What is an Amazon FBA Prep Service?

Last Updated: July 8, 2024

We’ve been there – boxes filling garages, guest rooms, closets. The fact is, at some point your Amazon business will outgrow your current space (and time!) requirements; you’ll need a partner if you want to scale your business. So, what is an FBA prep service, and how can it benefit you?

An Amazon FBA prep service is a specialized service that prepares products according to Amazon's fulfillment requirements. This includes tasks like labeling, packaging, and quality inspection to ensure products meet Amazon's standards for storage and shipping.

By using a Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) prep service, sellers can streamline their operations and avoid penalties for non-compliance. In this article, we’ll go over exactly what kind of services you can expect from an Amazon FBA prep service, and how you can leverage them to grow your business!

So, what is an FBA prep service?

Inventory management, packaging, labelling, and shipping on your own can be a time consuming process. Think of an FBA prep service like a partner taking mundane tasks out of your hands so that you’ll be freed up to handle the real elements that cause your business to grow, like finding new Amazon suppliers and developing your competitive repricing strategy.

In short, FBA prep services are highly organized warehouses full of items being readied to ship to the Amazon FBA warehouse of your choice. These types of services allow you to skip the process of having to receive, inspect, package, bundle, and label your packages for shipment to the FBA warehouse.

Boxes on the floor in a large Amazon prep center's warehouse.

Key Components of FBA Prep Services

When you sign on to use an Amazon prep service, you’ll typically change your shipping address with your suppliers to be that of the prep center. From there, your suppliers ship directly to your suppliers and perform the following tasks.

Inspection and Quality Control

When Amazon prep centers like ours receive packages from suppliers, we immediately receive the items and perform inspections.

We are looking for the same things you are when you receive packages from suppliers: quality, quantity, packaging integrity, and any potential problems with the items. We are also ensuring that the packaging’s integrity will meet Amazon’s standards.

Packaging and preparing to ship

Amazon prep centers will then use standard shipping materials like bubble wrap, poly bags, or custom boxes to prevent damage during shipping and storage in the FBA warehouse.

If your product lineup includes Amazon bundles or kits, then we’ll assemble those as well. As you likely know, bundling products for Amazon has a fairly specific set of guidelines and best practices. Prep centers are very familiar with these processes and ensure that your bundles make it through to the warehouse shelves and eventually on to the customer.

Labeling

Lastly, Amazon FBA prep service providers are very well versed in proper labelling of items so that Amazon accepts them for sale. We ensure each product has a scannable barcode, typically an FNSKU label (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit), which is important for inventory tracking and accurate delivery.

Lastly, we ensure that any proper compliance labels are in place on your packages. These can include additional labeling to comply with regulations, age restrictions, or hazard warnings on dangerous goods sold on Amazon.

Shipping options for ecommerce sellers.

How much do Amazon FBA prep services cost?

While we certainly don’t have a way of knowing what every FBA prep center will charge, we can provide some broad strokes.

How much the prep center costs will vary based on the model they are using. These models are generally charged on a per item or per unit basis, sometimes with a minimum service fee.

On average, we find that most prep centers will charge between $1-$2 per unit. Factors that affect this price can include:

  • The size and weight of the items
  • The quantity of items being sold
  • Additonal charges for additional labeling or packaging

Benefits of using an FBA prep service

Compliance with Amazon’s requirements

One of the most compelling benefits of using an Amazon FBA prep center is that you’ll be working with experienced Amazon users and sellers who are very familiar with the best practices and guidelens for selling on Amazon.

Ensuring your products meet Amazon’s strict guidelines can help you avoid penalties, additional fees, or removal of your listings.

Time and cost efficiency

Many prep centers can pack and ship your FBA items within 24 hours. This means that outsourcing the prep work saves time and allows you to focus on other aspects of your business, such as marketing and product development.

For almost all serious Amazon sellers, the time you save by removing yourself from the logistics process is a cost-effective solution in the long term.

Reduced risk of errors

Professional FBA prep services minimize the risk of errors in labeling, packaging, and shipping, leading to fewer returns and higher customer satisfaction.

Scalability

Perhaps the most attractive benefit of using an FBA prep service is that it provides your business with the ability to scale. If you’re constantly stuck in the day-to-day packaging and shipping of items, you’ll likely always struggle to grow.

As your business grows, an FBA prep service can handle increasing volumes of inventory without compromising on quality or speed.

Choosing the right FBA prep service

When selecting an FBA prep service, consider the following factors:

Experience and expertise

Look for a service provider with a proven track record and expertise in handling products similar to yours. You can check their websites, Google reviews, and social media before ever even engaging in a phone call with one of their representatives.

Once you’ve done that, be sure to get a sense of their expertise on your exploratory phone call.

Range of services

Different prep centers offer different services; some have a niche, and some are more general. Some are more geared towards Amazon FBM vs FBA sellers.

Ensure the service covers all necessary prep tasks (including labeling, packaging, inspection, and shipping), but also ensure that they meet any non-standard needs you have, such as custom labeling or compliance labeling.

Turnaround time

The sooner your products get to the FBA warehouse, the sooner you can generate sales and accelerate your cycle. Fast and reliable turnaround times are for keeping your inventory moving and minimizing downtime.

When considering a prep center, be sure to discuss this with them; ask them their average turnaround time, and their completion rate.

Customer reviews

We touched on this earlier, but Google reviews, TrustPilot reviews, and even social media posts are a good way to get a sense for what individual clients thought of their experience with a particular FBA prep service.

Check reviews and testimonials to gauge the service provider’s reputation and reliability.

Next steps

An FBA prep service is a vital resource for any seller aiming to streamline their operations and succeed on Amazon. By ensuring that your products are properly labeled, packaged, and compliant with Amazon's standards, these services help you focus on growing your business while minimizing the risks associated with non-compliance and poor preparation.

Whether you're a small business just starting or an established seller looking to scale, investing in a reliable FBA prep service can make a significant difference in your e-commerce success.

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