Fulfillment by Amazon
Amazon FBA: Fulfillment services for your ecommerce business
FAQ:
What is Fulfillment by Amazon?
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service that allows you to outsource order fulfillment to Amazon. Sign up for Amazon FBA to send products to Amazon’s global network of fulfillment centers and offer customers free, two-day shipping through Prime. When a customer makes a purchase, Amazon fulfillment specialists can pick, pack, and ship the order. We can also provide customer service and process returns for those orders.
Try FBA and get free shipping, returns, and more
Amazon's New Seller Incentives offer free promotional clicks on ads, free shipping to fulfillment centers, free storage, free liquidations, and free return processing. Conditions apply.
How FBA works
Amazon FBA can help decrease fulfillment headaches as you scale your business.
Step 1:
Set up FBA
Create your Amazon selling account, and login to Seller Central to set up FBA.
Step 2:
Create product listings
Once you add products to the Amazon catalog, specify FBA inventory.
Step 3:
Prepare products
Prepare the products for safe and secure transportation to a fulfillment center, according to Amazon packing guidelines and shipping and routing requirements.
Step 4:
Ship products to Amazon
Create a shipping plan, print Amazon shipment ID labels, and send shipments to Amazon fulfillment centers. Learn more about sending inventory to Amazon.
Once Amazon receives products at the fulfillment center, the items are available for customers to buy. Visit Seller Central Help to learn about how to manage FBA orders.
Seller spotlight: Kahili Creations
As long as I have my tools and materials, I can depend on FBA to keep my income constant.Marcia Asuncion RicchiutiKahili Creations
FBA Benefits
Your products are eligible for Amazon Prime FREE Two-Day Shipping, FREE Shipping, and more.
Prime members love FREE Two-Day Shipping, and all Amazon.com customers can get free shipping on eligible orders. When you list products for FBA, they are eligible for free shipping, too. Qualified FBA listings are displayed with the Prime logo, so customers know that Amazon handles packing, delivery, customer service, and returns.
Customers get Amazon's trusted customer service and returns.
FBA leverages the Amazon customer service network stretching around the globe, managing customer inquiries, refunds, and returns for your FBA orders.
- FBA customer support: Customers can contact our customer support via phone or email, day or night. This service is provided at no extra charge to you, with the exception of the Returns Processing Fee for select product categories. When you use Amazon FBA, your time can be spent growing your business or taking a vacation, rather than managing customer service
- FBA returns: For orders from the Amazon.com website that Amazon fulfills, we will manage all customer service associated with fulfillment of your FBA products. Our online returns center provides customers with help pages and details about how to contact us in case of concerns. If the customer wants to return a product, we direct them to our convenient online returns center. Read more about FBA customer returns policies.
Scale your business with fulfillment services
Our fulfillment centers are built with your inventory in mind, and there's no minimum for the number of products you send. We handle the details to save you time, so you can focus on your business. FBA’s specialized services can help you grow your business without new investments in capital or staffing:
- FBA Small and Light: Reduce the cost of fulfilling orders for low-cost, small, and lightweight FBA inventory.
- FBA Subscribe & Save: Offer discounts on eligible FBA products for repeat customers.
- FBA Pan-EU: Offer fast delivery in Prime-eligible European countries.
- FBA Export: At no extra charge, expand your FBA business to more than 100 countries—minus the complexities of international selling.
- Multi-Channel Fulfillment: Sell from your own or third-party ecommerce sites, with Amazon picking, packing, and shipping to your customers.
- Amazon Global Logistics: Ship ocean cargo from China directly to Amazon fulfillment centers in the US, UK, and Europe.
Pro tip
Use Multi-Channel Fulfillment for all sales channels
Offer your customers a Prime-like delivery experience—with shipping speeds as fast as one day—for orders placed on any channel, including your own website, other online marketplaces, social media shopping sites, or other direct-to-customer websites.
It's cost-effective
Shipping with FBA costs 32% less per unit than the slowest shipping options offered by major U.S. carriers. FBA two-day shipping costs 72% less per unit than their two-day options. Pay as you go—you are charged for storage space and the orders we fulfill. The cost of shipping is included in your fees, with no extra charge for Amazon Prime FREE Two-Day Shipping and free shipping on eligible orders. Fees for Selling on Amazon and optional services may apply.
Storage and fulfillment fees with Amazon FBA
Inventory storage fees
Charged for all items stored in an Amazon fulfillment center, and based on your daily average volume of inventory measured in cubic feet. See how to determine the product size tier for your items.
Aged inventory surcharge
Assessed monthly for all items stored in a fulfillment center for more than 181 days. Maintaining sound inventory health can help you avoid the aged inventory surcharge.
Fulfillment service fees
Charged per unit for picking and packing your orders, shipping and handling, customer service, and product returns. Use the FBA revenue calculator to estimate fees and see how to preview your fees.
Unplanned services fees
Charged when inventory arrives at a fulfillment center without proper preparation or labeling, making unplanned services required.
