Overview

Amazon has widened the scope of its expiration‑date requirements for items shipped through Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). The change, announced in early 2024, adds many more product types to the “expirable” list and tightens the enforcement rules that sellers must follow. Sellers who handle any goods that can lose potency, safety, or performance over time need to adjust their prep and inventory practices to avoid chargebacks, listing blocks, or even account suspensions.

Key Points

• Expanded product coverage — Categories such as batteries, adhesives, sunscreen, medical consumables, pet food, and cosmetics are now treated as expirable, even if they lack a printed date.
• Inclusive definition of “expirable” — Any item that degrades in quality, effectiveness, or safety with age falls under the policy, regardless of whether the packaging shows an explicit date.
• Bundles subject to the rule — When a multi‑item package contains even a single expirable component, the entire bundle must meet expiration‑date standards; a coffee maker sold with single‑serve pods is a typical example.
• Mandatory date format — Amazon requires dates to be legible and scannable in MM/DD/YYYY or MM/YYYY format on the primary packaging.
• Minimum remaining shelf life — Most categories must have at least 90 days of usable life remaining at the time they arrive at an Amazon fulfillment center; some categories may demand longer periods.

How the Policy Works

1. Identify expirable items — Review Amazon’s updated list and flag any SKU that can deteriorate over time. For instance, a DIY home‑repair kit that includes a chemical adhesive must now be treated as expirable, even though the adhesive itself may not carry a printed date.
2. Label and verify dates — Apply a clear, machine‑readable expiration label in the required format to each unit. A bottle of sunscreen shipped to a fulfillment center should display “07/2026” on the front label, and the barcode must be readable by Amazon’s scanners.
3. Confirm shelf‑life threshold before shipping – Calculate the days remaining from the printed date to the expected arrival date at the warehouse. If a pet‑food bag shows an expiration of 03/2025 and the inbound shipment is scheduled for 02/2024, the product has 13 months left, comfortably exceeding the 90‑day minimum; it can be accepted. Conversely, a batch of vitamins arriving with only 45 days left would be rejected and could trigger a chargeback.