Overview

Amazon has revised its expiration‑date policy for items fulfilled through both its own warehouses (FBA) and seller‑managed shipments (FBM). The update widens the categories of products considered “expirable” and clarifies how sellers must label and ship these items. Compliance is critical because violations can trigger chargebacks, inventory rejections, or even account suspensions.

Key Points

• Expanded eligibility list — The refreshed catalog now includes additional categories such as certain health supplements, perishable cosmetics, and battery‑powered accessories, meaning more sellers must track expiration dates.
• Broader definition of “expirable” — Any product that loses potency, quality, or functionality over time—whether it bears a printed date or not—is subject to the new rules; for example, a fragrance without a date label but known to degrade after six months must be treated as expirable.
• Bundled items covered — When a kit contains an expirable component, the entire bundle falls under the policy; a coffee maker sold together with single‑serve pods must have the pod expiration visible to Amazon staff.
• FBA preparation standards — Sellers sending inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers must ensure the expiration date is legible, positioned on the outer packaging, and formatted in a way that warehouse scanners can read, such as “EXP 04/2025”.
• Enforcement consequences — Failure to meet the requirements can lead to customer complaints, rejection of inbound shipments, financial penalties, or suspension of selling privileges.
• FBM shipping expectations – For seller‑fulfilled orders, Amazon expects the product to retain an acceptable remaining shelf life at the time of delivery, otherwise the buyer may open an A‑to‑Z claim.

What’s Changing

1. Eligibility verification — Sellers must cross‑check their entire catalog against the updated list; a vendor of organic teas, for instance, will now need to confirm that each flavor appears on the approved expirable product roster.
2. — The expiration date must be printed on the primary packaging in a font size of at least 6 pt and placed where it is not obscured by stickers; a box of protein bars should display “Best By 08/2024” on the front face rather than hidden under a barcode label.