Amazon Prep in 2026: How MSL COPACK + ECOMM Gets FBA Shipments Ready
In 2026, there’s no safety net for FBA shipments. Amazon no longer offers prep services in the US, so every unit has to arrive fully ready to receive, or it can get rejected, delayed, or sent back at your cost.
That’s where Amazon Prep comes in. It’s the hands-on work that happens before your cartons ever leave your building: FNSKU labeling, polybagging when required, bubble wrap for fragile items, meeting carton and weight rules, and bundling or kitting sets so they scan and sell as one. Miss a step and you can end up with warehouse delays, chargebacks, avoidable returns, or lost sales from going out of stock.
MSL COPACK + ECOMM helps take that prep workload off your plate. As a copacker and fulfillment partner in Indianapolis, they can prep Amazon-bound inventory to match current requirements, store backup stock, and ship into Amazon so you’re not scrambling every time demand spikes.
If you want the specifics, start with their Amazon FBA packaging requirements guide. The goal is simple: fewer rejected shipments, faster turnaround, less stress, while you stay focused on listings, ads, and growing the product line.
What Amazon Prep Really Includes (and Why It Trips Sellers Up)
Amazon Prep sounds simple until you’re the one taping, bagging, and labeling hundreds of units and one small mistake holds up a whole shipment. In 2026, that pressure is higher because Amazon no longer offers prep services in the US, so your inventory has to arrive ready to receive the first time. Most seller issues come from two places: labels that do not scan cleanly, and packaging that is close, but not compliant.
The non-negotiables: labels, scannability, and clean packaging
If a warehouse worker can’t scan it fast, it becomes a problem fast. At a high level, you’ll run into two barcode situations:
- UPC (manufacturer barcode): Common on retail products, but not always what Amazon wants to track your units.
- FNSKU (Amazon barcode): Used to tie each unit to your seller account. When an item requires FNSKU, the FNSKU must be the barcode that scans.
The big rule is simple: only one scannable barcode should “win.” If the UPC is still visible and scannable, Amazon scanners can grab the wrong code. That can cause receiving delays, commingling issues, or a stop on the shipment.
Label placement matters more than most sellers expect. A label needs to sit flat on a smooth spot, stick well, and stay readable. Wrinkles, curled corners, weak adhesive, or placing a label over a seam often leads to mis-scans.
Quick examples:
- Candle: Put the FNSKU on a flat side of the jar or on the box, not across a curve where it wrinkles.
- Toy: Don’t cover safety text, and don’t place the label where a flap opens.
- Book: Place the label on the back cover, not the spine edge where it peels.
Polybagging, bubble wrap, taping, and why “almost right” gets rejected
Protective prep is where “good enough” turns into returns or rejections. Polybags are commonly needed for items that can leak, scuff, stain, or snag, like liquids, powders, fabric items, or products with exposed parts.
To stay out of trouble, keep these basics in mind:
- Use the right polybag: Clear, sturdy, and fully sealed. A bag that pops open in transit is treated like no bag at all.
- Suffocation warnings: Many larger polybags need a printed warning that is easy to see. Missing it is an easy fail.
- Seal it the same way every time: Mixing seal types or leaving some units looser than others is a red flag.
For fragile items, bubble wrap (and secure taping) needs to prevent movement. A helpful test is simple: shake the unit. If it rattles, it’s not protected enough.
If you ship liquids, extra containment is often required. That’s where specialized options like Amazon-compliant liquid bagging services can prevent leaks that damage other units in the same carton.
Bundling and kitting rules that protect your listing
A bundle or kit is any set of items the customer buys as one, like “toy car + track,” “candle + wick trimmer,” or “book + study cards.” Amazon expects that set to arrive as one sellable unit, not loose parts floating in a box.
The prep goal is to make it impossible for the kit to break apart in storage or during pick and pack. When pieces separate, customers get incomplete orders, then you get returns and bad reviews that can stick to the listing.
