Amazon has confirmed a major policy change: starting January 1, 2026, the company will permanently discontinue all in-house FBA prep and labeling services in the U.S.
This means no more polybagging, bubble-wrapping, boxing, or labeling by Amazon for your Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory. Sellers must now handle 100% of FBA prep themselves, either in-house or by outsourcing to a third-party FBA prep service provider.
Failure to meet Amazon’s strict packaging and labeling requirements can result in rejected shipments, expensive return fees, delayed check-in, or account suspensions.
This guide will explain:
- What Amazon FBA prep services include and why they matter
- Details of Amazon’s FBA prep policy change
- The consequences of poor FBA prep
- Your two options for compliance
- How to choose the best FBA prep company for your needs
- A step-by-step action plan to meet the January 2026 deadline
What Are Amazon FBA Prep Services?
Before inventory reaches an Amazon fulfillment center, it must be prepped to meet Amazon packaging, labeling, and safety requirements.
Typical FBA prep tasks include:
- FNSKU labeling (Amazon’s unique product barcode)
- Polybagging (with suffocation warnings)
- Bubble-wrapping fragile products
- Cap sealing for liquids
- Opaque bagging where required
- Boxing products individually or in sets
- Set creation for kits or bundles
These steps aren’t optional. Without proper prep, your products may be delayed, refused, or marked unsellable—hurting your Amazon Prime promise and your bottom line.
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Amazon’s FBA Prep Policy Change: Key Dates & Details
On July 28, 2025, Amazon announced it will end all FBA prep and labeling services in the U.S. by January 1, 2026. This affects every FBA shipment, including those via AWD, AGL, SEND, and the Supply Chain Portal.
Key takeaways:
- Final Day for Amazon Prep: January 1, 2026
- Grace Period: Shipments created before the deadline will still receive prep, even if they arrive afterward
- No Exceptions: All sellers must fully prep inventory before sending it to Amazon
Amazon says the change is intended to improve fulfillment speed and efficiency — but for sellers, it shifts full responsibility for compliance and prep execution to them or their chosen Amazon prep center.
Why Amazon FBA Prep Is Critical to Success
Amazon’s fulfillment network is one of the strictest and most advanced in the world. Missing a single prep requirement can:
- Trigger chargebacks and fees for non-compliance
- Delay inventory check-in for days or weeks
- Cause Prime order delays and hurt your Buy Box performance
- Damage seller metrics, rankings, and customer trust
Well-prepped inventory means faster check-in, higher in-stock rates, and better customer experience. Poor prep slows inventory flow, increases costs, and risks your Amazon account health.
Your Two Options Moving Forward
1. Build FBA Prep In-House
Your first option is to build your FBA prep capabilities in-house. This gives you full operational control, but adds costs like labor, space and storage, and it means you take on the full compliance responsibility, and risk.
What it takes:
- Train warehouse staff on Amazon’s FBA prep standards and compliance requirements
- Invest in infrastructure such as label printers, poly bags, shrink wrap machines, and packing stations
- Implement strict quality control checks to catch errors before shipping
2. Partner With a Third-Party FBA Prep Company
The second option you have to handle FBA prep moving forward is partnering with a third party vendor. Some 3PLs can support FBA prep and there are specific vendors who specialize in FBA prep and Amazon support for brands.
Working with a specialized vendor, with experience and infrastructure to support your Amazon business will give you speed and scalability to help you unlock more time to focus on growth rather than prep. However, you need to be sure to choose your FBA prep partner carefully and ask the right questions.
How to Choose the Best FBA Prep Partner
With demand for Amazon prep centers expected to spike before the deadline, you need a vetted provider with proven scale.
Must-have criteria:
- Amazon Certified and Recognized
- The best practice is to find a vendor who is fully certified in Amazon compliance. Some will even have Amazon recognition.
- Full-Service Capabilities
- There are seven core FBA prep tasks that you’ll need to vet: labeling, bagging, boxing, bubble wrapping, cap sealing, opaque bagging, set creation
- Kitting and bundling for multi-unit orders
- Specialty packaging for fragile or temperature-sensitive products
- Volume flexibility during Q4 peak season
- Experience and Scale
- Look for a partner that can handle the volume you are aiming for with your growth.
