Overview

Amazon has announced that, effective January 1 2026, it will cease all preparation and labeling services for U.S. FBA shipments. From that date forward, sellers must deliver inventory that is already bagged, wrapped, taped, and labeled with the correct FNSKU, or risk shipment rejections. This shift directly affects every inbound route, from direct FBA shipments to third‑party logistics integrations, and requires sellers and software providers to adjust their processes now.

Key Points

• Termination date — All Amazon‑provided prep and labeling options will be unavailable after January 1 2026.
• Prep services eliminated — Polybagging, bubble‑wrap application, taping and any other hands‑on packaging assistance will no longer be offered for U.S. FBA inventory.
• Labeling discontinued — Amazon will stop affixing product labels and FNSKU barcodes on behalf of sellers in the United States.
• All inbound pathways impacted — Direct FBA shipments, Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD), Amazon Global Logistics (AGL), Amazon SEND, and any third‑party logistics (3PL) integrations must comply with the new rule.
• SP‑API parameter change — The Inbound Shipment API version 2024‑03‑20 will reject “AMAZON” as a value for prep or labeling fields on U.S. shipments; developers must use “SELLER” or leave the field blank.
• No grace period — Shipments created on or after the cutoff date must be fully prepared by the seller; Amazon will not process late‑stage requests.
• Cost shift to sellers — The per‑unit fees previously charged for Amazon’s prep services will disappear, moving all packaging and labeling expenses to the seller’s budget.
• Operational efficiency goal — Amazon cites faster inbound processing and reduced warehouse bottlenecks as the primary motivation for the change.
• Testing window opens now — Amazon recommends using the sandbox environment to validate updated API calls well before the production deadline.
• Potential surge in third‑party prep demand — As the deadline approaches, many sellers are expected to seek external prep centers, creating a competitive market for those services.