Removal order fees
You can have Amazon return or dispose of your inventory in a fulfillment center for a per-item fee.
Returns processing fees
Charged on orders when Amazon provides a customer with free return shipping.
Learn more about the cost of FBA. Use the Fulfillment by Amazon Revenue Calculator on Seller Central to estimate your FBA fees.
FBA inventory management
Use the tools in your seller account to list products, create shipping plans, send in shipments, track and monitor your shipments, and remove inventory from Amazon fulfillment centers.
Inventory Performance Dashboard
Your Inventory Performance Dashboard displays your Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score, along with key influencing factors. Be sure to check your IPI score regularly—a low score could lead to overage fees and limit your ability to send more inventory. Learn more about protecting your brand.
Manage excess inventory
Optimize your inventory levels by knowing when to mark down or remove your products. Monitor detailed information about storage fees, opportunities to drive sales, and suggestions to help improve returns on your inventory.
Track inventory age
Improve sell-through rates and avoid the aged inventory surcharge. Use Inventory Age tools to understand how much inventory you’re holding, and see how long it’s been in fulfillment centers.
Fix stranded inventory
Keep your listings active by including necessary pricing and condition information and resolving errors. If your inventory is in fulfillment centers without an associated active listing, it’s not available for purchase.
Restock inventory
Maintaining your FBA inventory at the right level is key to offering fast delivery to Prime customers. Amazon’s free tools on Seller Central can help you:
- Get more one day and same day orders
- Reduce out-of-stocks
- Protect your sales rank
- Minimize excess inventory
The tools offer recommendations based on your sales history, demand forecast and seasonality, and your inputs to help you determine how much inventory to send and when to send it. They are free to use, and directly integrated into Seller Central’s shipment creation workflow.
Save time and help grow your business with FBA
You sell it, we ship it. Amazon has one of the most advanced fulfillment networks in the world. With FBA, you store products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. FBA can help you scale your ecommerce business and reach more customers.
FAQ: Amazon FBA
What is Amazon FBA?
FBA, also known as Fulfillment by Amazon, is a fulfillment service that helps Amazon sellers outsource shipping to Amazon. With this ecommerce fulfillment option, Amazon stores, picks, packs, ships, and delivers the products to customers. Amazon also handles customer service and returns for those orders.
How does Amazon FBA work?
You can enroll products in FBA and ship inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers for storage. When products sell, Amazon personnel can pick, package, and ship the orders to customers for you. Amazon fulfillment specialists can also process returns and exchanges, in addition to handling customer service. You can also track deliveries and sales via the Seller Central dashboard.
How to sell using Amazon FBA?
You can get started in three steps:
- Sign up for a selling plan
- List products
- Prep and ship inventory to Amazon
Do I need a Professional selling plan to use FBA?
You can use FBA with either an Individual or a Professional selling plan. However, FBA might be a more cost-effective choice if you sell 40 items or more per month with a Professional plan.
To determine whether FBA is right for you, calculate your margins by taking storage and fulfillment fees into account. You might also want to consider upgrading to a Professional selling plan if you’d like to use advanced features like Sponsored Brands product listing ads and brand analytics. Learn more in this guide to selling on Amazon.
To determine whether FBA is right for you, calculate your margins by taking storage and fulfillment fees into account. You might also want to consider upgrading to a Professional selling plan if you’d like to use advanced features like Sponsored Brands product listing ads and brand analytics. Learn more in this guide to selling on Amazon.
How much does FBA cost per item?
Costs vary per item and include fulfillment fees, as well as storage fees. To find out how much FBA costs, use the FBA calculator or use the estimated fee per unit tool in Seller Central.
What is an FBA seller?
An FBA seller is an ecommerce business that sells in Amazon’s store and outsources inventory management to Amazon through the FBA program. The seller sends products to Amazon warehouses for order fulfillment. Amazon stores the inventory until a customer places an order. Then Amazon picks, packs, and ships the order.
How can I become an Amazon FBA seller?
If you’re already selling on Amazon, you can enroll products in FBA through Seller Central. Choose to register as little as a single product, or outsource your entire inventory to FBA. Then, package and ship inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers, and we can take care of the rest.
If you’re new to Amazon, sign up for a selling plan and create product listings. Then you can send inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers.
If you’re new to Amazon, sign up for a selling plan and create product listings. Then you can send inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers.
What to sell with Amazon FBA?
Generally speaking, most products for sale in Amazon’s store are eligible for FBA. You can sell virtually anything—from teas to quirky T-shirts or surfboards. Some products require prior approval before you can sell them. In addition, certain products are either not eligible for FBA or must meet specific requirements before qualifying for FBA.
What is "fulfillment"?
Fulfillment is the process of storing, packing, and shipping orders, as well as handling returns and exchanges. Some businesses manage fulfillment in-house, while others use a service like Fulfillment by Amazon or some combination of in-house and third-party options. Effective, reliable fulfillment delights customers.
