What changed, and when
- On January 1, 2026, Amazon ended both its FBA Prep Service and its FBA Label Service for the US store.
- Shipments created before January 1, 2026 still got Amazon prep and labeling, even when they arrived later.
- Amazon announced the date to developers on July 28, 2025, in the Selling Partner API changelog.
- In the Fulfillment Inbound API model, the prep owner and the label owner can no longer be Amazon. The model says: "AMAZON is not an accepted value in the US marketplace."
What happens to units that arrive without prep or labels
- Units in shipments created after January 1, 2026 that arrive without proper prep and labels are not reimbursed if they are damaged or cannot be traced (FBA Prep Service).
- When packaging, prep or barcodes are inadequate, Amazon may refuse, return or repackage the units at the seller's expense (Prepare your products for FBA shipping).
- A unit without the required Amazon barcode is marked defective, and the defect appears on the seller's Inbound Performance Dashboard (Use Amazon barcodes for FBA).
- Amazon tracks inbound problems per product over 120 days and raises a coaching level from Standard to Elevated to Critical (Performance coaching).
The inbound defect fee is a different charge: Amazon ties it to shipments that are misrouted, deleted, abandoned or arrive late, not to missing prep (Inbound defect fees).
Also since March 31, 2026: an FNSKU on every reseller unit
Amazon ended commingling. Every reseller, authorized or not, now puts an Amazon barcode, the FNSKU that starts with X00, on each unit, even when the product has a UPC. Only brand representatives in Brand Registry can ship on the manufacturer barcode, and only for products that meet Amazon's conditions (FBA Barcode Choice and Labeling FAQ, FBA barcode requirements).
The steps
Step 1
Read the prep guidance for each SKU
Check the prep guidance Amazon shows for each product before you create the shipment. If Amazon shows none, choosing the right prep is still the seller's responsibility. Amazon's page.
Step 2
Decide who preps
Your own team, or a prep service provider. These are the two options Amazon's FBA Prep Service page gives. Amazon's page.
Step 3
Label every unit
Resellers put an Amazon barcode (FNSKU) on each unit. Only a brand representative in Brand Registry, with a qualifying product, can ship on the manufacturer barcode. Amazon's page.
Step 4
Pack to Amazon's packaging rules and create the shipment
Bag, wrap or box each unit as its prep guidance and Amazon's packaging requirements say, then create the inbound shipment. Amazon's page.
Step 5
Watch the Inbound Performance Dashboard
After Amazon receives the shipment, check the dashboard for prep and labeling defects and fix the cause on the next shipment. Amazon's page.
Where PrepVia fits
PrepVia is an Amazon FBA prep center in Miami, Amazon SPN Certified for FBA Preparation. It receives and inspects inventory, applies FNSKU labels at up to 13,200 labels/hour, 99.9% scan-verified, bags and bundles units, and creates the inbound shipment through its own Amazon SP-API integration. The standard prep window is 24-36 hours. See the Amazon prep service and FBA labeling service.