Beginning January 1, 2026, Amazon will discontinue its FBA Prep and item labeling services.
What’s Related
FBA, or Fulfillment by Amazon, is the program that allows sellers to store their products in Amazon’s warehouses while Amazon handles the picking, packing, and shipping. To ensure those products meet Amazon’s strict standards, the company has offered FBA Prep, a paid service that handles all packaging and labeling for sellers, including applying barcodes, adding suffocation warning labels, and wrapping or bundling products so they’re ready to ship.
Amazon says it has seen major improvements in how sellers package their items, reducing the need for its prep services. The following FBA Prep services will end:
FNSKU barcode labeling
Poly bagging
Bubble wrapping
Taping Opaque bagging
Suffocation warning labels
Bundle creation
Set preparation
Item inspection
Sticker removal
Immediate impact for all types of sellers
If you’ve been relying on Amazon for these services, it’s now your responsibility to make sure all products arrive fully prepped, barcoded, bagged, bundled, or wrapped as needed. Amazon won’t cover any loss or damage if items aren’t prepared correctly before arrival. Sellers who depended on Amazon’s prep services, especially those without a warehouse, could find the transition challenging.
“If outsourcing, look for a partner who can forecast and is flexible. Don’t focus entirely on cost. Experience in your space matters a lot.”
Sellers need to start looking for partners with the ability, knowledge, and experience to meet the many requirements of product prep for sale on Amazon, from assembly to kitting to master cartoning.
Do’s and don’ts
If outsourcing, look for a partner who can forecast and is flexible. Don’t focus entirely on cost. Experience in your space matters a lot.
If deciding to outsource, consider:
A partner with solid experience in Amazon FBA to avoid stockouts and chargebacks.
A fulfillment center with a warehouse management system that can create multi-packs, product assemblies, and kitting for accurate inventory planning.
A full knowledge of lot code and expiration date tracking, and the Amazon labeling requirements, especially when creating multi-packs of the same item, or bundles with different items.
A company that understands the timelines from start to finish, receiving product, prepping, creating orders, filling, and scheduling pickup to reduce your costs.
A company that has a comprehensive quality management system that sets SOPs and work instructions that include the stringent requirements of Amazon FBA.
And lastly, has the capacity to grow with your brand and your Amazon business.
If deciding to do it yourself, consider:
Understanding all the Amazon requirements – inspecting, packaging, labeling.
Cost of equipment – printers, labels, supplies: bags, dunnage
Stocking supplies like polybags, suffocation warning labels, bubble wrap, barcode printers
Training your staff on strict FBA prep rules: where to place FNSKU labels and how to cover existing barcodes.
Timeline requirements to be precise or could result in stockouts.
Additional Warehouse Space for not only storing product, but also kitting, assembly, labeling, and master cartooning.
Handling season spikes and planning and preparing based on Amazon’s inbound delivery timeline and non-receipts during those seasonal spikes.
If you have the resources and want to control the process, it can be done, but it’s not for everyone.
Final thoughts
This change may seem daunting to some, while others will view it as an opportunity to strengthen their fulfillment offerings. No matter how you look at it, no one will escape the transition if you are currently using Amazon’s FBA Prep. Whatever direction you take, follow these steps to increase your odds of success:
Prepare and Act: Do your research and make a plan now
Internal or Partner: Look at costs, experience, etc.
Kick the tires – Test every component
Test Again
Make improvements
Michelle Keske is President of Diamond Fulfillment Solutions, a scalable fulfillment partner for emerging and established brands in a variety of industries.
