Overview

Effective early 2026, Amazon stopped offering any U.S. FBA preparation or labeling services. The change forces sellers to generate and affix pallet labels that meet new formatting, placement, and durability standards before the pallets leave their own facilities. Failure to comply can trigger dock rejections, costly manual processing, and shipment delays that hurt inventory availability.

Key Points

• Prep services discontinued — Amazon no longer applies prep, labeling, or FNSKU tags at U.S. fulfillment centers; sellers must handle these steps internally or contract a third‑party provider.
• PDF417 barcode mandate — All pallet labels must contain a PDF417 two‑dimensional barcode, replacing the legacy linear barcodes used previously.
• Four‑side label rule — Labels are required on each of the four outer faces of the pallet, positioned over clear stretch wrap at a height that is easily visible to dock staff.
• Single‑ASIN identifier — Pallets that carry only one SKU need an extra “Single ASIN” label in addition to the standard shipment label to speed up receiving.
• Do‑Not‑Break‑Down notice – A dedicated label must be placed on wrapped pallets to instruct dock workers not to unwrap them before scanning.
• Thermal/laser printing preferred — Ink‑jet printed labels are prone to smearing; Amazon recommends thermal or laser printers to ensure barcode readability throughout transit.

How Pallet Label Requirements Work

1. Generate labels in Seller Central — When you create a shipment plan, use the “Print Labels” function to download PDF417‑formatted labels that already include the shipment ID, destination warehouse code, and barcode. For example, a seller shipping 15 pallets of a single product would click “Print All Labels” and receive a PDF with 60 label pages (four per pallet).
2. Print on appropriate media – Load a thermal or laser printer with 8.5 × 11 in adhesive sheets; the ink must be resistant to moisture and friction. A seller using a Brother HL‑L3270CDW laser printer can produce a batch of 200 labels in under five minutes, eliminating the need for manual handwriting.