Two practical safeguards:
- Strong packaging: Bag, box, or shrink-wrap the set so it stays together.
- Clear set labeling: Mark it as a set (many sellers use “Sold as set” style wording) and label the outside with the barcode for the whole kit.
If you plan to scale bundles, having a repeatable process matters. This is where dedicated E-commerce kitting and packaging services can help you keep every kit consistent, so Amazon receives it cleanly and customers get exactly what they ordered.
Where MSL COPACK + ECOMM Fits In: A Practical Amazon Prep Workflow
When Amazon Prep is done right, it feels boring. Products move from inbound to outbound in a repeatable flow, every unit looks the same, and nothing gets held up because a label peeled or a carton arrived crushed. A good prep partner makes that happen with simple, documented steps you can count on, especially now that US sellers must send inventory to Amazon fully prepped and labeled.
Here’s what that workflow looks like in the real world.
Inbound receiving and count checks so you know what arrived
It starts at the dock. Your supplier sends cartons or pallets to a prep facility, and the first job is to confirm the shipment matches what you paid for. Receiving teams check the Bill of Lading or packing list, then do count checks by carton, case, or unit, depending on how your program is set up.
During receiving, a prep partner typically:
- Verifies quantities and SKU mix (so surprises show up early, not after you create an FBA shipment)
- Flags visible damage (crushed cartons, torn cases, wet boxes, broken seals)
- Separates problem inventory for review, instead of mixing it into good stock
This is where real-time inventory tracking matters. When inbound counts are posted quickly, you can see what is available to prep, what is short, and what needs to be reordered. That visibility makes replenishment planning easier, because you are not guessing based on what a supplier said they shipped.
Prep execution: labeling, polybagging, and compliant packaging done at scale
Once inventory is received, the work shifts to consistent unit-level prep. This is the part that’s easy to do “almost right” in-house, then painful to fix after Amazon flags it.
MSL COPACK + ECOMM supports core Amazon Prep tasks such as labeling, polybagging, kitting, bundling, and custom packaging, built around repeatable processes so every unit in a run matches. If you have 1,000 units of the same SKU, you want them to look like they came off one clean production line, not 1,000 slightly different decisions.
At scale, consistency reduces rejection risk because:
- Labels go in the same location and sit flat, so scanners read them fast
- Polybag seals stay uniform, so bags do not pop open in transit
- Kits and bundles stay together, so Amazon does not receive loose parts that cannot sell as one unit
If you sell sets often, it also helps to have a dedicated kitting operation that treats each kit like a mini SKU with its own rules. (Related: Warehouse kitting services overview.)
Special handling for liquids and messy products (liquid bagging)
Liquids and “messy” products (think creams, gels, pastes, oils, and anything that can ooze) get extra scrutiny because one leak can ruin an entire carton, or multiple sellers’ inventory, during receiving.
Leak prevention means simple, plain stuff: contain the product so it cannot spill, even if the cap loosens, a bottle flexes in transit, or a unit gets squeezed in a packed box. That usually involves bagging each unit as a second layer of protection, then making sure the barcode still scans cleanly.
MSL supports Amazon liquid bagging, which helps reduce:
- Leaks that trigger write-offs and damaged inventory claims
- Sticky cartons that arrive rejected or delayed
- Customer complaints caused by residue on packaging
If liquids are part of your catalog, it’s worth treating this as a standard operating step, not an occasional fix. (Related: Amazon-compliant liquid bagging services.)
Outbound shipping to Amazon: building shipments that check in faster
After prep is complete, the goal is to ship inventory into Amazon in a way that protects units and supports smooth receiving. No one can promise check-in times, but good outbound practices remove common friction points.
A prep partner will focus on basics that prevent damage and reduce handling issues:
- Carton build quality: using the right box strength for weight and product type
- Void fill control: minimizing empty space so units do not shift and crush corners
- Clean pack-out: keeping barcodes scannable, cartons sealed well, and contents organized
Think of it like packing groceries for a long drive. If the bottles are loose, they bang around, leak, and ruin everything else. Tight packing, correct materials, and consistent carton weights help your shipment arrive intact and ready to receive, which helps keep your listings in stock when demand hits.
