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Yes, most FBA sellers now need a prep center. Amazon discontinued its in-house FBA prep and labeling services on January 1, 2026, so every unit must arrive fully labeled, poly-bagged, and compliant. A third-party prep center applies FNSKU labels, packages to Amazon’s specs, and ships to fulfillment centers, helping you avoid inbound defect fees.

An Amazon FBA prep center is a third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse that receives, inspects, labels, and packages your products to meet Amazon’s FBA requirements before forwarding them to fulfillment centers. Services include FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, bubble wrapping, bundling, kitting, and shipment creation, ensuring inventory arrives compliant and ready to sell.

Most prep centers charge a per-unit fee for standard prep (FNSKU labeling and poly bagging), typically about $0.40 to $1.50 per unit. Pricing depends on monthly volume, product size and complexity, and add-ons like bundling, bubble wrapping, or kitting. Oversized or fragile items cost more, and many centers offer volume discounts.

An FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) is Amazon’s unique barcode that ties each unit to your seller account. It prevents inventory commingling with other sellers and lets Amazon track your products through FBA. Each unit needs one scannable FNSKU on a flat surface, with any manufacturer barcodes (UPC/EAN) covered.

Poly bags for FBA must be transparent and at least 1.5 mil thick, sealed, and fit snugly around the product. Any bag with a 5-inch-or-larger opening requires a printed suffocation warning. The barcode must stay scannable through or on the bag, which should not protrude more than three inches past the product.

The inbound defect fee is a penalty Amazon charges when shipments arrive with labeling errors, missing prep, or routing mistakes. As part of Amazon’s 2026 fee restructuring it rose sharply (reported around $0.32–$5.72 per unit, often near $0.60) from a few cents previously. Using a compliant prep center is the practical way to avoid it.

A prep center is a specialized 3PL focused on Amazon FBA compliance — FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, bundling, and shipping to fulfillment centers. A general 3PL handles broader fulfillment: storing inventory and picking, packing, and shipping direct-to-consumer orders across channels. Many providers do both, supporting FBA prep plus multichannel DTC fulfillment.

Bundling combines multiple products into a single sellable unit (such as a gift set), while kitting assembles components into one SKU. Both must be packaged so warehouse staff cannot separate them, labeled “Sold as set — Do not separate,” and carry a single FNSKU with internal manufacturer barcodes covered.

Yes. Most prep centers and 3PLs accept shipments directly from overseas suppliers, so products never pass through your home or office. The center receives the freight, inspects and counts units, applies FNSKU labels, prepares everything to Amazon’s specifications, and forwards compliant shipments to Amazon fulfillment centers.

FCL (Full Container Load) means you book an entire 20ft or 40ft container exclusively for your cargo. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your goods share a consolidated container with other shippers and you pay per cubic meter (CBM). FCL suits larger volumes; LCL suits smaller shipments below roughly 15 CBM.

FCL typically becomes more cost-effective once your cargo exceeds about 15 CBM, and is almost always cheaper above 30–35 CBM on China–USA routes. Below that, LCL is usually cheaper because you only pay for the space used. Always compare total landed cost, including destination charges that LCL shipments absorb.

Ocean freight transit times from China vary by destination: roughly 5–12 days within Asia, 15–40 days to North America, and 25–45 days to Europe. FCL is generally faster and more reliable than LCL because it ships directly without consolidation and deconsolidation delays at container freight stations.

A freight forwarder arranges and coordinates the international movement of your cargo — booking ocean or air freight, handling export and import documentation, arranging customs clearance, and managing delivery to the final destination. For Amazon sellers, forwarders can ship goods from suppliers directly to a prep center or fulfillment center.

Incoterms 2020 are 11 internationally recognized rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce that define buyer and seller responsibilities in international trade — who pays for shipping, insurance, customs, and where risk transfers. Common terms include EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, and DDP. They are referenced in your sales contract.

Under DAP (Delivered at Place), the buyer pays import VAT, duties, and customs charges before goods are released. Under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the seller pays all import duties and taxes, delivering goods cleared to the buyer. DDP gives buyers a hassle-free experience but requires the seller to manage customs.

