Shipment packaging requirements

Following these instructions helps ensure that shipments arrive undamaged and ready for intake to our fulfilment centres:

• Use a rigid, six-sided box with flaps intact.
• Use a single address label that has clear, complete delivery, and return information.
• Each box that you include in the shipment must have its own FBA shipping label printed from your Shipping Queue.
• Each pallet requires four labels, one on the top centre of each side. Each box on the pallet also requires its own label.
• If you are shipping multiple case-packs in a primary carton, apply the unique shipping label on the primary carton you are using for delivering inventory to Amazon fulfilment centres.
• If you are reusing boxes, remove old shipping labels or markings.
• Wrap all items separately.
• Use adequate packaging material.
• Use strong tape designed for shipping.
• Use 5 cm cushioning between each of your items and the inside of the box.
• After you pack your box, shake it gently. The contents should not move when shaken.

Avoiding the following also helps ensure that shipments arrive ready for intake to Amazon fulfilment centres:

• Do not use point-of-sale containers typically used for display purposes (for example, open-front boxes or boxes without tops).

  

• Do not use pallet-sized boxes

  

• Do not use string, straps, or over-wrap (plastic or paper).
• Do not bundle multiple boxes together.
• When reusing boxes, remove old shipping labels or markings.
• Remove irrelevant barcodes from the outside of cartons while reusing boxes to ship different products.

Picking the right-sized box for what you are shipping is important. If the package is too large, you will need to fill it up with enough packaging material so that the box will not collapse if heavier boxes are stacked on top during delivery.

Acceptable standard boxes:

• Regular slotted carton (RSC)
• B flute
• ECT-32 (edge crush test)
• 14 kg/cm2 (burst strength)

Use a minimum of 5 cm of appropriate packing material around each item and the same amount in between your products and the walls of the box. If your items are being shipped in the manufacturer's case pack, the 5 cm of packing material is not necessary.

Use of appropriate packing material ensures that your shipment quickly moves through the fulfilment centre receiving process and protects our associates from potential safety issues.

Use these:

• Bubble wrap
• Full sheets of paper (heavy-weight craft paper is best)
• Inflatable air pillows
• Polyethylene foam sheeting

Do not use these:

• All types of packing peanuts, including foam strips
• Crinkle wrap
• Shredded paper

Breaking down the material benefits

Bubble wrap or small-cell bubble sheeting provides surface protection as well as shock absorption. It can also be wrapped around almost any product, regardless of shape or size.

Paper, specifically craft paper intended for packing applications, can be used to fill empty void space in the shipping box. For best results, use craft paper with a minimum basis weight of 22.6 kg to ensure that it is thick enough to provide protection.

Inflatable air pillows use air pressure to secure and hold products in place inside the shipping package and provides an air barrier of cushioning. They generally come in a strip of air pillows that you can easily use as lightweight dunnage to fill the void space in your box.

Polyethylene foam sheeting is thin, soft, resilient, and provides surface protection and cushioning properties. This type of packaging is good for protecting lightweight items.