FBA Prep Fulfillment Glossary

ASIN: Amazon Standard Identification Number, the 10-character identifier Amazon assigns to a product listing. Several sellers can sell under the same ASIN, but each seller's FNSKU-labeled units stay tracked to their own account.
Box content information: The data that tells the fulfillment center which SKUs and quantities are in each carton. It must match the physical contents, and missing or inaccurate box content information can lead to fees or receiving delays.
Bundle: Two or more different products sold together as one unit under a single listing and FNSKU. The bundle is packaged together, labeled as a set and the individual barcodes are covered.
Carton forwarding: Receiving master cartons, typically from overseas freight, and sending them on to marketplace fulfillment centers with little or no unit-level work. It often includes inspection, carton relabeling and splits by destination.
Case-packed inventory: Master cartons that each contain the same SKU in the same quantity, with units already prepped. Case packs simplify box content reporting for FBA shipments.
Commingling: An FBA setting where units with the same manufacturer barcode from different sellers are pooled and treated as interchangeable. It avoids FNSKU labeling but means customers can receive another seller's unit.
Dangerous goods review: A marketplace's classification process for products that may be hazardous to store or ship, such as aerosols, flammable liquids and lithium batteries. Listings generally must clear review before inventory can be sent.
Expiration date labeling: Marking products with an expiration date in the format the marketplace requires, both on units and on cartons where needed. Marketplaces may also require a minimum remaining shelf life at receiving.
FBA box ID label: The carton label generated for each box in an FBA shipment. It identifies the shipment and carton and should be placed on a flat side of the box, not across a seam or corner.
FEFO: First-expired, first-out, an inventory rotation method that ships the units with the earliest expiration dates first. It reduces the risk of stock expiring before it sells.
FNSKU: Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit, the Amazon-generated barcode that ties a unit to a specific seller account and listing. It is printed on a label and applied over or instead of the manufacturer barcode for inventory that is not commingled.
GTIN / UPC: Global Trade Item Number, the family of manufacturer barcodes that includes UPC and EAN codes. Marketplaces use GTINs to identify products, and they are the barcode that must be covered when an FNSKU label is applied.
Inbound placement: The process by which Amazon assigns units in a shipment to one or more fulfillment centers. Choosing fewer destinations may incur an inbound placement service fee.
LTL: Less-than-truckload freight, shipping one or more pallets that share a truck with other shippers. LTL shipments to fulfillment centers usually require delivery appointments and labels on each side of every pallet.
Multipack: Multiple units of the same product sold together as one sellable unit, such as a three-pack. It needs its own listing and barcode distinct from the single unit.
Over-labeling: Applying a new label over an existing barcode or label so only the correct barcode can be scanned. It is used to cover manufacturer barcodes, outdated FNSKU labels or incorrect supplier labels.
Polybag suffocation warning: A printed warning required on polybags with an opening of 5 inches or more, stating that the bag is not a toy and poses a suffocation risk. It can be printed on the bag or applied as a label.
Removal order: A request to have inventory sent back out of an Amazon fulfillment center to an address you choose, or disposed of. Removal orders are often routed to a prep center for inspection and rework.
Send to Amazon: Amazon's workflow in Seller Central for creating inbound shipments, including selecting inventory, providing packing information, choosing placement options and printing box labels.
Sold as set: A label applied to a multi-item bundle telling the receiving team and customer that the items must be sold together and not separated. It prevents bundled items from being scanned and received as individual units.
SPD: Small parcel delivery, shipping individual cartons through a parcel carrier. SPD shipments need a carrier label and an FBA box ID label on each carton.
Team lift label: A label required on heavy cartons, typically those over the marketplace's standard weight limit because they contain a single oversize item, warning that the box needs more than one person to lift safely.
UN 38.3: The United Nations test series that lithium cells and batteries must pass before they can be transported. Sellers of lithium battery products are commonly asked for a test summary as proof.
Unfulfillable inventory: Units in a fulfillment center that cannot be sold in their current condition, often due to customer damage, carrier damage or defects. They must be removed or disposed of.
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS): Walmart's fulfillment program in which sellers send inventory to Walmart fulfillment centers and Walmart ships Marketplace orders. WFS has its own item, packaging and inbound requirements that differ from FBA.

FBA Prep fulfillment glossary