FBA Prep Services Explained: Labeling, Bundling and Shipping to Amazon

An FBA prep service gets your products ready for Amazon’s warehouses. It labels each unit, bags or bundles items when needed, packs the cartons and ships them to Amazon. In 2026 this work matters more than ever, because Amazon stopped offering its own prep and item labeling services for US shipments on January 1, 2026. This guide explains Amazon FBA prep in plain English, what changed this year and how to choose between doing it yourself and using a prep center.

What is an FBA prep service?

FBA means Fulfillment by Amazon: you send inventory to Amazon, and Amazon stores it and ships it to buyers. Before Amazon accepts your units, they must be "prepped". Prep means each unit can be scanned, stored and shipped without damage or confusion.

An FBA prep service (also called a prep center) does this work for you. It is usually a warehouse or 3PL that sits between your supplier and Amazon. Typical services include:

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  Receiving and inspection: counting units and checking for damage before Amazon sees them.
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  FBA labeling: printing and applying Amazon barcode (FNSKU) labels.
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  Poly bagging and protection: bagging, bubble wrap or boxes for fragile or small items.
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  Bundling: packing several items together as one sellable set.
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  Carton packing and forwarding: packing boxes, adding box labels and shipping to Amazon.

If your products are personalized and made after each order, FBA is often not the right fit, because you cannot stock every name in advance. In that case, merchant-fulfilled orders with print on demand usually work better. Our print on demand jewelry guide explains that model.

What changed in 2026 for FBA prep and labeling

In 2025, Amazon announced that prep and item labeling services for FBA shipments in the US would end on January 1, 2026. According to Amazon’s developer notice, the change covers all inventory sent to US FBA. Trade press also reported that items arriving without proper prep after that date are not eligible for reimbursement if they are damaged or cannot be traced.

A second change affects barcodes. Amazon ended "commingling" for inventory shipped on or after March 31, 2026. Commingling meant Amazon could ship a matching unit from another seller’s stock. Now the rules depend on who you are:

For most small jewelry and gift brands, the simple answer is: put an FNSKU label on every unit.

Amazon FBA prep requirements: the basics

FBA labeling: one scannable barcode per unit

Each unit needs one barcode that Amazon can scan, with the number printed below it. When you use FNSKU labels, cover any other barcode on the package, so the scanner cannot read the wrong one. Place the label on a flat surface, not over a seam, corner or curve.

Poly bags

Amazon’s poly bag guidance, shared on the Seller Forums, asks for:

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  Bags at least 1.5 mil thick.
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  A suffocation warning on bags with an opening of 5 inches or more (measured flat).
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  A barcode that can be scanned through a clear bag, or a label on the outside of the bag.
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  A bag that is fully sealed with tape or an adhesive strip.

Small items like jewelry

Small items are easy to lose or damage. Bag each piece, put any gift card or insert inside the same bag, and place the FNSKU label on the outside. Use Amazon’s prep guidance in Seller Central to check the exact rule for your product type.

Bundles and sets

If one listing includes several items, such as a necklace, a gift box and a message card, they must arrive as one unit. Bag or wrap them together and add a label such as "Sold as set, do not separate". Only the bundle’s barcode should be scannable.

Boxes (cartons)

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  Size: since June 20, 2025, standard FBA boxes can be up to 36 inches long and 25 inches wide and high.
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  Weight: keep boxes at 50 lb or less, unless one single item is heavier.
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  Box labels: put the FBA box ID label on a flat side of each box, not over a seam.
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  Box contents: enter what is inside each box in Send to Amazon. Missing box content information can lead to manual processing fees.

How an FBA prep center works, step by step

Most prep centers follow the same flow. You stay in control of the shipment in Seller Central, and the prep center does the physical work.

1. 1
   Your supplier ships to the prep center. This works well when you import, because the stock is checked in the US before Amazon sees it.
2. 2
   You create the shipment in Send to Amazon, choose yourself as the one who preps and labels, and share the labels with the prep center.
3. 3
   The prep center labels, bags and packs the units, then adds box labels and box contents.
4. 4
   The boxes ship to Amazon. You track check-in in Seller Central.

When you create a shipment, Amazon may also charge an inbound placement fee based on the placement option you choose. Options that split your shipment across more Amazon locations usually have lower placement fees but more boxes to ship, so compare the totals before you confirm.

DIY prep vs an FBA prep center in the USA

Doing it yourself is fine when you send a few boxes a month. Once you import larger orders, sell many variants or need to restock often, an FBA prep center in the USA saves time and reduces mistakes.

What to ask an FBA prep center

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  Do you follow the latest Amazon prep and labeling rules?
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  What do you charge per unit for labeling, bagging and bundling?
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  How long from receiving my stock to shipping it to Amazon?
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  Can you store extra stock and send restocks when I ask?
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  Can you also ship my merchant-fulfilled (FBM) and website orders?
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  How do you report damaged or missing units?

7 common FBA prep mistakes to avoid

1. 1
   Two scannable barcodes on one unit, so the wrong product gets received.
2. 2
   Labels on curves or seams that cannot be scanned.
3. 3
   Thin bags or missing warnings on larger poly bags.
4. 4
   Set items packed loose, so Amazon receives them as separate units.
5. 5
   Wrong or missing box contents in Send to Amazon.
6. 6
   Boxes that are too big or too heavy.
7. 7
   Mixing shipments in one box. Each box should belong to one shipment.

Get your FBA stock Q4-ready

Amazon warehouses get very busy before Black Friday (November 27, 2026) and Cyber Monday (November 30, 2026). Check-in can take longer than usual, and stock that arrives late may miss the peak. Plan backwards from those dates and send inventory early. Our Q4 2026 e-commerce calendar lists every date to plan around.

Also check Seller Central for any capacity limits or peak-season deadlines on your account before you create Q4 shipments.

If you are new to Rabfy, you can create a free account and then talk to our team about your FBA prep needs.

Get your FBA stock prepped in the US

Send your inventory to Rabfy’s US warehouse for receiving, FBA prep and forwarding to Amazon, and ship your other orders from the same place.

Talk to our 3PL team