FBA ID: THE ULTIMATE FAQ GUIDE

This guide gives you answers to all your burning questions about FBA ID.

So, if you want to learn more about FBA ID, read this guide.

What Is FBA ID?

FBA stands for ‘fulfilment by Amazon’ and it is a service from amazon that helps sellers to store, package and ship their products.

The FBA ID is an identification number that is assigned to shipments that fall under FBA shipments.

If the seller decides to split a shipment into different portions, each portion will carry its own FBA ID. Every shipment that has an FBA ID goes to an FBA warehouse for storage and packaging.

Why Does Amazon Need Shipment ID?

In cases where a seller’s shipment is divided into portions, each portion gets a different shipment ID. The ID is unique to the particular shipment and helps amazon determine what warehouse your package goes to.

The shipment ID allows amazon to identify what you are shipping, in order to send it to the right warehouse location.

Is There Difference Between Amazon Shipment ID And Amazon Reference ID?

The amazon shipment ID and reference ID mean the same thing.

They are a string of identification numbers that amazon assigns to FBA shipments to help identify the shipments at the warehouse.

How Do I Find My Amazon Reference ID?

Once you set up your shipment on the amazon seller central website, you can find your reference ID on the website in 3 easy to follow steps.

The first step is to click on ‘replenish inventory’ on the website.

At the bottom of the page that opens up, click on ‘work on shipment’. This is step 2

The ‘work on shipment’ page is where you will find your amazon reference ID and FBA ID.

For every ‘work on shipment’ you will find a reference ID and an FBA ID as well.

When Will I Need To Use An FBA ID?

Your FBA ID needs to be on needs to be on your amazon shipping label, for easy identification purposes.

How Do I Manage My FBA Shipment?

In order to create and manage your FBA shipment, you need to first create a shipping plan.

The shipping plan notes what products you’re shipping to amazon and their quantities.

The shipping plan also identifies the method of shipping and what carrier you decide to use.

To manage your shipment, you go the ‘manage inventory’ page and then the ‘send/replenish inventory’ to choose the items you want to ship.

After creating the shipping plan, the next thing is to verify your shipping address, then how you want to package your goods.

You can then manage your shipment and input whatever information you want on the amazon seller central website.

Can I Deliver To Amazon FBA By Myself?

No!

A seller cannot deliver to amazon FBA by themselves. The seller cannot choose which warehouse their goods go to as well.

You can only use trucking firms, FEDEX, UPS and the likes, but only when you book an appointment.

You can learn more about Shipping to Amazon FBA.

How Do I Create an Amazon Shipment Plan?

Before shipping your goods through amazon FBA, you need to first create a shipment plan.

You can do this by following the steps below:

STEP 1

The first step is to go to the ‘manage inventory’ page and select the products you want to ship.

In selecting your products, you do not need to divide them according to their SKUs.

If you split your shipment by SKU, amazon might spread them across more fulfilment centers than needed.

STEP 2

The next step is to go the ‘send/replenish inventory’ page from the menu and then select ‘create new shipping plan’

STEP 3

After creating a new shipping plan, the next step is to choose the address from which you will ship your goods.

This address should be that of the warehouse from where amazon will move your goods to the fulfilment center.

Sometimes, amazon assigns your goods to a fulfilment center depending on what ‘ship from’ address you choose.

STEP 4

The next step is to go to the ‘continue to shipping plan’ page. After this, you set the quantity of goods you want to ship to amazon.

STEP 5

You then proceed to prepare the goods for FBA shipping, and label the products accordingly.

STEP 6

The next step is to go to the ‘review/view shipments’ page to see what fulfilment center amazon assigns to you.

STEP 7

After getting your amazon fulfilment center, the next step is to review all your shipment details before approving the shipment plan.

STEP 8

The next step is then for you to approve the shipment plan. After creating your shipment plan, the next step is to go to the ‘prepare shipment’ page.

The final thing to do is to select your final delivery method.

Can I Have Multiple FBA Locations In One Shipment?

Yes! You can have multiple FBA locations in one shipment.

For every FBA location, you get a different FBA ID, so one shipment can have multiple FBA IDs as well.

How Can I Send My Shipment To One Amazon Fulfilment Center?

You can send your shipment to one center by signing up for the amazon’s “inventory placement service”.

Although this does not guarantee that amazon still won’t split your shipment to different centers.

