How to Ship Your Products Into FBA

This is the number one question I get: how do you actually ship product into Amazon's fulfillment centers? The process has been streamlined and tightened since I first wrote this, so here's the current version. I'll assume you've already created the listing and have your product in hand.

Use the "Send to Amazon" workflow

Amazon replaced the old multi-step shipment creation with a streamlined workflow called Send to Amazon. In Seller Central, go to Inventory → Send to Amazon (or Manage FBA Inventory and choose Send/Replenish). You select the products and quantities, confirm how each unit is packed (individual units or case-packed), and Amazon builds the shipping plan. A good habit: create your shipping plan before you pack, because the plan determines how many shipments you're creating and which fulfillment centers each box goes to.

Label every unit (FNSKU) — this is now on you

Every unit needs a scannable barcode. For branded and private-label sellers, that should be an FNSKU label (not the manufacturer's UPC), which keeps your inventory separate from other sellers' stock and protects you from being blamed for someone else's defective or counterfeit units. Commingling via manufacturer barcode is generally not recommended.

Important 2026 change: as of January 1, 2026, Amazon ended its in-house FBA prep and labeling services. Units must now arrive fully prepped and labeled. You either do this yourself or use a prep center / 3PL (typical prep pricing runs roughly $0.50–$2.50 per unit). Don't skip prep — unlabeled or improperly prepped inventory can be refused or hit with unplanned service fees.

Label rules that trip people up:

• Print FNSKU labels clearly (thermal labels are ideal), minimum about 1 x 2 inches.
• Cover any existing manufacturer barcode so scanners don't get confused.
• Place labels flat — not on corners or seams. On curved surfaces like bottles, orient the barcode vertically (ladder style) so the scanner reads it.

Know the current box-size and weight limits

Amazon updated its small-parcel box limits on June 20, 2025. The current standard limits are:

• No side longer than 25 inches (length up to 36 inches is allowed in some cases, but width and height cap at 25 inches — always check the current Seller Central guidance for your shipment).
• Maximum weight 50 lbs per box for standard items. Boxes over 50 lbs are only allowed for a single oversized item, with the correct "Team Lift" (over ~50 lbs) or "Mechanical Lift" (much heavier) labels.
• If a box weighs between roughly 33 and 50 lbs, apply "Team Lift" safety labels on multiple sides — failing to do so is a safety violation that can cause problems at the dock.
• Minimum box size around 6 x 4 x 1 inches, and boxes should weigh at least ~1 lb to avoid receiving delays.

Watch dimensional weight: an oversized box around a small product can get charged at the dimensional-weight rate and double your carrier cost. Pack tight.

Finish the shipment and ship

In Send to Amazon, confirm your box contents (the box content information must match what you actually packed), enter accurate weights and dimensions for each box, choose your carrier (Amazon-partnered carriers often get discounted rates), accept the charges, and print your shipping and box ID labels. Each box needs its FBA box ID label placed flat on a side, away from edges and seams. Then hand off to the carrier — for small-parcel that's usually UPS via a drop-off or pickup.

A few operational tips

• Inventory can be split across fulfillment centers. You can sometimes reduce the number of small shipments through your placement settings, though Amazon may charge an inbound placement fee to consolidate — weigh the trade-off.
• Don't ship more than you can sell in a reasonable window. Storage fees, aged-inventory surcharges, and low-inventory-level fees all make over- and under-stocking expensive. Inventory planning is a real skill now.
• Keep your box content accurate. Mismatches between your stated and actual contents cause receiving problems and reconciliation headaches.

The core idea is the same as it always was — get your product into Amazon's network cleanly so it can go Prime — but the prep, labeling, and box rules are stricter than they used to be. Get them right and your inventory checks in fast and starts selling.