How to prepare wholesale stock for Amazon FBA

Between the supplier's pallet and the first sale sits a step many new sellers underestimate: getting the stock ready for Amazon's warehouses. Get it wrong and Amazon charges you to fix it, delays the shipment or refuses it. Here is how to prepare wholesale stock for Amazon FBA, step by step, and what each step adds to your cost.

1. Check the delivery against the order

Before anything goes to Amazon, count the cases and units, and compare them with your purchase order and the supplier's invoice. Open a sample from each product: is it the exact item, size and pack on the Amazon listing? A product that does not match the listing leads to customer complaints and can lead to an IP or authenticity complaint. Report short or damaged deliveries to the supplier straight away.

2. Decide how to label

Every unit Amazon receives needs a scannable barcode it can match to your offer:

• Manufacturer barcode: some sellers can use the product's own UPC or EAN, so no extra label is needed. Units from every seller using that barcode may be mixed together in Amazon's warehouses.
• Amazon barcode (FNSKU): a label unique to your account that keeps your units separate. It costs label time per unit but protects you if another seller sends in damaged or fake units.

Many wholesale sellers use FNSKU labels on products with many sellers or a history of complaints. Cover any other barcode on the outside packaging so only one can be scanned.

3. Prep what needs it

Most wholesale products arrive ready to sell, but some need extra protection:

• Loose or fragile items: bubble wrap or a box.
• Liquids, powders and items that can leak or stain: sealed in a poly bag.
• Sets sold as one unit: bagged or bundled together, with a “sold as set” label.
• Products with an expiry date: the date printed clearly on the unit and the outer box.

Amazon's prep requirements change and differ by marketplace and category. Check the current guidance for each product in Seller Central before you send it.

4. Pack the boxes

• Ship case-packed products in the supplier's original cases where you can: every case holds the same product and quantity, which is quicker for you and for Amazon.
• Keep each box within Amazon's weight and size limits, and use strong boxes with enough filling that nothing moves.
• Enter the box contents in the shipment plan accurately; wrong box contents cause receiving problems and fees.

5. Create the shipment and send it

Create the shipment in Seller Central, choose how Amazon should split it between warehouses, print the box labels, and book the carrier. Amazon may charge an inbound placement fee depending on how many locations you send to. Track the shipment until Amazon has received every unit, and open a case for any units it reports as missing.

Use a prep center when it pays

A prep center receives your supplier's deliveries, checks, labels, preps and ships them to Amazon for a fee per unit. It saves your time and space, and is often the only option if your supplier is far away. Compare its fee per unit with your own time, and include it in your costs either way.

Count prep in your costs

Freight to you or the prep center, labels, bags, boxes and the shipment to Amazon all belong in your landed cost. In Wholesale Analyzer you enter them once per unit in the wholesale settings (shipping from the supplier, prep, labeling, inbound to Amazon and other costs), and every scan's profit, ROI and max buy cost include them. Then the products you decide to buy are the ones that still pay after prep.