The FBA import checklist: from order to check-in without a suspension
In FBA imports, details decide that neither the manufacturer nor the forwarder knows by default: Amazon’s carton limits, barcode rules, compliance document checks. This checklist walks chronologically through every station — each of which has already suspended seller accounts.
6 min read · For FBA sellers
Before ordering: compliance and listing first
Check before the first payment: is the category gated (approval needed)? Which documents does Amazon require for this product (CE declaration of conformity, test reports, EN 71 evidence for toys, WEEE registration for electronics)? Since the GPSR, Amazon additionally requires an EU responsible person on the listing and product safety documents — without them the listing never goes active in the first place.
Clarify the labelling chain in parallel: EAN/GTIN for the listing, FNSKU barcode on every sales unit, manufacturer address and importer details on the packaging, warnings in the local language. All of this can be printed at the factory — relabelling later at a prep center costs €0.30–0.60 per unit and eats the margin.
During production: building in Amazon’s physical rules
Amazon has hard limits the manufacturer must know before packing: cartons max. 23 kg (Germany), no edge over 63.5 cm without special handling, transparent polybags from 12.7 cm opening need suffocation warnings, no bundled cartons. The carton specification belongs in the purchase order — not in an email after production ends.
The pre-shipment inspection should be extended FBA-specifically: barcode scan test (contrast, position), polybag markings, carton weights, drop test of the outer packaging. A single unscannable barcode batch means rejection at check-in plus return costs — the most expensive 2 cents of printing ink in the industry.
Shipping & delivery: the last mile to Amazon
Amazon is never your importer: customs clearance runs via your EORI (or DDP via a service provider), Amazon only accepts customs-cleared, delivered-free goods. The shipping plan (Seller Central) decides which warehouses receive your goods — delivery windows and appointment booking (Carrier Central for palletised goods) must match the container’s arrival, or the goods sit expensively in interim storage.
Proven in practice is the split: initial quantity by air (listing live, first sales, reviews), main quantity by sea afterwards. Plus safety stock outside Amazon (3PL or own warehouse) — whoever sends everything into FBA cannot react to a listing suspension or storage limits. Delivering to a prep center instead of directly to Amazon costs little and buys exactly that flexibility.
Common questions about FBA imports
Can I store anywhere with Amazon Pan-European VAT setup?
Only with the right registrations: as soon as Amazon stores your goods in Poland or the Czech Republic (Pan-EU), tax registration duties arise there. If you do not want that, deactivate those storage countries in the settings and accept slightly higher FBA fees. This decision belongs before the first delivery — retroactive registrations are expensive.
What are the most common causes of check-in problems at Amazon?
In this order: unscannable or misplaced barcodes, cartons over weight/size limits, missing appointment booking for pallet deliveries, discrepancies between shipping plan and actual content, missing polybag warnings. Notably: all of this is controllable at the factory — exactly what the FBA-extended pre-shipment inspection is for.
Is a prep center worthwhile or straight to Amazon?
Straight to Amazon is cheapest when everything is right from the factory (labels, cartons, appointments) — that is our standard route. A prep center pays off as a buffer for uncertain sales planning, for bundles/sets assembled only in Germany, and as insurance against FBA storage limits. Many sellers run hybrid: direct delivery for fast movers, prep buffer for new products.
Related topics
FBA import without suspension roulette?
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