Sending Your First Shipment to Amazon: FBA Prep, Labels & Restock

You've picked a product, created the listing, and decided to let Amazon fulfill it. Now comes the part nobody really explains: physically getting your inventory into Amazon's network so it can ship to customers. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) doesn't start when an order comes in — it starts when your boxes arrive at a fulfillment center, get scanned, and your units flip to "in stock." This guide walks the whole send-in process so your first shipment doesn't get stuck, delayed, or rejected.

If you're still deciding whether FBA is even the right model, start with how FBA actually works and FBA vs. MCF. This article assumes you've made the call and you're ready to ship in.

The send-in flow at a glance

Each step has its own rules, and Amazon is unforgiving about the details because everything downstream depends on a unit being scannable and a box matching its manifest. Let's take them one at a time.

Step 1 — Create a shipping plan

Everything begins inside Seller Central with a shipping plan: you tell Amazon which SKUs you're sending and how many units of each. The plan is where you choose two things that shape the rest of the process — whether you'll send individual units or case-packed cartons (multiple identical units sealed by the manufacturer), and who handles prep and labeling, you or Amazon (for a per-unit fee).

Amazon then assigns you one or more destination fulfillment centers. You don't pick them — the system distributes inventory across its network, which sometimes means splitting a single shipment across two or three warehouses. You can pay to consolidate to one location, but for a first shipment it's usually cheaper to accept the split.

Step 2 — Prep your units to spec

Prep is where new sellers get tripped up, because Amazon treats unprepped inventory as a safety and quality problem. The exact requirements depend on the product, but the common ones are:

• Poly-bagging: soft goods like apparel and socks usually need a sealed poly bag. Any bag with a 5-inch or larger opening must carry a suffocation warning printed legibly.
• Sets and multipacks: a "10-pack" must be bundled and labeled as a single sellable unit so it can't be split on the warehouse floor.
• Fragile, liquid, or sharp items: may require bubble wrap, double-boxing, or a sealed outer.
• Expiration-dated goods: must show the date clearly and follow lot rules.

The principle behind all of it: a unit has to survive a chaotic warehouse and arrive at the customer in resale condition. If you sell a branded product like our own Zubiflex socks, prep is simpler because you control the packaging — you can build the suffocation warning and the multipack label right into your retail bag.

Step 3 — Label correctly (FNSKU vs. manufacturer barcode)

Every unit Amazon stores needs a scannable barcode so it can be tracked. You have two paths:

• Amazon barcode (FNSKU): a unique code tied to your seller account. Each unit gets its own FNSKU label, and your inventory is kept separate from everyone else's. This is the right default for a private brand.
• Manufacturer barcode (UPC/EAN): Amazon tracks by the product's existing barcode and may "commingle" your units with identical ones from other sellers. It saves a labeling step but means a customer could receive a different seller's unit — a real risk if quality varies.

For a brand you own and care about, use FNSKU labeling so the unit shipped is always your unit. Print labels at the size Amazon specifies, place one on each unit so it's the only scannable barcode (cover the manufacturer barcode if needed), and never reuse a label across SKUs.

Step 4 — Box, weigh, and manifest

Now you pack labeled units into shipping cartons and tell Amazon exactly what's in each box. A few hard rules:

• Weight: standard boxes generally cap at 50 lb; heavier boxes need a "Team Lift" label, and there are strict ceilings above that.
• Dimensions: no side over 25 inches unless a single oversized item requires it.
• Box content information: you must declare the SKUs and quantities per box (by typing them, scanning, or uploading a file). Skipping this triggers a per-unit manual-processing fee.
• Shipment labels: Amazon generates a unique shipment ID and box labels. Each physical box gets its own label — don't copy one label across boxes.

Pad the boxes so units don't shift, use a single SKU per box where you can (it speeds check-in), and double-check that the number of boxes and units in the plan matches what's actually on the pallet. Mismatches are the most common cause of reconciliation headaches.

Step 5 — Ship it (partnered carrier or your own)

Amazon offers partnered carrier rates — deeply discounted small-parcel and LTL freight you buy right inside the shipping plan. For most new sellers this is the easiest and cheapest option: you print the carrier labels, schedule a pickup or drop-off, and the tracking is wired into your shipment automatically. You can use your own carrier instead, but then you're responsible for getting the tracking and appointment details right.

Whichever you choose, the cost of getting inventory in is a real line item. Fold it into your unit economics alongside Amazon's ongoing charges — model the whole picture with the FBA & MCF calculator and read Amazon seller fees explained so the inbound freight doesn't quietly eat your margin.

What happens after it arrives

Delivery isn't the finish line. Boxes sit in a receiving queue, then get checked in unit by unit. Plan for this delay — it commonly runs several days and can stretch longer during peak season. Units aren't sellable until they're checked in, so a shipment that "arrived" on Monday might not go live until the following week.

Once received, watch the reconciliation view to confirm Amazon counted everything you sent. If units are missing after the check-in window closes, you can open a case with your box content and shipping proof. This is exactly why accurate manifests and FNSKU labels matter — they're your evidence.

Restock limits and not running dry

Amazon caps how much inventory you can send based on your sales history and capacity metrics, so you can't simply flood a warehouse with a year of stock. New accounts often start with modest limits that grow as you sell through reliably. Two practical consequences:

• Send smaller, more frequent shipments early on, and let your limits expand rather than fighting them.
• Never let a fast mover hit zero. Because check-in takes days, you have to reorder well before you sell out — count your supplier lead time plus shipping plus receiving when you set a reorder point.

Running out doesn't just lose sales; on a competitive listing it can cost you the Buy Box, and winning it back takes time even after you restock. A modest safety buffer is cheap insurance.

If you also sell on your own store

The same inventory you ship into Amazon can fulfill your direct-to-consumer orders through Multi-Channel Fulfillment. If that's your setup, send in once and let one pool of stock serve both channels — see the MCF setup guide for wiring it to your website. It's the model we use at Novus Supply: one shipment in, two sales channels out.

A first-shipment checklist

• Create the shipping plan and decide individual vs. case-pack.
• Prep each unit (poly bag + suffocation warning, bundle multipacks).
• Apply one FNSKU label per unit; cover other barcodes.
• Pack boxes under 50 lb, declare box contents, attach unique box labels.
• Buy partnered-carrier shipping and schedule the handoff.
• Track delivery, then watch receiving and reconciliation.
• Set a reorder point that accounts for lead time, shipping, and check-in.

Get the send-in right once and it becomes routine. The whole point of FBA is that after this step, fulfillment is Amazon's job — your job shifts back to sourcing, pricing, and keeping the shelf full.