After you have finished Amazon product packaging and Amazon product labeling, the next step is to consider the Amazon FBA Box.
You can find much information about Amazon FBA Box requirements from many blogs and videos. However, it is important to note that there are additional considerations to be taken into account, such as customs requirements and transportation safety, before customizing your shipping boxes and finalizing the packing process.
This blog will provide practical guidance on how to fulfill these requirements effectively.
Why Correct Amazon FBA Box So Important
By prioritizing the correct Amazon FBA Box, you can ensure compliance, protect your products, minimize returns, enhance your brand image, and contribute to a more sustainable future:
- Meet Amazon Requirements: ensure your shipment is smoothly received by Amazon
- Ensure transportation safety: protect your shipment and reduce losses in transit
- Minimize product returns: the chances of product returns and exchanges due to damage can be significantly reduced
- Improve brand image and customer satisfaction: the goods can reach the customer in good condition
- Eco-friendly: Using the correct package size eliminates the need for excessive fillers or void fill materials, reducing the overall environmental impact of the shipment
Shipping Box Requirements for Amazon Sellers
Shipping boxes must meet not only Amazon’s requirements but also those set by customs and transportation security.
Amazon FBA Shipping Box Requirements
Amazon has strict requirements for shipping boxes. So, what Amazon accepted shipping boxes? Is there a size & weight limit on shipping boxes? Read on to learn more.
Types of Amazon Shipping Boxes
Amazon accepts 4 types of corrugated cartons:
- B flute
- Regular slotted carton
- ECT-32
- 200 lb./sq.inch
Amazon doesn’t accept 3 types of shipping boxes:
| Point-of-sale containers | Open boxes, typically used for display purposes | Pallet-sized boxes |
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You may be confused about these Amazon-accepted corrugated cartons. If you only want to know how to buy Amazon-accepted shipping boxes, just remember you need to buy:
- Double-wall corrugated carton with KK grade for normal products
- Triple-wall corrugated carton with KK grade for fragile products or high-value products
But if you want to learn about Amazon-accepted corrugated cartons. Keep reading.
1) B Flute Corrugated Carton
Firstly, the corrugated carton is made of paper outer liner + paper fluting medium + paper inner line.
Therefore, B flute corrugated carton is paper B fluting medium. In addition to the B flute, the common ones are A flute, C flute, E flute and F flute. Many corrugated carton use C flute and B flute is suitable for shipping heavy goods.
2) Regular Slotted Carton
A regular slotted carton is the most commonly used corrugated box. All flaps of the shipping box should have an equal length, which should be half the width of the container. The two outer flaps are designed to meet in the center. Apart from the regular slotted carton (all flaps are the same length), there are half-slotted cartons (only one set of flaps) and semi-overlap slotted cartons (outer flaps overlaps).
3) ECT-32 & 200 lb./sq.inch Carton
Both ECT-32 and 200 lb./sq.inch are industry strength test standards for corrugated cartons.
The Mullen test is a strength test that rates how much force it takes to puncture the box, and 200 lb./sq.inch is the common standard.
ECT test is a strength test that rates how much weight can be stacked on a box without damage, and ECT-32 is the common standard.
Amazon FBA Box Size & Weight limit
Different Amazon marketplaces have different requirements for box size and weight, and here are a few common site’s size and weight requirements.
