How to create an FBA shipment with Send to Amazon, step by step

To create an FBA shipment, open Send to Amazon in Seller Central, choose the SKUs and quantities, enter how they’re packed, pick a placement option, confirm box contents, choose a carrier, then print your unit, box and carrier labels. The step that most affects cost is placement: sending to fewer fulfillment centers is easier, but may add a per-unit fee. Here’s every step, with the mistakes to avoid.

What do you need before you start?

• SKUs set up for FBA. Each listing must be converted to Fulfilled by Amazon before it shows up in Send to Amazon.
• Units prepped and labeled. As of January 1, 2026, Amazon no longer offers its FBA prep and item labeling service in the US. Units need to arrive already labeled and prepped, by you or a prep center.
• Box dimensions and weights. Measure real, packed boxes. Guesses cause problems at check-in.
• A ship-from address that matches where the boxes will actually be picked up.

You’ll find the workflow in Seller Central under the Inventory menu, or from the FBA Inventory page. Amazon updates this screen often, so the labels may shift a little, but the order of steps has stayed stable.

Step 1: How do you choose inventory and enter packing info?

Pick your ship-from address, the marketplace (United States) and the SKUs you want to send. For each SKU, you’ll set up packing information, and here is the first real choice:

• Case-packed: every box holds a single SKU in the same quantity. For example, 24 units per carton, straight from the factory. Amazon already knows what’s in each box, so it’s faster to set up and receive.
• Individual units: boxes can mix SKUs or hold different quantities. This is flexible for smaller shipments, but you’ll have to tell Amazon exactly what’s in each box later.

Send to Amazon lets you save a packing template for each SKU, with box dimensions, weight and units per box. Set these up once and reuse them. It saves time and cuts down on typos.

You’ll also confirm prep and labeling for each SKU. Most sellers label every unit with the Amazon FNSKU barcode. The exception is when a product is eligible for manufacturer barcode tracking and you’ve opted in.

Step 2: Which placement option should you pick?

Amazon decides which fulfillment centers your inventory goes to. Send to Amazon usually offers a few placement options, and each shows the number of destinations, the estimated shipping cost and any placement fee.

• Amazon-optimized splits spread your shipment across several destinations. Often there’s no placement fee, but you’ll pay to ship to more places and track more shipments.
• Fewer destinations (sometimes one) are simpler to ship. But Amazon typically charges an inbound placement service fee per unit for this, because it now has to move your inventory around its own network.

The fee depends on the product’s size and weight, the option you choose, and sometimes where you’re shipping from. Rates have gone up more than once, most recently in January 2026. Rather than trusting any fee table you read online, compare the actual total that Send to Amazon shows you for each option. You’ll find current rates in Seller Central Help by searching “FBA inbound placement service fee.”

A worked example of the trade-off

For example, say you’re sending 1,000 units of a small, light product in 20 case-packed cartons. These numbers are round and made up:

In this example, the split shipment is cheapest, even though it’s more work. But with a small shipment of just a few boxes, splitting it four ways can cost more in carrier fees than the placement fee would. Always compare totals, then divide by units to see the per-unit cost. That’s the number that feeds into your true profit per unit.

Step 3: How do you give Amazon box content information?

If you packed individual units, you need to tell Amazon what’s in each box. Send to Amazon usually lets you do this by entering it on screen, uploading a file, or using 2D barcodes on the box labels. Case-packed shipments already cover this.

Don’t skip it. If Amazon has to open and count your boxes by hand, it charges a manual processing fee, and receiving is slower. Also enter accurate box weights and dimensions. Amazon has size and weight limits for standard boxes, and heavy boxes need extra safety labels. Check the current limits in Help by searching “shipping and routing requirements.”

Step 4: Which labels do you need?

There are three kinds, and mixing them up is the most common mistake:

• Every box label is unique. Never photocopy one and reuse it on another box.
• Don’t put labels over a box seam, where they can be cut when the box is opened.
• Cover or remove old barcodes on reused boxes so the scanner reads the right one.
• Each destination is its own shipment with its own labels. Keep the boxes for each destination together.

Step 5: Partnered carrier or your own carrier?

For small parcel shipments, Amazon’s partnered carrier (UPS in the US, as of September 2026) is usually the easy choice. Rates are typically discounted, tracking uploads automatically, and the cost is billed to your seller account. For pallets, Amazon also offers partnered freight options.

Your own carrier makes sense when you have a better rate, when a freight forwarder is handling the whole trip, or for large pallet shipments. If you go this route, you need to enter tracking numbers or the freight details yourself, because Amazon uses them to reconcile what arrives.

Partnered carrier charges usually have a window during which you can void them if plans change. Check the Send to Amazon screen for the deadline before you confirm.

Step 6: How do you track a shipment to check-in?

After you ship, the shipment moves through a series of statuses: shipped, in transit, delivered, checked in, receiving, and finally closed. A few things to watch:

• Delivered but not checked in for a long time. Busy seasons slow things down, but if it drags on, check that the carrier delivered to the right place.
• Receiving that stalls with fewer units than you sent. Amazon runs its own reconciliation after a shipment closes. If units are still missing after that, you can file a claim. Our FBA reimbursements guide explains the timing, which as of September 2026 runs from 15 to 60 days after delivery.
• Your own receiving times. Note how long each shipment took from delivery to fully received. That number goes straight into your reorder point.

What are the most common Send to Amazon mistakes?

• Estimated box weights. Weigh real boxes. A wrong weight can affect carrier costs and receiving.
• Reused box labels. One label per box, always.
• Skipping box content info and paying manual processing fees.
• Only looking at the placement fee instead of the total cost per unit.
• Unlabeled or poorly prepped units. With Amazon’s US prep service gone, problems here can mean fees, delays or units being rejected.
• Not keeping paperwork. Save packing lists, photos of packed boxes and proof of delivery. You’ll need them for any shortage claim.