Why Amazon FBA Shipments Get Rejected
Amazon's guidance says it may refuse, return or repackage inventory that arrives with inadequate or non-compliant packaging, at your expense, so it pays to check labels before you ship. This guide covers common label and packaging problems and how to avoid them before your next shipment.
Common label problems to check
Quick test: Open your phone camera and point it at the printed barcode from 30cm away. Test-scan a printed label with a phone barcode app before labelling stock (our own advice). A phone scan is a quick check, not a guarantee of how Amazon's equipment will read it. Re-print at higher DPI or check your quiet zones.
The 5-Minute Check Before You Seal the Box
Run through this every time before a shipment leaves your warehouse. It covers the label problems in this guide before the box is sealed.
Shipment Rejection — Common Questions
Check the shipment's status and any problem notices in Seller Central, and follow the steps Amazon gives there. You'll receive a notification. Amazon's guidance (US) says it may refuse, return, or repackage products that arrive with inadequate or non-compliant packaging, at your expense. Act on any problem notice in Seller Central promptly (our own advice).
Amazon's guidance (US) says it may refuse, return, or repackage products that arrive with inadequate or non-compliant packaging at your expense. Fees vary by marketplace and change over time, so check the current figures in Seller Central.
Yes, in most cases. Check the shipment's status and any problem notices in Seller Central, and follow the steps Amazon gives there. If the items are at the FC, you may need to request a removal order, re-label, and create a new shipment. For future shipments, use our barcode generator, check whether you need an FNSKU or UPC, and run a pre-shipment audit before sealing the boxes.
Not necessarily. 2D barcode box content labels (Data Matrix, PDF417 or QR Code, per Amazon's help) are one way to provide box content information for an inbound shipment. Check which box content options Seller Central offers for your shipment. The label carries the FBA shipment ID, each item's ID (such as FNSKU, ASIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN) and quantity, and expiry dates where they apply. Our free 2D box content label generator makes them, one per carton.
Source: Amazon Selling Partner Blog: FBA prep, packaging, and labeling. Amazon's guidance (US) says it may refuse, return, or repackage products that arrive with inadequate or non-compliant packaging, at your expense.