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3 Simple Steps To Reduce Amazon FBA Shipping & Fulfillment Fees

3 Simple Steps To Reduce Amazon FBA Shipping & Fulfillment Fees

Following Amazon FBA guidelines is not optional! Failure to do so could result in rejection or shipments or even full-scale future bannings from the platform.

5 mins read, 7 Apr 2020
3 Simple Steps To Reduce Amazon FBA Shipping & Fulfillment Fees
Bookairfreight’s Key Takeaways:

• It is very important to follow Amazon FBA guidelines on product, weight, size and labelling - if not, your shipment could be banned in the future.

• Prepare a shipping plan and plan your shipping route and its requirements well in advance to avoid additional costs at the last minute.

• Choosing a reliable, and experienced FBA freight forwarder is just as important as following Amazon’s regulation.

Step 1: 10% Savings of Shipping Costs to FBA – Create a Shipping Plan

What is a shipping plan?

It's a plan to split your inventory between fulfillment centers.

An Amazon FBA shipping plan can be automatically generated on the "Seller central portal", using the “Send/replenish inventory” page.

how to generate amazon shipping plan

In a nutshell, it should contain the following:

• The products you’ll ship to the Amazon FBA warehouse

• Quantities of each product type

• How you plan to ship (choice of freight forwarder, dates, and other related information)

• Parties responsible for preparing the products and labeling them (this could be you or Amazon).

Why do you need an FBA shipping plan? 

You need it for two reasons, Amazon needs to know what to expect in your incoming shipments into their FBA warehouses, and they need to give you shipping labels. 


You need to send these shipping labels over to your supplier to stick it on each carton (this is REQUIRED).

How can a shipping plan help you save money? 

When creating a shipping plan with the product listing, you can foresee potential restrictions (labelling, hazmat requirements, restricted goods) - that way you can avoid last minute fee surcharges and plan shipments more efficiently.

When should you create a shipping plan? 

We recommend creating one very early on in the process -even before you start manufacturing the goods. 


Once your supplier starts manufacturing and provides you with a rough estimate of when the goods will be ready, you should finalize the shipping plan and submit it to Amazon prior so that you can get the shipping labels to the supplier on time, and therefore have a better understanding of the fees you will incur.

Step 2: 20% Savings of Shipping Costs to FBA - Follow Amazon FBA Regulations Accurately

First, you need to check the Amazon FBA Product Restrictions list to make sure your goods will be allowed and accepted by FBA without any extra fees!

So, you’re shipping products accepted by FBA, what’s next?

Amazon has a detailed set of instructions for all its Inbound Shipments covering weight and size limits. They've become very strict with shipments that don’t follow these rules.


But not to worry! We’ve made it way easier for you to digest these rules through a clear, simple format. This will save you from losing your profits due to avoidable fees.

1. Box dimensions and weight rules

  Weight or Dimension Limit Additional Notes
Box Weight Cannot exceed 50 lbs
per box ‍

Boxes with jewelry or
watches cannot
exceed 40 lbs per box
If a box has one
oversized item
that
exceeds 50.00 lb, it can be accepted.
Box Dimensions Cannot exceed 25
inches on any side.
Excessively oversize
units are subject to
restriction of shipping privileges, additional fees,
or refusal at a fulfillment center.

🚨  Sending oversize cartons may lead to blocking of future shipments. So make sure to follow the rules precisely.

2. Packing materials

  Allowed to be used 🚨 NOT Allowed to be used
Packing Materials • Bubble wrp
• Full sheets of paper (heavy-weight kraft
paper is best)
• Inflatable air pillows
• Polyethylene foam
sheeting
• Packing peanuts
• Foam strips
• Crinkle wrap
• Shredded paper
• Thermocol chips
• Styrofoam

3. Labelling requirements

  Scenario Label Required
Oversized Item Single oversized item exceeding 50 lb Team Lift label on the
top and sides of the box.
Single oversized item exceeding 100 lb Mechanical Lift label
on the top and sides of
the box.
Box Labels For all shipments, each box or carton must have. Amazon FBA Box ID
label in addition to any carrier labels.
Pelletized goods If you’re shipping
goods on pallets
4 pallet labels

Examples of labels:

Team Lift Label Mechanical Lift Label Amazon FBA Box ID
Label
amazon fba caution sign team lift amazon fba caution sign mechanical lift amazon fba shipping label

General labelling requirements:

DO's 🚨 DON’Ts
Print the full set of labels - each label is unique. Don’t photocopy or reuse labels
Place labels (FBA box ID, and carrier related) on flat, open surface Don’t hide the labels or place them on the edges which will not be scannable.
Each pallet needs four pallet labels, one on the top center of each side.  

🚨 Depending on your shipping route (Small parcel, LTL, FTL, FCL), there are additional shipping requirements.

You can access the details regarding each shipping route below: 

• Small parcel delivery to Amazon

• Truckload delivery to Amazon

• Seller requirements for LTL, FTL, and FCL deliveries

Step 3: Up to 25% Savings of Shipping Costs to FBA – Choose a Reliable, Experienced Freight Forwarder

Now you can create the perfect shipping plan, and follow all the packaging requirements but your shipment can still fall through the cracks and get rejected by FBA. 


You might be wondering how? In the end, everything comes down to choosing the right freight forwarder. 


You really need to ensure that your freight forwarder is aware of what it takes to ship to an Amazon Fulfillment Center. 

They need to be to be able to: 

1. Handle and transport the goods safely

If by any chance your goods get damaged during transit, and show up at Amazon’s door in an ‘unsellable’ condition - Amazon will refuse your shipment AND charge you a ‘return freight’ fee.  Doesn't sound so good, huh?

2. Handle the FBA’s dock appointment procedures

If you’re shipping to Amazon Fulfillment Centre - your carrier needs to book a ‘dock appointment’ - a time slot reserved for your goods to be unloaded.

Amazon can refuse your shipment if they show up unannounced without a dock appointment.

Why wait? Partner with a reliable freight forwarder NOW.

Through Bookairfreight, you can partner with tier 1 freight forwarders, who are experienced with shipping to Amazon FBA centres at a fraction of the regular cost. 

We’ve helped many other Amazon sellers like Rimbaworks successfully ship to their Amazon fulfillment centres seamlessly. 

Try it out at app.bookairfreight.com, or email us at bookings@bookairfreight.com with any questions!

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Rajitha Reniguntla

Rajitha Reniguntla is a supply chain enthusiast from Hong Kong. With a curious mind, she's an avid learner carrying a knack for exploring and breaking down complex ideas. She loves to learn about new things and always aims to enhance the customer experience. Outside of work, she enjoys cycling, doodling and listening to podcasts!

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