Overview

Sending inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers is a core part of running an FBA business, but the process doesn't always go smoothly. From shipment creation errors to receiving discrepancies and inbound performance alerts, sellers regularly encounter issues that can delay inventory availability and impact sales. Amazon provides a dedicated troubleshooting hub covering the most common FBA shipment problems and their solutions.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Shipment creation errors are common — Issues during the Send to Amazon workflow often stem from incorrect product dimensions, missing prep requirements, or invalid shipping addresses. Reviewing your listings and product information before creating shipments can prevent most of these errors.
• Receiving discrepancies require prompt action — When Amazon receives fewer units than expected, or reports misrouted and incomplete shipments, sellers need to investigate quickly. Reconciliation windows are limited, and unresolved discrepancies can result in lost inventory.
• Inbound performance alerts affect future shipments — Amazon tracks your shipping accuracy and compliance through an inbound performance summary. Repeated problems such as mislabeled boxes, incorrect item counts, or missing prep can lead to coaching warnings or additional fees.
• Shipment files have specific formatting requirements — Uploading inventory via file templates requires strict adherence to Amazon's formatting rules. Common errors include incorrect SKU formatting, missing required fields, and mismatched quantities.
• Prep investigations can be requested — If you believe Amazon incorrectly flagged a prep issue, you can submit a prep investigation request through Seller Central to have the matter reviewed.

Common Shipment Creation Issues

The shipment creation process through Amazon's Send to Amazon workflow can fail or stall for several reasons. Address validation errors are among the most frequent, where the ship-from address doesn't match Amazon's formatting expectations or falls outside serviceable areas. Sellers should ensure addresses follow Amazon's formatting guidelines and avoid special characters. SKU-level problems also cause shipment creation failures — items that are stranded, restricted, or have incomplete listing data cannot be included in FBA shipments until the underlying issue is resolved. Pack list and case-pack configuration mismatches are another common stumbling block, particularly for sellers shipping case-packed products where every unit in a box must be the same ASIN in the same quantity.