Overview

Amazon now requires every COVID‑19‑related item—such as diagnostic kits, protective gear, and treatment supplies—to display a clear expiration date in the YYYY‑MM‑DD format. The rule applies to both Fulfilled‑by‑Amazon (FBA) and seller‑fulfilled listings, and failure to comply can trigger listing removal or account‑health penalties. Sellers must therefore manage labeling, inventory intake, and any post‑receipt date changes with strict attention to detail.

Key Points

• Expiration date mandatory — Every COVID‑19 product classified as a medical device must carry an explicit expiration date; the date must follow the ISO‑standard year‑month‑day layout, e.g., 2025‑12‑31.
• All fulfillment models covered — Whether you ship stock to Amazon’s warehouses or fulfill orders yourself, the same expiration‑date rule applies, meaning the same compliance checklist is needed for both channels.
• Manufacture date ≠ expiration date — Labels that only show a production or “made on” date are insufficient; sellers must add a separate field that unmistakably states the product’s expiry.
• In‑warehouse dates are immutable — Once Amazon receives a unit, the expiration date printed on that unit cannot be altered in the fulfillment center, even if a regulator later extends the product’s shelf life.
• FDA extensions are not auto‑applied — When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues a guidance that prolongs the usable life of a home test kit, Amazon will not retroactively adjust the dates on existing inventory; sellers must handle the update themselves.
• Removal orders required for date changes — To correct an expiration date on stocked inventory, sellers must create a removal order, receive the items back, relabel them with the new date, and ship the corrected units back to Amazon.
• Listing suppression is immediate — Amazon’s system will automatically hide any listing that lacks a properly formatted expiration date, often before the seller receives a warning.
• Customer complaints affect account health — Repeated buyer reports about expired or misdated products can lower performance metrics, potentially leading to account suspensions.