Overview

Amazon maintains specific preparation requirements for every product you send to its fulfillment centers. These guidelines dictate how items must be packaged, wrapped, bagged, or labeled before they arrive at an FBA warehouse. Failing to follow these rules can result in refused shipments, additional prep fees charged by Amazon, or even disposal of your inventory.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Every product category has specific prep rules — Amazon assigns prep guidance based on the type of product you're shipping, from apparel to fragile items to liquids. Sellers must identify the correct category and follow its requirements exactly.
• Suffocation warnings are required on most poly bags — Nearly every category that requires poly bagging also mandates a printed suffocation warning on the bag itself.
• Barcodes must always be scannable — Regardless of how a product is packaged, the barcode must remain visible and scannable without opening or unwrapping the unit.
• Sets and bundles need special labeling — Multi-item sets require a label clearly stating the products are sold as a single unit, and individual barcodes must be covered or hidden.
• Some products need no additional prep — Items like CDs, DVDs, and video games generally do not require extra preparation, though they may still need labeling.

Product Prep Categories and Requirements

Amazon breaks its prep guidance into several distinct product categories, each with tailored packaging rules. Products containing potentially offensive material such as profanity or nudity on their packaging must be placed in a black or opaque bag to conceal the content. Apparel items — including dresses, shirts, and jackets — that are intended to be displayed on hangers should be placed on a hanger first, then sealed in a transparent poly bag to guard against damage and dust. Shrink-wrapping is an acceptable alternative for these items. Non-apparel fabric and textile products like bags, belts, and plush toys that could be damaged by dirt, dust, or moisture also require transparent poly bagging or shrink-wrapping.

Fragile, Liquid, and Specialty Items