The Biggest Ways a Prep Partner Saves You Time, Money, and Headaches
In 2026, Amazon Prep is less forgiving because sellers can’t fall back on Amazon’s own US prep service. That shift pushed more brands toward third-party prep and co-packing, and it also made capacity tighter during peak periods. The payoff of using a prep partner is simple: fewer preventable problems, steadier turnaround, and more control over what hits Amazon’s dock.
Fewer errors than DIY prep (and fewer costly shipment surprises)
DIY prep usually starts with good intentions, then turns into a whack-a-mole operation. One week it’s learning Amazon’s latest packaging rules, the next it’s training temps who may only be around for a few shifts. Then you run out of thermal labels, polybags, or the right tape, right when you need to ship.
The bigger issue is consistency. When ten people pack the same SKU, you often get ten versions of “close enough”:
- Labels placed over seams, curves, or textured surfaces, so they wrinkle or won’t scan.
- Polybags sealed differently across units, so some pop open in transit.
- Mixed carton builds (weight, void fill, item orientation), which can raise damage risk.
Those small misses can snowball into business pain:
- Receiving delays or rejections, which can push your listing out of stock.
- Returns and write-offs from damage, leaks, or separated kits.
- Wasted ad spend when your ads keep running but inventory is stuck in check-in or stranded.
A realistic example: a small home and beauty brand preps 600 units in-house for a new scent launch. Two days before ship-out, they realize half the labels are smudging and the polybags they ordered are the wrong size. The launch doesn’t fail because the product is bad, it fails because inventory doesn’t arrive sellable.
Scale up for launches and Q4 without hiring a whole team
Peaks are predictable (product launches, influencer hits, Prime events, Q4), but staffing for them is not. Hiring and training a whole team for a short spike is expensive, and if demand drops, you’re stuck paying for idle labor and space.
Outsourcing Amazon Prep helps you handle volume swings without the staffing swings:
- Turnaround stays more predictable because prep is the partner’s day job.
- Your internal team can focus on supply planning, listings, and ads instead of packing tables.
- You avoid last-minute “all hands” weekends that still don’t fix process gaps.
In 2026, booking capacity early matters more than it used to. Demand for third-party prep rose after Amazon ended its US prep option, and many providers fill up well before Q4. If you know you’ll need extra hands in October through December, reserve time early and send a forecast, even if it’s rough.
For brands that also need storage and outbound help, pairing prep with fulfillment support can reduce handoffs (and mistakes). See Outsource Your Order Fulfilment to MSL COPACK + ECOMM.
Add branding without breaking Amazon rules
Branding is a growth tool, but Amazon compliance comes first. A prep partner can help you add the right touches while keeping your units scannable, protected, and compliant with packaging and labeling rules.
What “safe branding” often looks like:
- Branded packaging (printed boxes, sleeves, stickers) that still allows the correct barcode to scan cleanly.
- Neat, consistent presentation so every unit looks the same at receiving and in customer hands.
- Careful inserts, limited to what Amazon allows (avoid anything that asks for reviews, makes prohibited claims, or steers buyers off Amazon in a way that breaks policy).
A practical example: a seasonal gift set for Q4, bundled and packed in a branded sleeve with a simple product-use card. You get a better unboxing experience without creating a receiving problem or a policy risk.
If you want ideas on packaging options that support brand goals, start here: How Custom Design Elevates Brand Packaging.
How to Know If MSL COPACK + ECOMM Is the Right Amazon Prep Option for You
Since Amazon ended its own US prep services on January 1, 2026, every seller has to pick a path: build an in-house Amazon Prep setup, push more work to suppliers, or hand prep off to a specialist. The “right” choice comes down to your product risk, your pace of growth, and how much time you want tied up in packing tables and label rolls.