1) US
Size:
- Standard: no more than 25 inch(63.5cm), for multiple standard-size items or oversized items
- Special: over 25inch only if the shipping box contains one oversized item longer than 25inch
Weight:
- Standard: no more than 50lb(23kg)
- Special:
a. Jewelry or watches: no more than 40lb(18kg)
b. a single item that can exceed 50lb(23kg), but a team lift label must be attached to the shipping box
c. a single item that can exceed 100lb(45kg), but a mech lift label must be attached to the shipping box
2) European
Size:
- Standard: no more than 25inch(63.5cm)
- Special: over 25 inches only if the shipping box contains oversized items longer than 25 inch
Weight:
- Standard: no more than 15kg
- Special:
a. Jewelry or watches: no more than 15kg
b. a single item that can exceed 15kg, but a team lift label must be attached to the shipping box
c. a single item that can exceed 23kg, but a mech lift label must be attached to the shipping box
3)Japan
Size:
- Standard: no more than 50*60*50cm
- Special: over 63.5cm only if boxes contain a single oversize item
Weight:
- Standard: no more than 15kg
- Special:
a. a single item that can exceed 15kg, but a team lift label must be attached to the shipping box
b. a single item that can exceed 30kg, but a mech lift label must be attached to the shipping box
Tips: If you do several Amazon marketplaces at the same time, you can consider cartons to meet the requirements of all marketplaces, in case your supplier uses the wrong box.
Transportation Safety Requirements
In addition to Amazon FBA Box requirements, Amazon sellers also have shipping safety to consider.
According to Amazon’s requirements, sellers can use a single-wall corrugated box and can also reuse a shipping box. But considering transportation safety, especially international transportation safety, we recommend using new and double-wall corrugated boxes to ensure your goods can safely arrive at the Amazon warehouse and your customers.
If you use low-quality corrugated boxes, it will:
- Increase the damage rate of products during transportation
- Lead to carton deformation, which will lead to the carton size increase. So the shipping cost will be increased.
Custom Requirements
Many Amazon sellers source products from overseas, which means shipping boxes that must meet custom requirements.
Many countries’ customs such as the USA, Europe, Chile, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia have country of origin requirements.
If your shipping boxes don’t have the country of origin mark (e.g. Made In China), it will lead to:
- Increased transit time, resulting in goods not arriving on time
- Increase costs such as fines, high return shipping costs
Tips: Do not attempt to falsify the country of origin for goods. If it is inspected by customs, it will be charged a high amount.
Customize Your FBA Box Steps
Now that you know Amazon, transportation, and customs requirements for shipping boxes, it’s time to customize your shipping box. Keep in mind that we need to consider these three levels of needs when customizing shipping boxes.
Step 1: Choose Shipping Marks
A shipping mark is a specific symbol, label, or code that is applied to shipping boxes being shipped for identification purposes. It helps participants in the transport process identify the origin, destination, contents, handling instructions, and other relevant details about the shipment.
There are different marks. You need to choose some based on your shipment requirements
1) Regular shipping marks:
- Product name
- Color
- Case Quantity/QTY
- Net weight/N.W
- Gross weight/G.W
- Box dimension/Meas
- Carton number
2) Regular handling marks:
- Fragile
- keep dry
- This way up
- Handle with care
The handling marks are also often used for box marks. Because of international shipping, some transporters don’t speak the language of your mark, they can understand the handling marks to deal with your shipping boxes.
3) Special Marks:
Just as mentioned before, we also need to consider Amazon shipping box packaging requirements and customs requirements. So, the following marks are also necessary.
- SKU
- FNSKU
- Country of origin mark: such as Made in China
- Team lift: for the USA, if a shipping box exceeds 50lb(23kg), a team lift mark or label must appear on the shipping box
- Mech lift: for the USA, if a shipping box exceeds 100lb(45kg), a team lift mark or label must appear on the shipping box
- Dashed box: indicate the shipping box label in the right position
Please pay attention to the SKU and FNSKU on the shipping boxes. This is because they can help your manufacturer or Amazon FBA freight forwarder to check the product quickly.
Tips: for some sensitive goods, such as products with batteries, different countries have different additional marks requirements. In the USA, the marking must include the applicable UN ID number (eg. UN3480, UN3481…)
Step 2: Decide FBA Box Size
Designing the size of your shipping box involves considering several factors, including the dimensions of the products you are shipping, Amazon limit, and shipping method.
1) Shipping box inside dimension
- Your product dimension: Take accurate measurements of your product, including its length, width, and height. Ensure that you measure the largest dimensions to accommodate the size of your product properly.
