Conducting market research, negotiating with suppliers to create a private label product, and evaluating the product to determine its viability. Fulfillment-by-Amazon (FBA) sellers have the option of having their items directly shipped from their suppliers to Amazon. They may also choose to have their items shipped to a destination other than Amazon. But how to ship to Amazon FBA?
In North America, there are 75 Amazon fulfillment centers, of which many are dedicated to Fulfillment by Amazon. Shipping goods to Amazon FBA is relatively straightforward, but it does require some effort on the part of the seller. A number of factors must be considered when making decisions about some products compared to others.
Would it be better if suppliers sent Amazon’s inventory directly rather than sending it through their sellers? There is a common practice for sellers to inspect a small quantity of stock at a time, and then send the remaining to Amazon for inspection. Thus, FBA storage costs will be reduced. Sellers who choose to sell via Amazon will also need to understand how to get their products into the Amazon warehouses if they choose to do so. So, how to ship products to Amazon FBA after inspecting them yourselves.
Due to a large amount of inventory that Amazon’s FBA warehouses receive, Amazon has established strict operating guidelines. Before products can be shipped, they must be packaged, labeled, and prepared properly in order to ensure the safety of the product and its handling employees.
In this article, we will examine the steps involved in shipping items to Amazon FBA. All steps must be carried out in the exact same order.
7-Step plan on how to ship items to Amazon FBA
You will be guided through the following 7 steps in order how to ship to Amazon FBA:
Step 1. Establishing a shipping schedule
It is important to plan your shipping strategy before you begin shipping your products to Amazon. The following elements should be included in your plan:
- The product(s) you will be shipping to Amazon
- In what quantity each product is available
- How and who do you choose to ship your package
- How will the product be prepared and labeled?
In order to submit a shipping order for Private Label products, you must set up a listing first.
Register in Seller Central and select Inventory > Manage Inventory to create a listing if you have not already done so. In the right-hand section of the page, you can click on the link “Add A Product”. By doing so, you can store products within your account. Following the addition of one of your products, as well as the completion of all required details about the item, you will have completed your listing.
Having completed these steps, you can begin creating your Shipping Plan. Select each item to be shipped to Amazon from the Manage Inventory page. From the drop-down menu under Selected, select Send/Refill Inventory. A new shipment plan can be created, or a current one can be modified.
Verify the address from which your order will be shipped. It could be your home, your business, or your suppliers from which you ship the products. You will need to provide the manufacturer’s address if, for example, your product is being shipped by a manufacturer in China.
You will then need to specify the type of packaging. Unless otherwise stated, case-packed items are identical in quality and condition, while individual products are single products of different qualities and conditions.
Step 2. Determining the quantity
In order to fulfill your Amazon FBA shipping plan, the first step involves establishing the quantity. Indicate how many of each item you have in stock that you would like to send. If you comply with the instructions, you will receive one or more of these notifications:
- Information needed. The product requires further information
- Removing is necessary. Removal of items from shipping is required
- Recommend action. The product has been identified as slow to transition by Amazon and should therefore be taken down
- Excess Inventory. A greater number of products are on hand than is recommended
By indicating you have responded to the alert, you can bypass the action recommended, as well as excess inventory alerts. Before proceeding, please ensure that all products that require removal have been removed.
Step 3. Preparation of the products
The products must be prepared according to Amazon’s specifications. You need to arrange safe delivery of the products to the warehouse even if Amazon prepares and labels products for you and charges you per item.
Depending on the packaging requirements, additional packaging materials may be necessary. Please take the time to review all packing and preparation requirements before submitting your FBA inventory.
Unless you chose Amazon to prepare the items for you, you will need to prepare them yourself. To save time and money, many manufacturers and freight forwarders have products prepared for sale. Please ensure that if you ask your manufacturing company or your freight forwarder to prepare the FBA package, they are knowledgeable of all requirements and guidelines.
You may find preparation guidance for products with set preparation requirements by clicking on the tab entitled Prepare Products. The following preparation methods may be required:
- Polybags
- Wrapping bubbles
- Bags that are opaque
- Tape
Step 4. Assign labels to the products
For the storage and tracking of products, Amazon employs barcode technology. Because of this, all FBA items must adhere to Amazon’s labeling standards, unless they are eligible for stickerless inventory. The following labeling options are available for FBA shipments:
- Barcodes such as the UPC or EAN can be used
- You can add a barcode to any product directly from the packaging or to the product itself
- Paying a fee per item for FBA labeling and having Amazon apply your barcodes
Labeling requirements for all products are listed in the labeling required tab. FBA labels must be used if you select Amazon under the Who labels column. Additional fees will be displayed under the Labels tab. Merchants must be labeled on their own if they are included in the Who section.