A 3PL (third-party logistics) warehouse stores your inventory and handles order fulfillment on your behalf — receiving goods, storing them, and picking, packing, and shipping orders to customers. Many also offer returns processing, kitting, FBA prep, and freight coordination, letting ecommerce brands scale without operating their own warehouse.

Consider a 3PL once you consistently ship more than about 100 orders per month, run out of storage space, or spend too much time packing instead of growing. A 3PL also unlocks discounted carrier rates and faster regional delivery. In-house can stay cheaper at very low volumes with monthly minimums.

Most 3PLs cover receiving and inspection, storage, pick and pack, and carrier shipping. Many add value-added services: FBA prep and FNSKU labeling, kitting and bundling, returns processing, freight coordination, and multichannel order fulfillment. On PrepLists you can filter warehouses and prep centers by the exact services you need.

A licensed customs broker is required for formal entries on shipments valued over $2,500, and for any controlled goods. Brokers file entry documents with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), confirm HTS codes, calculate duties including Section 301 tariffs, and clear cargo. They help prevent costly delays, penalties, and demurrage.

IOSS is an EU VAT scheme that lets sellers collect VAT at checkout on B2C goods valued at €150 or less imported into the EU. One IOSS registration covers all 27 EU member states, speeds customs clearance, and means customers face no surprise import charges on delivery. Non-EU sellers must appoint an EU intermediary.

No, IOSS is voluntary. Without it, you can still ship under DAP or DDP Incoterms, where VAT is collected from the customer at import or paid by you in advance. IOSS only applies to consignments of €150 or less; higher-value shipments must use DAP or DDP and may incur duties.

An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is a unique ID required for businesses importing or exporting goods into or out of the EU. It lets customs authorities track your trade activity across EU countries and is a legal requirement for clearing shipments through EU customs.

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) requires ocean carriers to buy allowances for CO2 emissions on voyages to, from, and within the EU. Carriers pass this on to shippers as a per-container surcharge that varies by carrier and lane and is reassessed quarterly. From January 1, 2026 the EU ETS reaches 100% emissions coverage.

PrepLists is a B2B catalog of logistics providers across the United States. You search and compare prep centers, warehouses, and transport services by location and the exact services you need, view transparent pricing and verified reviews, then request a quote directly from a provider. Browsing and requesting quotes is free for buyers.

A Verified badge means the listing was either created by its owner (a claimed business) or manually added and vetted by our team, rather than auto-generated. Verified providers have confirmed their details, so the green badge signals a higher-trust profile you can request quotes from with confidence.

Yes — for buyers, searching the catalog, comparing providers, reading reviews, and sending quote requests is completely free. Logistics providers can create a basic listing for free and choose a paid plan for more visibility and tools. You only ever pay your chosen prep center or warehouse for their actual services.

Open any provider’s profile, select the services you need, and submit a quote request describing your products and expected volumes. The provider receives your request and replies with pricing and availability. You can compare quotes from several prep centers or warehouses before choosing who to work with.

If you run a prep center, warehouse, or transport service, you can create a free listing or claim an existing auto-generated profile. Claiming lets you manage your services and pricing, respond to quote requests, collect verified reviews, and display the Verified badge. Reach out through our partner sign-up to get started.

Yes. Customers can leave star-rated reviews on a provider’s profile to share their experience. Reviews left through a provider’s personal invitation link are marked “Verified Customer,” and owners can confirm genuine customers, so the ratings you read reflect real working relationships.

Yes. Most prep centers and 3PLs offer returns management — receiving returned items, inspecting and grading them, then restocking, repackaging, or disposing of them per your instructions. For Amazon sellers, many also process FBA removals and reconditioning, including applying new FNSKU labels before returning units to inventory.

Yes. As each order moves through fulfillment it is assigned a tracking number and status updates at every step — picked, packed, shipped, and delivered. Customers can follow shipments through carrier handoff to delivery, and automated notifications keep everyone informed, reducing “where is my order” support tickets.

White-label tracking lets you show order and shipment tracking under your own brand instead of the 3PL’s or carrier’s. Customers see branded tracking pages and updates throughout fulfillment — picked, packed, shipped, and delivered — reinforcing your brand and reducing support inquiries while the underlying fulfillment is handled by your prep center or 3PL network.