2) Shipping box outside dimension
- Amazon limits: for the USA Amazon site, the standard box size is no more than 63.5cm
- Transportation method: if you use SPD(small package delivery), you don’t need to care about pallet dimensions. But if you use LTL(less than truckload), you must consider Amazon pallet dimension requirements. The pallet dimension is 40 x 48 inches.
- Carton deformation: Long-term transportation, or poor quality of the box, will cause the shipping box to be deformed, thus increasing the size of the shipping box.
Tips: Do not use square shipping boxes. This type of shipping box will reduce pallet utilization and increase the probability of cargo damage.
Step 3: Decide FBA Box Bearing Weight
Choosing the appropriate weight for your shipping box involves finding a balance between meeting Amazon requirements, providing sufficient protection for your products, and minimizing shipping costs.
1) Amazon limits
- In normal situations, the shipping box weight can not exceed 50lb (23kg)
2) Your shipment weight
- Knowing the weight of the product(s) you are shipping. This is crucial information as it will help you determine the level of structural integrity required for your box.
- Ensure that the box itself, along with any packaging materials, can support the weight of the product without compromising its protection.
3) Your shipment types
- Consider the fragility and susceptibility to damage of your product. If your product is delicate or sensitive, you may need a sturdier box with additional reinforcement to prevent damage during transit.
- Choose a box material that can withstand the weight and handling stresses involved in shipping.
4) Cost considerations
- The weight of your package directly impacts shipping costs, as carriers often charge based on weight or dimensional weight.
- Consider the balance between using a heavier box for added protection and the potential increase in shipping costs.
- Optimize the weight to minimize expenses without compromising the safety of your products.
Only based on the shipping box bearing weight, the single wall shipping box is good. But considering other factors such as transportation safety and carton deformation, the double wall shipping box is better.
Step 4: Shipping Box Sample Test
After customizing the shipping box, it’s advisable to create a sample or prototype and test it with your product. Ensure that everything fits securely inside the box and that there is enough protection to withstand the rigors of shipping.
Pack Your Amazon FBA Shipment Steps
What materials can be used in packing? How to pack Amazon FBA shipments? Are there any common mistakes in packing? This part will give you answers.
Step 1: Prepare Amazon FBA Packing Materials
1) Accept
- Bubble wrap
a. suitable for almost any product, especially fragile
b. function: surface protection, shock absorption
- Polyethylene foam sheeting
a. suitable for lighter product
b. function: surface protection, shock absorption
- Full sheets of paper
a. suitable for After putting the product in the shipping box, there is an empty in the box
b. function: shipping protection
- Inflatable air pillows
a. suitable for: After putting the product in the shipping box, there is an empty in the box (this material is not suitable for low temperature, high altitude environments)
b. function: shipping protection
2)Don’t Accept
- Packing peanuts
- Foam strips
- Crinkle wrap
- Shredded paper
- Thermocol chips Thermocol
- Styrofoam
Tips: In general, customized shipping boxes do not require packaging materials because there are no gaps inside the box. And you may pay attention to the USA. You need to put a 2-inch cushion into the shipping box. But for case-packed items, it doesn’t need to do this.
Step 2: Pack Your FBA Box
Packing FBA shipment seems like a simple thing, but you also need to follow Amazon requirements:
- Use Amazon-allowed boxes, which are rigid, six-sided boxes with intact flaps and allowed packing materials
- Use transparent strong tape designed for shipping
- If there is an empty in the shipping box, use the allowed packing material to fill it
- Once you have packed your box, shake it gently. When shaken, the contents should not move
- Remove all old shipping labels or markings when reusing a box
Tips: for fragile products, drop test, and suitable product packaging is necessary
Common Mistakes
There are some common mistakes that you need to avoid:
- Use poor-quality corrugated boxes
- Use pallet-sized boxes or open box or point-of-sale containers
- Use color tape and tape with words or a logo
- Reuse a box with previous shipping labels, logo
FAQs about Amazon FBA Boxes
In the process of preparing and packing Amazon FBA Boxes, the following problems may be encountered.
