Are you having FBA shipment issues?

Maria,

That question seemed vague so let me elaborate. One of the accounts I’m currently managing is getting hit with FBA shipment issues specifically using a manufacturer barcode.

What is a manufacturer barcode?

It’s a scannable barcode on each product unit so it can be tracked throughout the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) process. Manufacturer barcodes come in different types–ISBN, UPC, EAN, or JAN–for eligible units. Units that do not qualify or don’t have an existing scannable barcode will need Amazon barcodes affixed to them. The difference between a manufacturer barcode and Amazon barcode is that the former can be used elsewhere, not just on Amazon. And the latter can only be used on Amazon. So if you’re selling on Amazon as well as other marketplaces or retail stores, then you should use manufacturer barcodes.

However, not all products are eligible for manufacturer barcodes and Amazon updates product eligibility periodically to ensure that the best service is provided for customers and sellers.

For a product to qualify using manufacturer barcodes, it must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Be in new condition
  • Have a single, scannable UPC, EAN, or ISBN barcode matching a single ASIN in the Amazon catalog
  • Not be an FBA restricted product or a dangerous good*
  • Not be an expiration-dated product*
  • Not be a consumable or topical product (such as grocery items, skin creams, cosmetics, or soaps)*
  • Not be a media product (such as books, CDs, VHS tapes, or DVDs)*
  • Not be a product related to children or infants (such as toys or baby clothes)*

So if you’re launching a new product and will be using FBA or even MCF, make sure that the product meets all the requirements listed above. If you’re using FBM, then this doesn’t matter.

So what’s the current issue?

Not sure when it happened but Amazon seemed to have updated the product eligibility criteria just recently because now, we can’t create the shipment unless we change the barcodes we’re using from manufacturer to Amazon barcodes. We used to send inventory into Amazon using manufacturer barcodes without a hitch and we’ve been doing so for the past 5 years. Apparently, that’s not the case now.

It’s a big and complicated issue because this account also sells in other marketplaces and retail stores, and has distributors. We can’t just change everything to Amazon barcodes because that would be a bigger headache.

What can we do?

  1. From the supplier, we can split the inventory and have Amazon barcodes printed directly on the box. The problem with that is the logistical complications. The logistics company handling the shipping from China to US can make mistakes and deliver products to Amazon with manufacturer barcodes and vice versa.
  2. We can use the FBA label service and pay $0.55 per unit. This service will enable Amazon to apply barcode labels for a per-item fee. The fee doesn’t seem much but when you’re sending in thousands of units, that fee per unit will multiply exponentially. Just imagine sending 3000 units and having all these units relabeled–the total service fee is equivalent to $1,650!

There is a third option but I’m not sure until when it will work. I’m deleting the affected ASINs and relisting them after 48 hours as FBM using manufacturer barcode. Once the ASIN is showing up on the inventory page, I convert the ASIN to FBA and then proceed with creating the shipment. So far it’s working but sooner or later, possibly sooner, Amazon’s sytem will be triggered requiring all our SKUs to use Amazon barcodes and there’s nothing else we can do but to comply.

If you’re experiencing the same or if you have questions, drop a comment or send me an email.

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