazon changing from standard Laser scanners to optical/photo scanners.
If I remember correctly, Amazon provided no feedback, but by deduction I think it was found out the new photo scanners didn’t like the gloss applied on your barcodes combined with the round bottles.
Yea and it still happens to this day… We get at least 2 a month, sometimes more. I have a dispute template that I just copy and paste. Every single one gets reversed after they “investigate”. It’s an effing joke. We have made 5 label changes to try and stop this and nothing works. I’m convinced that if the entire label was a barcode, this would still happen. Yes, the bottles are round but the barcode is vertical as it should be. It’s the exact specs Amazon wants. The barcode area has the UV coating redacted (just in that area). Custom printing plates were made by our printer to do this. And they still annoy us with almost every shipment. The best part is we have 11 listings with Amazon. All are done the exact same way. Only our best seller has gotten tagged. None of the other listings have had label changes made to them but magically they are fine always. Weird.
ETA - They changed their verbiage when they admit they are wrong which is kinda funny. They used to admit they were wrong. Now it’s just a granted request. LOL
In an interesting aside, I’ve seen members of the FMT-CMT & AHT SME cohorts alike post links to Seller University course modules pointing directly to Amazon’s Seller University YouTube Channel many times over the years, but Manny_Amazon’s 072925 reply to that NSFE discussion features something I’ve not seen before - a link to a ‘private’ video that I cannot access no matter which of our multiple Google Accounts I log in with:
This is seemingly another instance worthy of inclusion in the long-running SAS thread “Training the NSFE mods” (link); Manny is attempting to direct to SU’s “Intro to listing products” Module of the “List products” Course, here:
https: //sellercentral.amazon.com/learn/courses?moduleId=4e1a71e7-388e-49ad-9752-866786639586
The associated SU YouTube Channel video is readily available here:
https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGLI_aIUO0M
But Manny’s embedded URL:
https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSERQqAl4QI&t=1s
Wouldn’t seem to be cutting the mustard…
Well, obviously, neither one of us have been given the keys to the kingdom and are not members of their special club.
My feelings are hurt now…
I recall this series of events. Also ASV_Vites’ commentary that basically when told to prove it, they couldn’t, so they backed off.
We don’t do UV coating (ugh, registration issues!), but do print on gloss labels/use gloss laminate in many cases, so it’s sort of a game of chicken where we keep to their standards on size and clarity & use optical + laser scanners internally.
He’ll just have to dropship from another Amazon seller, like the Turks, Moldavians and Brazilians are.
We helped Manny_Amazon with this post.
And how many of them won’t bother to read the news and make the appropriate neural connections. Then they will piss and moan when their shipments won’t be processed. Couldn’t happen fast enough.
I’m just surprise this isn’t one of those typical “gotcha” things where they spring this on people with 2 weeks notice.
I suppose posting something on there like — 
Hey Manny – Sellers ask sellers has an excellent thread about ‘training the MODS’
would be a low blow and not appreciated…