This service allows amazon to assign different units of the same product to one fulfilment center.

Can I Choose Which Fulfilment Center My Shipment Gets Sent To?

No, you cannot choose the fulfilment center. Amazon alone determines which fulfilment center to send your products.

What Is The Difference Between FBA ID And the Amazon Ship-to-Warehouse Code?

The FBA ID is the string of numbers that amazon assigns to your products to show that they are FBA products.

Besides, the ship-to-warehouse code on the other hand consists of a combination of letters and a number.

The letters in the code represent the location of the warehouse designated for your products.

Does Changing My Inventory Placement Option Affect Any In-Progress Shipments To Amazon FBA?

Changing your inventory placement option does not affect shipments that are already in progress.

The only shipments that an inventory placement option change affects, are shipments that come after you make the change.

You can add the changes to your ‘in-progress’ shipments by deleting your shipping plan and recreating it after changing your settings.

To recreate your shipping plan, you need to follow the steps below:

• Go to ‘shipping queue’
• Click on ‘deleted’ then choose the shipping plan you want
• Go to the ‘send/replenish inventory’ page, and click on ‘duplicate’

Taking the above steps helps you to include your current shipments in your new inventory placement option.

What Is The Amazon FBA Shipment Preparation Process?

Different products require different process to prepare them for amazon FBA shipping.

You can either opt for amazon to prep your products for shipment or prep them by yourself.

Here is a list of common products and their preparation process:

Loose Products

• You have to package all parts of the product as one unit. For example, books with multiple volumes have to be in one single package.
• You cannot ship products that have multiple parts for amazon to assemble as one unit
• If the product is footwear, you have to package it in polybag or a shoebox to prevent any part of the shoe showing.

Sold As Set

• For items that come in a set, you have to label them accordingly to ensure that they sell them as a unit. Labels such as ‘sold as set do not separate’.

https://youtu.be/0jHlK5vXCXs

Boxed Units

• The box must have six sides
• You must seal the lid or opening of the box tightly, either with duct tape or other adhesives.
• The box must be strong enough to withstand slight pressure on any of its sides
• Boxes with perforated sides or openings undergo a drop test. If the product fails the drop test, you put it in a polybag with a warning label on it.

Polybagged Products

• Polybags that have large openings must come with a warning label against suffocation to avoid amazon re-bagging them.
• The warning label must be prominent on the bag and in legible font size
• The polybag has to be 1.5 millimeter thick
• All polybags must be transparent and have a barcode that you can scan through the bag.
• You must seal the polybags totally
• The polybag must not be more than 3 inches bigger than the measurements of the product
• You have to package adult products with dark colored or opaque polybags
• If the product is highly scented, you have to seal the bag tightly to prevent the scent from entering other products

Bubble Wrap

• You have to wrap the package tightly to keep the product from falling out.
• There has to be a barcode that you can scan on the outside of the bubble wrap
• Packages in bubble wrap must pass through a drop test from a 3-foot distance.

Overboxing

Certain products need extra packaging apart from the package they have already. That is, some products need to be put in boxes even if they come in boxes from the manufacturer.

These products include:

• Items with sharp edges that can tear through their wrapping material
• Fragile items that did not pass the 3-foot drop test with bubble wrap or that require extra carefulness to handle
• Vinyl records
• Liquids with dangerous chemical contents that come in glass containers more than 4.2 ounce

Removal Of Hanger

You have to remove the hangers of most clothing items before shipping them. Items like accessories, shorts, socks, swimwear, underwear, hosiery and hats.

There are some exceptions to this rule though. Those items that have to remain on their hangers for shipping include:

• Expensive dresses that cost more than $299.99 or contain embellishments or fragile material that cannot be stored flat.
• Suit jackets, suits or blazers
• Other expensive clothing item like sleepwear, pants or shirts that cost more than $299.99 each.
• Clothing with expensive material like leather and fur.

Taping

Some products require extra tape around them asides the regular tape from the manufacturer.

Items that require extra taping include:

• Products that are loosely packed inside their boxes and may fall out without the extra tape
• Liquid products that require extra taping on their lids to prevent leakage

Mattresses

• You have to package the mattresses inside corrugated boxes
• Classify the mattresses appropriately when setting up new ASINs. Under home & kitchen, go to furniture, then bedroom furniture, mattresses & box springs, and finally, mattresses.

