Product Packaging, Labelling

and Shipping Plans

Manufacturing is Almost Complete, What Next?
At this stage you have added a product to Amazon already. You have already started to manufacture your product
but now you are concerned with what needs to be done to get this thing into the warehouse smoothly.

This is what we are going to cover today!

We will outline this in 2 sections:

1) Packaging & Labelling

2) Shipping
 Packaging & Labelling
With Packaging, there are many options.

We are going to cover all of the main points!

You may be sending in loose products, products sold as a set

or boxed units.

There are also specifics to note if you are going to be using

poly bags and also if you are sending in case-packed items,
which most of us will be doing.

Do not include any marketing materials in your products

packaging such as pre-priced labels, pamphlets, price tags
or any other non-Amazon labels.
 FNSKU
Each and every product is going to require a FNSKU label. This stands for Fulfilment Network Stock Keeping Unit and this
label must be physically affixed to each unit’s packaging and must be visible. It must be easily scannable.

Each FNSKU is unique to a SPECIFIC product and only that product. As an example, if you are doing variations in
terms of colour, then each colour of that product will have its own corresponding FKNSU. So, all the red ones will have one
FNSKU and all the blue ones will have their own FNSKU. If you do not have variations and are just selling multiple of the
exact product, then just one FNSKU is applicable.

The most important part of the FNSKU is the barcode which must be scannable. To ensure this is the case, always note
the recommended sizes of this code that Amazon gives you (in shipping plan or when you click on Print Item Labels).
Additionally, you can actually use the Amazon Seller App to scan the code, if it does, you should be good (even if this
is just a picture of the label on a computer screen).

The second most important part of the FNSKU is the numbers below
the barcode and these must be human readable.

The least important part is the title. This you can change and even
delete (I just leave it). Additionally, especially for the
US, add a “MADE IN CHINA” label to this FNSKU label
at the bottom, again, human readable.
 Loose Products
If your product contains any loose products at all, then you need to ensure each full unit is contained within a single, secure
package.

Amazon does not accept any products that are sent in as multiple pieces with the expectation that Amazon should assemble
all of these different components to sell it as one unit. This answers the common question of “If I have 2 products on Amazon,
can I just also sell them as a bundle?” No, you will need to bundle these beforehand and send them in as one unit in one
secure package.

Non-secure packaging includes things like sleeves or pouches which slide over your product, but could potentially come off.
In these cases, you have to ensure that the item in its entirety is bagged securely or secured with removable tape or a non-
adhesive band. I would say, just polybag the full deal.
 Sold As A Set
If you are selling many units as a set, you are going to need to mark this on the sets packaging as “Sold As Set” OR “This is
a set. Do not separate.”

The actual packaging of a set must once again be unified and secure. You cannot send in loose units and simply tell Amazon
it is a set. You need to package all the sets components together in one box or poly bag and label them as a set. This must
be done for each and every unit/set.
 Boxed Units
If this is your approach then Boxes must be six sided. The lid/opening to the box must not be able to open on its own.

If the lid can open on its own, then affix tape, glue or staples to keep it closed.

The box must not collapse when ‘medium’ pressure is applied to any of the sides.

If the box has perforations, as many tissue boxes have as an example, then it must survive a 3 foot drop test in order to be
allowed through without a poly bag. If the perforated box survives the test, then it will not need the poly bag. If it fails it
will require a polybag with a suffocation warning.
 Poly Bagged Units
Poly bags are simply plastic bags that contain products.

Poly bags with a 5” opening or wider (measured when flat) must feature a suffocation warning. This warning needs to be
printed on the bag itself or attached as a label and it must be prominent and clear. Here is an example you can actually use:

"WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away

from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs,
beds, carriages or play pens. This bag is not a toy."

This is the table from which you can decide on the minimum size
of the font of this label:

Total Length plus Width of Minimum Print Size

Bag
60 inches or more 24 point
40 to 59 inches 18 point
30 to 39 inches 14 point
less than 29 inches 10 point
The thickness of the polybag must be at minimum 1.5mm and poly bags must be transparent.

Every poly bag will need a barcode (EAN, UPC etc) OR as in most of our cases, a X00-label that is scannable through the
poly bag or affixed to the outside of the bag. This X00-label is the one you will find beneath the barcode on the FNSKU.

In other words, having your FNSKU affixed to the outside of the poly bag is a good route to take.

Poly bags must be completely sealed and secure.

The poly bag and any other packing such as bubble wrap etc,
should not protrude more than 3” past the dimensions
of the actual product.
 Expiration Dates
This will depend on the nature of your product. Amazon will only receive products with an expiration date that exceeds
90 days.
Products that do expire will need expiration dates on the master carton in 36 sized characters or larger. The expiration date
will also need to be on individual units. Only having the Lot numbers present is not enough.

