When a brand launches on Amazon, the first thoughts go to the product listing, the photos and advertising. Yet a large share of problems come from elsewhere: from the preparation and shipping of stock. A mislabelled batch, quantities that don't match the shipping plan, and your products stay blocked while you're already paying for your ads.
Here's what Amazon really expects, the mistakes that cost the most, and how to avoid them.
What Amazon requires before storing your products
With the FBA programme (Fulfilled by Amazon), Amazon stores, ships and handles customer service. In return, your products must arrive compliant with its preparation rules:
- a legible FNSKU label on each unit, identifying your product in the warehouse;
- suitable packaging that protects the product without tearing or coming apart;
- exact quantities, matching the shipping plan created in Seller Central;
- identified boxes within the weight and dimension limits set by Amazon.
Each rule seems simple. It's their accumulation, across hundreds of units, that becomes time-consuming.
The 4 mistakes that block brands the most
- Labelling. A manufacturer barcode left visible next to the FNSKU label can be scanned instead of it at receiving. The product then risks being wrongly matched.
- A shipping plan that doesn't match reality. If you declare 500 units and 480 are sent, Amazon flags a receiving discrepancy, and the missing units won't always be recovered.
- Non-compliant packaging. Depending on the product, some items require a bag with a warning, or extra protection.
- Ineligible products. Some categories are restricted, and dangerous goods (lithium batteries, aerosols, flammables) follow strict rules.
Most of these mistakes can be checked in a few minutes before dispatch. Fixed after the fact, they take days.
Do it yourself or delegate to a prep center?
Preparing your first shipments yourself is a good way to understand the rules. But as soon as volumes rise, the time spent labelling, packing and checking becomes a bottleneck: 500 units at 3 minutes each already adds up to 25 hours of work.
That's the role of a prep center: receive the goods, inspect them, label them, pack them and ship them to Amazon. If you want to understand in detail what a prep center is and what it actually does, this guide breaks down each step.
How we work with brands
At AEGIS, we distribute brands' products on the marketplaces, and the quality of preparation is part of the quality of the service. For this step, we rely on our Amazon FBA prep center in the Paris region (Île-de-France), FBA PREP IDF, located in Saint-Prix (Val-d'Oise). This preparation means products are delivered compliant with Amazon, with no labelling errors.
The checklist before sending a first batch
- Create the shipping plan in Seller Central with exact quantities.
- Check that each reference is eligible for sale.
- Cover old barcodes before applying the FNSKU label.
- Check the packaging and the weight of each box.
- Keep your invoices and tracking numbers: they help in case of a discrepancy.
In short
On Amazon, logistics isn't a detail: it determines whether your products are on sale or stuck. Rigorous preparation avoids most blocks and protects your advertising budget.