After affixing product labels and shipment labels, the next thing to face is the issue of FBA pre-packaging. If there is a problem with the pre-packaging, it is very likely to affect the speed of product entry into the warehouse, and there may be rejection. The following are specific requirements and precautions for product packaging.
① Complete set of products: must be marked as non-separable.
② Boxed products: must ensure that the lid will not open automatically, and the packaging box will not collapse under pressure; if this cannot be guaranteed, the product must be packaged in a plastic bag.
③ Products packaged in plastic bags: The plastic bag must be transparent and have a scannable product barcode. The thickness of the plastic bag must be at least 1.5mm and completely sealed. The plastic bag or shrink wrap must not exceed the product size by more than 8cm. Plastic bags with openings larger than 12.7 cm (about 5 inches) must have a suffocation warning (for example, “Warning: To avoid the risk of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from infants and children. Do not use this plastic bag in a stroller, crib, stroller, or baby fence. This plastic bag is not a toy.”) ④ Mark the expiration date: For products with an expiration date, we must mark the expiration date on the outer box of the package, and the expiration date must be marked on individual products. It is not enough to have a printed batch number alone. ⑤ Prohibited marketing materials: Amazon does not accept marketing materials (for example, pre-priced labels, brochures, product price tags, or other non-Amazon labels). ⑥ Safe packaging: When we package products, we must use a safety knife with a covered blade to prevent sharp objects such as blades from being accidentally left in the box, causing potential harm to Amazon employees or Amazon buyers.
After reading the specific requirements for product packaging, let’s take a look at the specific requirements and precautions for shipment packaging.
1. Carton size
Any side of the carton must not exceed 63.5cm. If any side of the carton exceeds this range, it needs to be placed on a 1m x 1.25m pallet, unless the size of the carton of the product sold alone exceeds the size of the standard pallet.
2. Carton stacking
Sellers cannot use strapping tape, elastic bands, or tape to attach strapping tape to tie cartons. Sellers cannot use large staples or nylon fiber tapes, and there cannot be nails or wooden thorns, as they pose a safety hazard to Amazon warehouse staff. In addition, cartons must meet standard pallet stacking requirements.
3. Carton weight
Cartons weighing more than 45kg are identified as multiple cartons sold together (for example, sets must be placed separately on a separate pallet. In addition, if the weight of a US carton is greater than 22.5kg (about 50 pounds), a “Team Lift” label is required to indicate that a team is required to move the carton; if the weight of a US carton is greater than 45kg (about 100 pounds), a “Mech Lift” label is required to indicate that a machine is required to move the carton; if the weight of a European carton is greater than 15kg, a “Heavy Package” label is required to indicate that the goods are overweight and need to be packaged for shipment.
As mentioned above, if you are dealing with large products, you may need to use pallets. In addition to pallet labels, you also need to communicate with your FBA first-leg logistics provider and make pallets in strict accordance with Amazon’s pallet requirements. The following are the pallet requirements for the United States, Europe, and Japan, which can be used as a reference.
The US pallet requirements are as follows.
Standard pallet: wooden pallet, 1m x 1.25m.
Pallet height: ≤1.8m (including pallet base).
Pallet weight: ≤680kg (1500 pounds).
Stacked pallets: single layer height ≤127cm, double layer height ≤254 cm, minimum gap 8cm.
European pallet requirements are as follows.
Pallet size: wooden pallet, UK size is 1m x 1.2m, other countries size is 0.8mx 1.2m.
Pallet height: ≤1.8m.
Pallet weight: ≤1000kg.
Label: If there are multiple SKUs on the pallet, a “Mixed SKU” warning label is required.
Japanese pallet requirements are as follows.
Pallet size: 1.1mx 1.1m, wooden pallets are not accepted.
Pallet height: ≤1.5m (including pallet base).
Pallet weight: ≤1000kg.
Unloading: FCL entry is not accepted.
Products are only accepted in the form of pallets, and the delivery personnel are responsible for unloading.
In addition, if there are multiple Amazon Standard Identifcation Numbers (ASINs) on a pallet, the operation methods and procedures for labeling and unloading from the pallet are completely different from those for a pallet with only one ASIN.