2026-06-11 · 10 min read
Amazon Ended FBA Prep Services in 2026: What You Must Do Now
Amazon shut down its FBA prep and labeling services. Here is what that means for your shipments, your prep obligations, and your options going forward.
Amazon stopped offering FBA prep and labeling services at its fulfillment centers as of January 1, 2026. Sellers who relied on Amazon to apply FNSKU labels, bag items, bubble-wrap fragile products, or handle poly-bagging for soft goods now have to do all of that themselves before sending inventory in.
This change affects a significant portion of FBA sellers, particularly those who sent in products that required minimal prep and paid Amazon to handle the rest.
What prep services Amazon removed
Amazon previously offered: FNSKU label application ($0.30 per label), bubble wrapping for fragile items ($1.55 per unit), poly-bagging for textile items ($0.90 per unit), opaque bagging for adult products ($0.90 per unit), taping for sharp items ($0.55 per unit), and sioc (ships in own container) prep ($1.33 per unit).
All of these services are now the seller's responsibility. Products that arrive at fulfillment centers without required prep will be refused or assessed inbound defect fees.
What prep does Amazon still require
Amazon's prep requirements by product type: liquids over 1 lb need to be in sealed, leak-proof bags or wrapped in bubble wrap. Fragile items (glass, ceramics) need at least 2 inches of cushioning on all sides. Apparel and textiles need to be in sealed poly bags. Products with sharp edges need to be secured so they cannot puncture packaging. Sets and multi-packs need to be secured together and labeled as sets. Clothing on hangers needs to be bagged on the hanger or removed and folded.
The prep requirements are detailed in Amazon's packaging and prep requirements guide in Seller Central. Each product type has a specific standard. If the prep is wrong, your units generate defect fees and may be returned at your expense.
Your three options
Prep yourself. If you have a warehouse or fulfillment operation, you can handle all prep in-house. Amazon's requirements are detailed but not complicated once you learn them. The savings can be substantial compared to paying Amazon $1 to $3 per unit. The downside is labor cost and time.
Use a third-party prep center (3PL). 3PLs that specialize in Amazon prep have Amazon's requirements memorized and can usually turn around shipments in 2 to 5 business days. Typical rates: $0.50 to $1.50 per unit for basic prep (labels plus any required wrapping), more for complex prep like hanger removal or sioc packaging. Look for 3PLs that are Amazon Partnered Carrier users to keep inbound freight costs down.
Use a manufacturer-side prep solution. If your supplier is overseas, some freight forwarders and fulfillment centers near Chinese ports offer Amazon-ready prep before the goods ship. This can be the lowest-cost option but adds lead time for any corrections if prep is wrong.
FNSKU labeling rules
Every unit sent to an Amazon fulfillment center needs an FNSKU label (or the manufacturer barcode if your product is commingled). FNSKU labels print from Seller Central under Manage Inventory > Print Item Labels. The label must cover the original product barcode completely. Amazon's laser scanners at receiving will reject any unit where the original barcode is partially visible through the FNSKU label.
Label placement matters: on polybagged items, the label goes on the outside of the bag. On boxed items, the label goes on the most visible flat face of the box, not on a seam or edge. Labels applied at an angle or wrapping around a corner will fail scanner reads and generate defect fees.
New inbound defect fees in practice
Since the prep service ended, inbound defect fees have become the main enforcement mechanism. If your shipment arrives with prep problems, you receive an email notification, the unit goes into a problem inventory queue, and the fee is assessed before the units move to sellable. You can review inbound defect reports in Seller Central under FBA Shipments > Shipment Problems.
Review the defect report for your first several shipments after switching to self-prep or a new 3PL. Errors in your first two shipments tell you exactly where your prep process breaks down so you can fix it before it compounds across thousands of units.