Why supplier instructions matter
The quality of your inbound freight decides how much your FBA prep costs and how long it takes. Cartons that arrive clearly labeled, with accurate packing lists and consistent quantities, can be received and moved to the bench quickly. Mixed, unlabeled cartons with missing paperwork need sorting, counting and investigation before any prep can start.
Most suppliers will follow clear instructions if you give them in writing before the order ships. A one-page supplier routing guide pays for itself on the first container.
Carton labeling
Ask your supplier to mark every master carton on at least two sides with:
- Your SKU or item number, matching the SKU list you share with your prep center
- Quantity per carton
- Carton number and total cartons, such as 12 of 40
- Purchase order number
- Lot number and expiration date, where relevant
Keep one SKU per carton whenever possible. Mixed cartons slow receiving and increase the chance of count errors. If mixed cartons are unavoidable, the carton label and packing list should list every SKU and quantity inside.
Packing lists and advance notice
Every shipment should come with a packing list that ties carton numbers to SKUs and quantities, along with the commercial documents your freight forwarder provides. Email a copy to your prep center as soon as the goods ship, together with tracking, container or PRO numbers and an estimated arrival date.
Advance notice lets the receiving team plan labor and dock space and lets them compare what arrives against what was supposed to. Shipments that show up unannounced still get received, but they rarely get prioritized.
Barcodes and unit packaging
Decide what you want the factory to do at the unit level and what you want done in the U.S. Options include:
- Printing a scannable manufacturer barcode on retail packaging
- Leaving space on the packaging where an FNSKU label can go without covering important artwork
- Applying FNSKU labels at the factory, if you have confidence in its label quality and verification
- Packing fragile items with enough protection to survive ocean and domestic transit
If the factory applies FNSKU labels, have your prep center scan-verify a sample on arrival. One wrong label file at the factory can affect an entire production run.
Carton quality and size
Ask for cartons that are strong enough to stack and survive multiple handling steps. Crushed or wet cartons slow receiving and increase damage. If you want to ship factory cartons straight through to the marketplace as case-packed inventory, they also need to meet the marketplace's weight and dimension limits, which the supplier should know before packing.
Consistent carton quantities help too. A quantity that matches your typical replenishment size can reduce repacking later.
Palletizing and container loading
For palletized freight, ask for standard-size pallets, stretch-wrapped, with cartons stacked so labels face outward and pallets are not overhanging. Each pallet should be labeled with the SKUs it holds and its pallet number.
For floor-loaded containers, ask the supplier to load by SKU rather than mixing SKUs throughout the container. That makes devanning and sorting far faster. Provide your prep center with the container's loading plan if the factory can supply one.
Handling shorts, overages and substitutions
Even good suppliers ship short, ship extra or substitute a component now and then. Decide in advance how you want each case handled, and put it in your supplier instructions. Ask the supplier to note any short or over-shipped quantity on the packing list and to tell you before the goods ship, not after they arrive.
On the receiving side, your prep center should report discrepancies against the packing list with photos before prep begins, so you can decide whether to prep what arrived, wait for a balance shipment or raise a claim. Substituted components in bundles or kits deserve special attention, because a changed part can change the listing, the packaging fit or the barcode. Approving substitutions in writing keeps your listings accurate and avoids surprises at the marketplace.
A one-page supplier routing guide
Put everything on a single page and send it with every purchase order:
- Ship-to address and receiving contact
- Carton marking requirements and an example label
- One SKU per carton, consistent carton quantities
- Packing list format and when to email it
- Unit barcode and packaging requirements
- Pallet or container loading instructions
- What to do if the order ships short or with substitutions
Then ask your prep center to report back on how each inbound arrived. Feedback by supplier helps you hold factories to the same standard every time.
Frequently asked questions
What labels should my supplier put on cartons going to a prep center?
Each master carton should show your SKU, quantity per carton, carton number out of total, PO number and, where relevant, lot and expiration date. Labels should appear on at least two sides, and each carton should ideally hold a single SKU.
Should my factory apply FNSKU labels or should the prep center?
Either can work. Factory labeling saves a step but moves the risk of a wrong label far from you. Many brands have the factory print a manufacturer barcode and leave label space, then have the prep center apply and scan-verify FNSKU labels in the U.S.
What happens if inventory arrives at the prep center without paperwork?
It is still received, but it usually has to be sorted, counted and matched against your records before prep can start, which takes longer and can add receiving charges. Sending packing lists and tracking in advance avoids most of that delay.