How FBA prep works now
Amazon ended its US FBA prep and item-labeling services — FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging, bubble wrap and the rest — on 1 January 2026, so sellers now prep every unit themselves or through a third-party prep center before it ships in; unprepped inventory can be refused or charged. Prep is about survival and identification: the unit has to arrive undamaged, stay identifiable, and not create a hazard. What that takes depends on the product. A hardcover book needs almost nothing; a plush toy needs a poly bag; a glass candle needs protection and maybe its own box.
Why we don't print exact numbers
- Thresholds and fees change. Bag thickness minimums, warning sizes, box weight caps, and prep fees are revised periodically and differ by category — a number that's right today can be wrong next quarter.
- The source of truth is Seller Central. Every step here links to our guide on the rule and to Seller Central, where you confirm the current rule for your product.
- Getting it wrong is expensive. Non-compliant shipments get flagged, surcharged, or refused — verifying beats guessing.
Prep is easier when the packaging is designed for it. PackOS Quick Quote prices custom roll labels today — if your units need printed product, expiration or warning labels, upload the artwork for an instant label quote. PackOS doesn’t sell poly bags or shipping cartons. You can also build a full spec sheet to hand your printer.
Questions
Do I need to poly bag my FBA products?
Not always. Poly bags are generally required for units that are soft, porous, small enough to get lost, or already bagged, and for many loose or non-boxed goods. A boxed, rigid, barcoded unit often does not need one. The checker flags when a bag generally applies, and you confirm the current rule in Seller Central.
When does a poly bag need a suffocation warning?
A suffocation warning is commonly required when the bag's opening is five inches or larger, measured as commonly published, and the warning size generally scales with the bag size. Treat five inches as the common threshold and confirm the exact current requirement and warning text in Seller Central before printing.
Does Amazon still offer FBA prep services?
No. Amazon ended its US FBA prep and item-labeling services, including FNSKU labeling and poly-bagging, on 1 January 2026, so sellers now prep their own units or use a third-party prep center, and unprepped inventory can be refused or charged. Confirm any category exceptions in Seller Central.
Do expiration-dated products need special FBA labeling?
Yes. Amazon requires expiration-dated products, such as food, supplements, cosmetics and pet food, to show the expiration date on each unit in MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY format and on the master carton in large type, and it enforces a minimum remaining shelf life when units are received. Confirm the current format, type size and shelf-life rules in Seller Central before you print.
Does this tool give me Amazon's exact requirements?
No, and that is deliberate. It tells you which prep categories generally apply to your product and points you to where the exact, current rule lives, because thresholds, warning sizes, box limits, and fees change and vary by category. The authoritative source is always Amazon Seller Central.
Labels that prep clean.
PackOS Quick Quote prices custom roll labels from your artwork — product, expiration-date and warning labels included. Upload your label artwork to Quick Quote, review the detected attributes and confirm the selected specification. Compare the available quantities and read the quote’s assumptions, tooling and delivery terms.