Best-fit product types and seller stages
MSL COPACK + ECOMM tends to make the most sense when prep mistakes are expensive, or when your catalog is outgrowing your available time and space. You’re likely a strong fit if any of these sound like your week:
- Fragile items: Glass, ceramics, candles, or anything that can crack in transit. One bad pack-out can turn into returns, write-offs, and listing issues.
- Liquids and leak-prone products: Lotions, oils, cleaners, and concentrates. Leaks do not just damage your item, they can destroy everything in the carton.
- Bundles and kits: Multi-packs, gift sets, or “buy together” sets that must stay as one unit for FBA receiving and customer delivery.
- A growing SKU count: Ten SKUs becomes fifty fast. At that point, “we’ll just prep it ourselves” often turns into missed replenishment windows.
- Wholesale-to-FBA moves: If you’re used to shipping cases to retailers, unit-level Amazon Prep is a different rhythm (labels, polybags, and tight consistency).
- Brands selling on multiple channels: Amazon, DTC, retail, and marketplaces. Having one partner that can support prep plus broader operations helps reduce handoffs.
If omnichannel growth is part of your plan, it helps that MSL also offers warehousing and fulfillment as part of their broader service mix (more context on their packaging capabilities here: MSL contract packaging & copacking services).
In-house prep can still make sense when your products are durable, your volume is low, and you have stable staffing and space. If you ship a few cartons a month and every unit is identical, DIY might be the simplest route.
Questions to ask before you start (so there are no surprises)
Before your first inbound lands, get clear answers to a few practical questions. It prevents the “wait, I thought you were doing that” moment.
- Per-unit prep needs: What’s required for each SKU (labels, polybags, bubble wrap, bundle labels)?
- Label responsibility: Who prints FNSKU labels and who applies them?
- Turnaround times: What’s normal, and what changes during Prime events or Q4?
- Minimums: Any per-SKU minimum, per-run minimum, or pallet minimum?
- Returns handling: Can returns be inspected, reworked, or quarantined?
- Inventory tracking: How do you see counts, status, and location?
- Shipment plan coordination: Who builds cartons to match your FBA shipment plan?
- Exceptions and damage reporting: How are shortages, damage, or mislabels documented and shared (photos, logs, counts)?
A simple first shipment plan to test the partnership
A first run should feel like a controlled test, not a full commitment. Start small, learn fast, then scale.
- Pick 1 to 2 SKUs you understand well (one standard, one “tricky” if you have it, like fragile or liquid).
- Send a small batch that you can afford to pause if something needs a tweak.
- Confirm the prep rules in writing (label type, barcode coverage, bagging, bundle callouts).
- Ask what QC proof is available, such as spot checks or photo confirmation for the first run.
- Review results, then tighten the SOP: label placement notes, carton build rules, and what to do with damaged units.
- Scale volume only after the SOP feels boring. Boring is good in Amazon Prep because it means repeatable.
Think of this pilot like a test print before a big production run. You want to catch the smudges while you’re still using a small sheet of paper.
Conclusion
Amazon Prep is now fully on the seller, and there’s no backup option if a shipment shows up unready. A solid prep partner keeps you out of the reject pile by doing the work the same way every time, including labeling, polybagging, kitting, bundling, and liquid bagging, then backing it up with warehousing and shipping support when you need it.
MSL COPACK + ECOMM helps turn Amazon Prep into a repeatable process, so cartons arrive compliant, units scan cleanly, and your inventory checks in with fewer surprises. The biggest win is consistency, fewer rejected shipments, less rework, and more time back for product and marketing.
If you’re ready to stop prepping on nights and weekends, reach out to MSL COPACK + ECOMM for a quote or a first-shipment plan. Share 1 to 2 SKUs, your monthly volume, and any “problem” items (fragile, liquid, or bundles), and get a clear path to your next FBA send-in.