Products In Cases

• All products in one box must come in uniform packaging and condition
• Boxes containing the same product must always have same quantities of the products in individual boxes.
• You cannot have more than 150 units of products per case
• The fulfillment center does not need to scan all of the boxes since they all have uniform contents.
• If the manufacturer has cause too package more than one case pack in a bigger box, they need to separate the box from the rest.
• The cases must not have any bar codes on them. Only the contents should have bar codes.

Expiration Dates

• The format for printing expiration dates is MM-DD-YYYY or just MM-YYYY.
• You have to print the expiration dates on both the outer box and the individual units as well
• Any extra wrap or boxes must have the expiry dates for easy access at check-in

Other shipment preparation process that you should note are:

• You cannot send publicity materials such as tags, pamphlets or pre-priced label, as amazon will not accept them.
• For safety purposes and to prevent accidents, use only safety knives during product prep and packaging.

What Are The Labelling Requirements For Amazon FBA Shipments?

Amazon FBA shipments come with different labels, depending on your final delivery method. They can have FNSKU labels, FedEx carton labels, FBA carton labels or pallet labels.

• FNSKU labels: every product on amazon must have an FNSKU label to mark it as unique to its seller. This label type is put on individual product units and not on the packaging as a whole.
• FBA carton labels: you generate this label on the amazon seller central website. Shipments that have multiple FBA IDs will also have multiple FBA labels. It is your responsibility to get this label to your supplier so that they can label your shipment(s) appropriately at origin.
• Pallet labels are applicable for shipments that you choose to palletize or that need to be palletized for shipping. If you decide to use pallets to transport your goods, you need to label them accordingly.

Different products have different labels depending on who your supplier is, and who delivers the products to amazon for you.

What Is A ‘Ship From Address’ In Amazon FBA Shipping?

A ‘ship from address’ is the address of the warehouse from which you ship your goods to amazon fulfilment centers. The FBA center that amazon assigns to you is sometimes determined by your ‘ship from address’.

What Documentations Do I Need To Provide My Forwarder When Shipping To Amazon FBA?

The documents you need to give to your freight forwarder to ship to amazon FBA include:

• Commercial invoice: a commercial invoice is an important document for customs clearance. It usually contains every detail about the sender and the receiver. The commercial invoice also has the full description of every item in the shipment.
• Bill of lading: this document is also called air waybill when you use air freight to deliver. Amazon will give you this bill of lading to acknowledge receipt of your shipment, then you can forward to your freight forwarder.
  The bill of lading also contains description of your goods, the weight, number of boxes, etc.
• Certificate of origin: you need to state what country manufactured the products. That is what a certificate of origin contains. It could also contain other information like the destination of the products and countries of export.
• Packing list: this document provides packaging details for your freight forwarder. The dimensions of the package and its weight are also information that the packing list contains.
• Shipper’s letter of instruction: the SLI is like an instruction manual from you, the sender, to your freight forwarder. You can include any extra handling instructions and information about your shipment destination in this document.
• Booking confirmation: this document is to confirm that the freight forwarder is processing your shipment order. The booking confirmation document is mostly for transparency and clarity purposes.
• Material safety data sheet (for hazardous goods): the MSDS is only necessary if you are shipping harmful chemicals. The document contains all details about the properties of the chemicals, how harmful they are and their reactions with the environment.
• Letter of credit: this document is issued by a bank on behalf of the buyer. It is like a guarantor’s note from the bank stating that the bank will take responsibility if the buyer defaults.

What Is The Transit Time For Shipment From Destination To Amazon FBA?

The transit times for different shipments can best be explained by the images below:

How Can I Track My Shipments To Amazon FBA?

To track your shipments, go to the amazon seller central portal, then click on inventory. When the drop down menu shows, select ‘manage FBA shipment’.

You can also track individual SKUs through the ‘manage FBA shipment’ tab as well.

Is Amazon Reference ID Same As Tracking ID?

The amazon reference ID is the identification number that allows amazon to identify shipments that are FBA.

Each FBA shipment has a unique tracking ID that you use to monitor the movement of your shipment.

What Happens If I Don’t Ship Products As Stated In My Approved FBA Shipping Plans?

You have to ship your products according to your approved FBA shipping plans. If you change any part of your shipping plan after shipping, amazon will notify you.

Amazon reserves the right to suspend you from sending your shipments to them if you default multiple times.

That is, if you keep shipping products without complying with the approved plan.

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