The next step is creating your barcodes after the details have been established. Once you have selected your barcodes, click on Print Labels. You will be presented with a PDF document.
Ensure that your product barcode meets all FBA requirements. It provides information on how to choose the correct printer and paper stock, as well as where the labels should be placed. When this stage is complete, you can change who prepares the product by returning to the Prepare Products page.
Step 5. Evaluate your shipment
Please examine your shipment carefully. Please be mindful of your shipment ID as well as the shipping center’s code and the address of your destination fulfillment center. As it may be necessary for your plan to include multiple shipments to multiple distribution centers.
Shipping names can be changed after your shipment has been assigned. Furthermore, you will be able to view how many MSKUs (unique product identification numbers) and how much of each MSKU is in the order. It is important to note that any changes you make to this section will affect your packing list. Printing packing lists after you approve your shipping plan is a good idea.
You will see a page entitled “View Shipments” once you have approved shipments. You have now set up a shipping plan, and it is time to send it to the appropriate Amazon fulfillment center. Click the Work on shipment button to get started.
The shipment cannot be deleted after it has been approved, and the associated listings will be updated to become fulfilled by Amazon. At this time, not many adjustments can be made to the quantity of the products.
Step 6. Organize your shipment
The Prepare Shipment page now includes the following features:
- Choose the carrier and delivery method that is right for you
- Calculate the number of boxes required to ship
- Arrange a shipment and make payment
- Label the boxes
When your concern is how to ship to Amazon FBA, you need to meet all shipment packing requirements when shipping to Amazon FBA. The shipping plan can still be modified to a limited extent, but there are limitations. Should there be additional changes, the plan should be canceled, recreated, or the shipment deleted.
LTL is a popular shipping method for Private Label sellers because many don’t have enough inventory to ship a whole truckload (FTL). Please ensure that you understand which category you fall into. You can receive additional insight into this by contacting your manufacturer or freight forwarder.
Step 7. Summary
In Amazon’s workflow for creating shipments, the Summary page is the final step. It enables you to view a summary of your shipment, explore the tracking tools that are available, and check the status of your plan. This page contains three tabs, as outlined in Seller Central:
When the product has been received, it will be displayed in the listing and can be purchased. Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon team will now handle your order fulfillment. This step allows for the modification of the number of boxes, but the entire set of labels must be reprinted.
These are all 7 steps involved in how to ship Amazon FBA products from your warehouse or supplier to Amazon warehouses or fulfillment center.
FAQ’s
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How to ship items to Amazon FBA?
Ship your inventory to Amazon via a shipping plan, package your products, and use the carrier of your choice to send them to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. In most cases, inventory that has been delivered to a fulfillment center is scanned within three business days and made available for sale.
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How much does it cost to ship to Amazon FBA?
The delivery service will cost you some money if you pack and ship all your products yourself as required by Amazon. When you ask Amazon to package all your products according to your specifications, you will be charged additional FBA fees.
The charges for FBA are based upon both the location and the quantity of the products being shipped.
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How to ship pallets to Amazon FBA?
After you print and apply the box labels, you will be prompted to confirm the carrier and pallet information if your inventory will be shipped in pallet shipments. Please follow the steps below.
- Step 1. Determine which inventory needs to be sent
- Step 2. Individually package the units
- Step 3. Confirm the shipment
- Step 4. Label the boxes
- Step 5. Double-check information concerning the carrier and pallet
- Step 6. Produce pallet labels only when shipping pallets via an Amazon partnered carrier
- The final step – tracking information
- How to ship from supplier to Amazon FBA
Following the 7 steps in this article will help you to ship your products from your supplier to Amazon’s FBA warehouse.
Conclusion
By following these 7 steps you will understand how to ship to Amazon FBA. Follow all the steps carefully and thoroughly to have a successful shipping experience with Amazon FBA. This covers all the specifics on how do you ship to Amazon FBA. Mistakes in the details may result in significant losses. You might get charged FBA storage fees for no reason or Amazon may throw away your shipment.
