Overview

Amazon has rolled out a suite of 2024 updates that reshape the way FBA sellers handle inbound shipments, storage fees, and placement services. The new rules require electronic proof of delivery, trigger long‑term storage charges after 150 days, and limit the Inventory Placement Service to sellers who actively opt‑in each quarter. At the same time, many merchants are launching their own e‑commerce sites to capture traffic outside Amazon’s marketplace.

Key Points

• Electronic POD requirement — Carriers must upload a digital proof‑of‑delivery file within 24 hours of dropping a shipment at an Amazon fulfillment center, ending the use of paper bills of lading.
• Earlier long‑term storage fees — Amazon now assesses the higher long‑term storage rate after 150 days of inventory age instead of the previous 180‑day threshold.
• Placement Service opt‑in — New sellers lose automatic access to the Inventory Placement Service, and existing users must re‑enable it at the start of every quarter.
• Barcode enforcement — Every unit must bear an Amazon‑approved FNSKU; any pallet missing a scannable label incurs a $0.30 per unit removal charge.
• Shift toward own storefronts — A growing segment of sellers is building independent online shops to retain full margins and reduce reliance on Amazon traffic.

How the New FBA Shipping Rules Work

1. Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) upload — Carriers submit a digital POD file linked to the shipment ID within 24 hours; for example, a UPS pallet arriving at a fulfillment center must have its scan timestamp recorded and attached to the Amazon portal.
2. 150‑day storage age check — Amazon evaluates each SKU after 150 days and applies the long‑term storage fee on the next billing cycle; a seller with a batch that is 160 days old will see the higher charge appear on the upcoming invoice.
3. Quarterly placement opt‑in — Sellers who want to keep the Placement Service must toggle the option in the “Inventory Settings” page before the quarter begins; failure to do so automatically routes inbound units to the nearest fulfillment center.