Expiration dates must be in the following format: MM-DD-YYYY. This is all I could find so should be the same for EU.

Products that expire that have additional

packaging such as bubble wrap must still
keep the expiration date accessible to
Amazon staff for smooth receival.
 Shipping
Shipping your units to FBA can be a daunting part of the process.
When you are getting ready to manufacture (at some point in manufacturing), you are going to actually start your shipping
plan. This is going to tell amz what you are sending and how you are sending it. My opinion is to start this way ahead of time
so that you can catch any problems such as HAZMAT reviews early.

To start the shipping plan (sp) you are going to go SEND/REPLENISH INVENTORY in the drop-down on the right of the listing
in sc, the listing you are sending inventory for.
 This will start the sp process. At this stage you are going to select “Create a new shipping plan” almost always
and you can select one of two options, “Individual Products” OR “Case Packed”:

Here is how you will know which of the above options to select:
Select case-packed if all the units in your case packs
are the same and have the same FNSKU. Also the number
of units per case for the same product is the same for every
case. (Most of the time, you will choose this).

Select individual products if the units in each case

Individual Products Case Packed Products differ in SKU, quantities and condition. Some sellers
also use “individual products” when the number of
units per case differs.
 Case-Packed Products
All the products in each box have a matching SKU and are of the same condition (for us, new).
All the boxes you are sending in contain the same number of individual products. You only have one opportunity to input the
number of units per case and the number of cases and this is why every case must have the same number of units. If you have
1 extra case with a different number of units, you can also just create a separate shipping plan for that one case.

Do not exceed 150 units per case, this is the maximum. Your boxes should not exceed 25 inches on any side, that is the max.
The fulfilment centre will simply scan one unit from the box (FNSKU) and put the box into inventory as they will know how
many are inside. This is why it is important.
Sometimes a manufacturer/supplier will pack multiple cases into a larger box which is known as a master carton.
Master cartons do not qualify as case packs and must be split into the appropriate case packs before being sent in.
 You will most likely be sending in case-packed items. If this is the case, then you are going to fill in details that your supplier
will give. THINGS TO GET FROM YOUR SUPPLIER BEFORE STARTING THE SHIPPING PLAN :

- No. of cases (shipping boxes holding units)

- Size of cases
- Weight of cases
- No. of units per case
- Supplier’s Address

Have these ready so that you can

swiftly move through the shipping
plan, input what is required and
get your labels.

On page 1, You will input your

supplier’s address as well as units per
case and number of cases. Usually in this area.

Later you will input size and weight of

cases.

More on the specific labels you

will acquire next.
In the sp process AMZ is going to generate the FNSKUs for you. You want to download and save these. On this note, you can
also get these FNSKUs before creating the shipping plan in order to just send them to your supplier. To so this, you will go to
the listing on SC and click on edit and then “Print Item Labels.” This will give you the FNSKUs for the specific itemas well.

Take the FNSKUs and send them to the supplier if you are having them apply it to the
product/packaging. In this case, you need to obviously start this shipping plan before
manufacturing.

Alternatively, save them until you receive the shipment and then you can apply them to
products/packaging yourself.

That is the end of the FNSKUs, no need to worry about them further.
Additionally, AMZ will provide you with another Shipping Label. This is the label for the case packs (shipping boxes that
hold individual units).

These also need to be sent to the supplier so they can affix them to these bigger boxes OR you do this at your
house/warehouse. These tell AMZ what is in each box.

If each case weighs more than 15 KGs, then you need to affix a “HEAVY PACKAGE” OR “TEAM LIFT” label to the outside
of each case as well.

NO LABELS SHOULD COVER THE SEAMS OF THE BOX!

Now all your Prepping is complete and you have the correct packaging and labels in the pipeline.

Once manufacturing is complete, send your shipment in with your OR your supplier’s freight forwarder. Using your supplier
for this part as well can result in cost savings, just make sure it is DDP. Air Express is faster and avoids customs issues.

Now your shipment is on the way, at this stage, you can go have a look at your shipping plan and you will see “WORKING” or
“SHIPMENTS CREATED” as the status. This means it is in manufacturing. Now that you have shipped, get the tracking numbers
for the shipment and input these into the shipping plan, you will then see “SHIPPED” or “INBOUND” as the status.

When the shipment arrives the status will become “AT FULFILMENT CENTRE” and will then be received and processed
into your inventory. You will get emails confirming that the shipment has been received. Then the Status will become CLOSED
and you can even delete it rendering the status DELETED. When you see the amount ‘available’ on the listing on SC start to
increase you know that your listing is going active and everything is in order.

This is how the shipping plan links your actual products to the warehouse. Well Done and Happy Selling! ☺