Packaging Tips for Selling on Amazon FBA

Amazon has packaging requirements for selling FBA. Depending on your type of product, Amazon will require that you send to FBA in specific types of packaging. These requirements are in place to protect your products during handling in their warehouses and throughout the shipping process.

Amazon will charge extra if the items are not packaged properly. For example, it can cost almost $2 per item for Amazon to individually wrap small glass bottles in bubble wrap for you. It’ll likely be much cheaper to wrap the bottles yourself instead of having Amazon do it. 

Amazon has requirements for the types of plastic you can use in your packaging. For example, if you happen to use plastic in your packaging, Amazon requires you to have specific thicknesses for that packaging. It has to be thick enough to withstand getting picked up and transported in and between warehouses, in vehicles, and on conveyor belts. 

Glass bottles need more protective packaging.  Glass bottles have a tendency to break during shipping so you should protect the glass with the proper packaging.  You can protect your glass bottles with packing material and bubble wrap. You should wrap each individual bottle in enough material to protect it during transport.

Inventory sent to Amazon fulfillment gets divided and shipped to different locations, so each item needs its own packaging. If you ship a box with individual items, make sure each one is ready to be sent individually to different locations.

Amazon has requirements for labels too. Individual products need “branding” or permanent labels attached for selling FBA. If you are a brand owner, you’ll need to have a label fixed to the item and on the outside of the packaging. The labels should have your logo on them. Each product should be easily identifiable as your brand. 

Another requirement for individual items is a barcode. Amazon uses scanners and computer inventory software to track all the inventory moving through all of their fulfillment locations. Each item has to have its own UPC or barcode. This is a requirement for items and for the packaging so they can track it through warehouses.

Amazon has to approve your branded packaging before you send your products to Amazon for the first time. You’ll need to upload a picture of your branded packaging as part of the Brand Registry application process. 

Thanks for reading and if you’d like more information, contact us.