Guide ยท Loading and special shipments
Packing list for Amazon FBA shipments: what suppliers and forwarders should show
Amazon FBA runs its own inbound process: each box carries a label tied to a shipment plan made in the seller's account, and Amazon's rules govern what goes in it. A supplier's packing list feeds that plan and the customs paperwork but does not replace the plan.
What FBA adds to a packing list
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) lets sellers send stock to Amazon's warehouses, which Amazon calls fulfillment centers. For an overseas supplier it means two layers of paperwork: the normal export documents (commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill), and the FBA inbound data the seller creates in the account. The seller's shipment plan decides the box contents, the labels and the destination.
Amazon works from box-level data: which SKU, how many units, in which box. A supplier's list that numbers the cartons and states the contents of each is a natural source for it. Amazon's own requirements for labels, weight and size limits and how contents are reported are set by Amazon, differ by marketplace and change, so read its current seller help pages and your forwarder's instructions before the supplier packs.
General information, not customs or legal advice, and CargoSheet is not affiliated with Amazon. Amazon's requirements change and differ by marketplace; confirm them in your seller account and with your forwarder.
Prepare a supplier list that supports FBA
Create the shipment plan first
Units per box and the box labels come from the plan in the seller account. The supplier packs to the plan, not the other way round.
Give every box a carton number
Boxes with identical contents can share a range such as 1-25. A mixed box gets its own number with one row per SKU. Shipping marks and carton numbers explains the ranges.
Show the identifiers
The seller SKU, and the FNSKU where the supplier applies unit labels, on each row so the units can be tied to their labels.
Record weight and size per box
Gross weight and carton size for each row, in kg and cm. The plan and the carrier both ask for them.
Match the totals to the plan
Total boxes and units per SKU equal the plan. A short or extra SKU is a receiving problem at the other end.
Keep the export documents aligned
Invoice quantities equal list quantities equal plan quantities. If several suppliers feed one plan, see consolidated packing list for multiple suppliers.
Where FBA data comes from
Which items belong to Amazon's inbound process and which belong on the supplier's list.
| Item | Source | On the supplier packing list? |
|---|---|---|
| Box label | Printed from the shipment plan in the seller account | No: applied to the carton |
| Unit label (FNSKU) | Seller account; applied by the supplier or a prep service | The identifier may be shown |
| Units per box, by SKU | Shipment plan and box contents | Yes: the row contents |
| Box weight and size | Measured or packed data | Yes: G.W. and carton size |
| Number of boxes | Shipment plan | Yes: the total cartons |
| Value, HS code, origin | Commercial invoice | As the broker asks |
| Shipping marks | Forwarder or carrier instructions | Yes |
What goes wrong
- Mixed boxes not recorded. Two SKUs in one box appear as one, so the box contents the seller reports to Amazon do not match the cartons.
- Units per box differ from the plan. The factory packs what is convenient rather than what the plan says.
- Carton numbers that do not match the labels. The list numbers cartons one way and the box labels another, so no one can trace a carton to its row.
- The list taken as the whole submission. A supplier PDF is not a substitute for the box contents the seller provides to Amazon in the account.
- Out-of-date requirements. The supplier packs to an old instruction sheet. Rules and options change, so check the current ones for your marketplace. A fixed packing list template makes the box-level data easier to compare.
How CargoSheet helps
CargoSheet turns a supplier's packing list PDF into one row per carton range, with SKU, quantity, weights and CBM, and checks the declared totals. That table is a convenient source when you enter box contents. It does not create shipment plans, labels or box-content files, does not connect to Amazon, and is not affiliated with Amazon. Try the packing list to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions
- Does Amazon FBA need a packing list?
- Amazon's inbound process works from the shipment plan and box contents in the seller account, not from a supplier's PDF. Your forwarder, carrier and customs broker still usually need a packing list for the export and the import.
- What is box content information?
- The item-by-box detail Amazon asks sellers to provide: which products, and how many units, are in each box. The ways to provide it change over time, so check the current help pages in the seller account.
- Do FNSKU labels go on the packing list?
- The labels go on the units, not the list. Showing the SKU or FNSKU on each row helps the supplier and any prep centre check that the right labels are on the right units.
- Can one box contain several SKUs?
- Often, but Amazon sets its own conditions, so check the current rules. On the supplier's list, give each SKU its own row under the same carton number and report the contents accurately.
- What weight and size limits apply to FBA boxes?
- Amazon sets limits on box weight and dimensions, and they can differ by category and marketplace. Check the current requirements in the seller account before the supplier packs.
- Is a commercial invoice still needed for FBA?
- For cross-border shipments customs and your forwarder will usually want a commercial invoice as well as the packing list, and the quantities and values should agree with the shipment plan.
Check a packing list against its own totals
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account.