Amazon Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) Packaging
If you are planning on fulfilling orders through FBA, product packaging is something you will have to consider. Your product may require new or revamped packaging in order to be sold through Amazon’s fulfillment network directly.
The first thing to keep in mind is that every item fulfilled through FBA requires a scannable barcode of some type. This may be the manufacturer’s barcode, or it could be an Amazon-specific barcode (more on that later). The barcode can be visible on the product’s box, an insert card, a sticker or a label. If your product does not already contain an eligible manufacturer’s barcode, you will need to use Amazon’s barcoding system. Manufacturer’s barcodes are not eligible for products with an expiration date, consumable products, topical products (skin cream, cosmetics, shampoos, etc). If your product falls into that category, you must use Amazon’s barcoding system.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that your product may have category-specific packaging requirements. It is important to familiarize yourself with any packaging requirements that your inventory may have.
At this point, you may be thinking that you need to redesign your packaging for Amazon success. If you buy your product from a supplier, contact them and ask for the packaging template for the product. If you are not knowledgeable about graphic design, a graphic designer can edit this template to make sure a scannable barcode appears on the packaging. If your product does not normally ship with packaging (for example, a basketball), you may need to polybag it and put a sticker containing the barcode on it.
If your current packaging does not meet these requirements, but you are unable to change the packaging, you can simply place a sticker with Amazon’s barcode over your ineligible barcode. Your package must contain only one barcode, so if your current barcode is ineligible you must cover it up with Amazon’s barcode.
If you do not want to take the time to relabel your barcodes, you can pay Amazon to do it for a fee. However, doing this could hurt your margins, and can slow down the process of landing your FBA inventory throughout Amazon’s network of fulfillment centers. If possible, it is best for you to make sure all packaging contains FBA-eligible barcoding before shipping into Amazon.