No, you cannot use any box to ship to Amazon.
When shipping products to Amazon, it is important to follow not only Amazon shipping box requirements but also international transportation requirements to ensure your goods can be safely and smoothly received by the Amazon warehouse.
You can use a single-wall corrugated box to pack your shipments. If your shipment is fragile goods or you have higher safety requirements, the double-wall corrugated box is a better choice.
Yes, you can.
Amazon generally prefers that you use new or like-new boxes when shipping products to them. While it does accept some recycled or reused boxes
But we don’t recommend you reuse a shipping box, especially for international shipping. After all, high-quality shipping boxes can reduce the damage rate of goods during transportation.
If you still plan to reuse the shipping box, please make sure it is in good condition and recover or remove the previous shipping information.
If you source from China, there are some platforms to buy Amazon FBA Boxes:
1. Alibaba: It is an international trade platform, primarily serving overseas customers with multiple products and services.
2. 1688: It is a popular B2B e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba Group, primarily serving domestic Chinese businesses, offering a wide range of products and wholesale opportunities.
3. Global Source: Just like the Alibaba platform.
If you don’t want to buy it by yourself, your product supplier or freight forwarder can do this for you.
There are some benefits:
1. Time-Saving: Allowing your supplier or freight forwarder to handle the purchase of shipping boxes saves you time and effort. They have the expertise and resources to source the appropriate boxes based on your specific requirements. You can use your time to do other things.
2. Cost savings: Suppliers and freight forwarders may have established relationships with packaging suppliers, enabling them to negotiate better prices for shipping boxes.
3. Quality assurance: By entrusting the purchase to your supplier or freight forwarder, you can benefit from their expertise in selecting high-quality shipping boxes. They understand the importance of sturdy packaging materials to protect your products during transit and can ensure that the boxes meet the required standards.
When choosing FBA Boxes suppliers, it’s essential to consider several factors to ensure you find a reliable and suitable supplier.
Here are some key considerations:
1. Customization options: If you have specific branding requirements or need custom-sized boxes, ensure that the supplier can accommodate your customization needs.
2. Box quality and durability: Look for suppliers who provide high-quality shipping boxes that are sturdy and can withstand the rigors of transportation.
3. Order quantity and flexibility: Evaluate the supplier’s minimum order requirements and their ability to handle both small and large orders. Flexibility in order quantities allows you to adjust your packaging needs based on demand fluctuations.
4. Supplier reputation and reviews: Research the supplier’s reputation and read reviews or testimonials from their existing customers
5. Competitive pricing: Compare the pricing of different suppliers to find a balance between quality and cost-effectiveness.
Some Amazon sellers have encountered a situation where the size of the shipping box provided by the supplier is different from the size of the shipping box provided by the forwarder. Why?
There are five factors:
1. The measuring tools are different. Logistics companies and air-sea shipping companies generally use professional measuring equipment, and factories generally use measuring rulers.
2. The measurement standards are different. The factory generally measures according to the physical sideline or directly uses the carton manufacturing size as the packing size. The logistics company and the air-sea shipping company measure from the highest point to the highest point of the carton
3. The rounding basis is different. The factory generally rounds up, and the logistics company and the air-sea shipping company round up the whole number if it exceeds the integer.
4. Among them, in air freight and express delivery, DHL carries in a single box, not according to the total volume and weight of the entire ticket, but according to the measured volume and weight of a single box, and then calculates the total volume and weight.
5. Carton transportation expansion leads to larger measurement sizes.
Conclusion
Choosing the right shipping box for Amazon FBA shipments is crucial for successful product delivery. Consider not only Amazon FBA Box requirements, but also transportation safety requirements, and customs requirements. Then customize your shipping box and pack your shipment in the right way.
Following these, we believe your Amazon business will be smoother. If you have more questions about the Amazon FBA Box, you can contact our professional team or leave a message below.