- MyFBAPrep processes 10M+ units annually across a global warehouse network handling $1B+ GMV
- Speed and Turnaround SLAs
- Guaranteed fulfillment timelines to keep your inventory moving
- Tech Integration
- Seamless sync with Amazon Seller Central and your order management systems
Action Plan to Meet the January 2026 FBA Prep Deadline
If you’re relying heavily on Amazon’s in-house FBA prep service today, now is the best time to make adjustments to ensure you remain compliant. Here are some key deadlines you should be looking at to ensure you’re fully prepared before the deadline, and not scrambling at the last minute.
September – October 2025:
- Decide between in-house prep or outsourcing
- Vet and contract your FBA prep company
- Audit SKUs for packaging, labeling, and compliance needs
December 2025:
- Complete final shipments using Amazon’s in-house prep
- Fully train in-house teams or transition to your third-party provider
January 1, 2026:
- Amazon stops offering prep services
- Every shipment must be 100% compliant before arrival
Bottom Line: Prep Early, Avoid the Rush
Amazon’s move marks a major shift in FBA seller responsibilities. The brands that act now will secure the best prep partners, pricing, and warehouse capacity, while late movers face bottlenecks, delays, and compliance headaches.
Prepare today to protect your sales velocity, Prime performance, and Amazon account health long after the January 1, 2026 deadline.
Tom Wicky is the Co-Founder and CEO at MyFBAPrep, a network of Amazon Prep and Ecommerce Fulfillment centers. He founded his first internet company in 1996, raising $2.5M in the online recruiting space. In the early days of the Amazon Marketplace, Tom built a data ETL platform used to auto-generate, manage and optimize 100K+ product listings with over 1 Million product variations on Amazon. He’s built and invested in several large Amazon businesses in the grocery, apparel and beauty categories.
Amazon FBA Prep Policy Change – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What happens if my FBA shipment isn’t prepped correctly?
If your shipment arrives at an Amazon fulfillment center without meeting their packaging and labeling requirements, Amazon may:
- Reject the shipment entirely
- Charge non-compliance fees or return-to-vendor costs
- Delay check-in by days or weeks
- Mark products as unsellable, leading to lost sales and lower rankings
The safest option is to ensure all FBA prep requirements are met before inventory leaves your warehouse—either through in-house processes or a trusted Amazon prep center.
2. How much does FBA prep cost in 2025?
FBA prep costs vary based on product type, quantity, and service provider. Typical third-party FBA prep pricing ranges from:
- Labeling: $0.20–$0.50 per unit
- Polybagging/Bubble Wrapping: $0.50–$1.00 per unit
- Kitting/Bundling: $0.75–$2.00+ per kit
- Storage: $15–$25 per pallet/month
Costs may increase closer to January 1, 2026, as demand for prep services spikes. Locking in a partner early helps secure better pricing and guaranteed capacity.
3. Can I still send unprepped products to Amazon after January 1, 2026?
No. Starting January 1, 2026, Amazon will no longer offer in-house FBA prep services. Every unit must arrive fully prepped and compliant. Shipments that don’t meet Amazon’s standards will be refused or delayed.
4. What are the exact Amazon FBA prep requirements?
Amazon’s FBA prep requirements include:
- FNSKU labeling on every unit
- Polybagging products that require protection or suffocation warnings
- Bubble wrapping fragile items
- Cap sealing for liquids
- Opaque bagging for certain products
- Boxing single units or sets
- Set creation for kits and bundles
Full guidelines are listed in Amazon Seller Central under Packaging and Prep Requirements.
5. What’s the difference between in-house prep and using a third-party prep provider?
In-house prep gives you full control but requires staffing, equipment, and compliance training. Third-party FBA prep providers specialize in Amazon compliance, handle seasonal surges, and often have faster turnaround times.
If you don’t already have a compliant in-house prep process, outsourcing to a vetted Amazon prep service provider may be the fastest and most cost-effective solution.
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