What are FBA prep services?
In third-party prep centers (sometimes called suppliers or agents), your goods will be received, have necessary prep work done to them, checked for accuracy and sent to Amazon as part of the shipment plan that you have already entered. Note that Amazon's FBA prep and labeling services (in the US) will be discontinued by the beginning of 2026.
What does FBA prep involve?
The prep of a single unit involves FNSKU barcode application, lollygagging (a suffocation warning label is needed if the opening of the polybag is more than 5 inches), sealing, bubble wrapping and applying dates so that it is readable on the outside of the packaging without having to unpack the unit itself. It is bundling several units of the same ASIN together to make a multi-pack or kit of many items, removing individual ASIN labels from items where this is necessary, preparing cartons for delivery according to Amazon's standards and ensuring that the appropriate Amazon FC labels are stuck to every carton. Preparing pallets to be sent to Amazon and getting delivery appointments to Amazon FCs. It is also making sure that the information inside each carton is correct – number of units by ASIN, correct dimensions and weight, implementation of 2-D barcodes for each item if required.
Why is prep so important in 2026?
Because of two very large changes that will take place and affect many sellers: Firstly, the FBA Prep & Labeling services will be discontinued by Amazon in the US from January 2026 and secondly FBA barcodes will change in late March 2026. Seeing that fees are increasing the sellers will want to make sure their goods have correctly entered inbound as this may avoid over-incurring charges from Amazon.
The prepping process - China Prep Amazon: Standard:
1. Decide where you are going to do the prep (with China Supplier, Chinese consolidating warehouse or with receiving country prep center).
2. Create shipment plan in Seller Central, get shipment ID and cartons labels from Amazon.
3. Send label and prep instructions to the prep center.
4. Product receiving & quality control – count and check that the right quantity is received in the correct box with the right dimensions and weights.
5. Prep execution – individual and carton preparation, take photos as proof.
6. Check box contents – count units per ASIN, examine dates for expiry, dimensions of each box and weigh each one.
7. Ship to Amazon (either by SPD or FTL/LTL).
Frequently forgotten prep points are suffocation warning label on polybag, barcode label scannable from the outside of the unit/box, the FBA labels affixed to each carton and the correct contents in the cartons.
Factors to look for in a prep center are a receiving report with photos, documented SOPs for each ASIN, a prep center which is up to date with all Amazon's prep requirements (e.g. Suffocation labels, 2D barcodes), turnaround time, price.
Conclusion:
The end of the prep and labeling service by Amazon to domestic US merchants in 2026 will create much more demand from sellers to prep centers. A smooth prep process of (receive, verify, prep, confirm, pack, box, content, ship) will avoid you from facing difficulties upon inbound shipment.
Related Articles
All articlesYiwu Market Guide for International Buyers
The Yiwu Market is a place to find suppliers in China especially for people looking for small items wholesale products with low minimum order quantities, mixed orders, gifts, household stuff, accessories, toys, stationery, packaging and seasonal products. The Yiwu Market is huge it has thousands of suppliers showing their products in one place. You can find anything you need here at the Yiwu Market. The Yiwu Market is not like a store where you pick something and take it home. It is a market. Most booths are like showrooms. Buyers visit the Yiwu Market, place orders and then the products are made or prepared. After that the goods are shipped from the Yiwu Market. To succeed in sourcing from the Yiwu Market you need to know how it works. You should understand what the Yiwu Market is good for, how to choose suppliers at the Yiwu Market how to check product quality at the Yiwu Market and how to ship products from the Yiwu Market. You have to do your research and plan carefully to get the best out of the Yiwu Market. Buyers need to understand the Yiwu Market to source successfully from the Yiwu Market. The Yiwu Market is good for commodities and MOQ wholesale products. The Yiwu Market has products across every consumer category. Buyers should know how to evaluate suppliers at the Yiwu Market and control quality at the Yiwu Market. Logistics is also important once you have bought something from the Yiwu Market.
Why Does Customs Hold Things Up Over "Just One Document"?
“We’re stuck because of paperwork”—this is a phrase you often hear in the world of imports. The goods seem fine. The quantities match. Yet, customs clearance isn’t moving forward. Why does paperwork alone cause such a major problem? In this article, we’ll break down the reasons from a structural perspective.
Yiwu's Ultimate Market Sourcing Guide For Global Buyers In 2026
The Yiwu International Trade Market, also well known as the "World's Supermarket" is the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities. This trading market has been designed to serve importers, product distributors, commodity retailers and e-commerce sellers from across 210+ world countries and regions. With over 75,000 physical booths and 400,000+ product SKUs ranging from small to medium and extra large products, of all diversities,categories and types, the Yiwu International Trade Market has become the top sourcing destination for global buyers seeking cost-effective, diversified and customizable wholesale products. The Yiwu's Ultimate Market Sourcing Guide For Global Buyers In 2026 is a guide aimed at elaborating on the Yiwu Market's core advantages, district layouts/product types, standard procurement/purchasing processes,common pain points, professional sourcing solutions and sourcing agent options for global newcomers and long-term buyers.
Hardware Products and Tools Sourcing from China
When you purchase hardware products from China you can earn a lot of money. However if you only consider the price you will likely end up losing money. You need to think about the strength of the hardware products materials and how accurate the sizes of the hardware products. You also need to consider how well the hardware products resist corrosion and the quality of the surface treatment of the hardware products. Hardware products from China are really different from the things you can buy in stores. China is one of the places in the world where they make hardware and tools. They make all sorts of things like hand tools, fasteners, hardware for furniture, tools for building and tools for gardening. If you want to buy hardware products from China and do well you have to be very careful. You need to be careful about what hardware products you're buying and who you are buying the hardware products from. You need to check the quality of the hardware products. What certificates the hardware products have. You also need to think about how you will get the hardware products, from China to where you need the hardware products to be.
