Properly preparing products that are or contain liquids, pastes, gels, and creams can help ensure they are protected from breaking or leaking throughout the fulfillment process.
Liquids can cause damage during shipping and when stored. Securely pack liquids — including viscous products such as pastes, gels, and creams —to protect buyers, Amazon associates, and other products.
Before reading further, determine the following details about the liquid, paste, gel, or cream product you want to sell:
All liquid, paste, gel, and cream products must be able to withstand a 3-foot drop test without the contents of the container leaking or spilling. A drop test consists of five 3-foot drops onto a hard surface:
Dangerous goods (also known as hazardous materials or hazmat) are substances or materials that may pose a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment during storage, handling, or transportation because they contain flammable, pressurized, corrosive, or otherwise harmful substances. To find out if your product is a dangerous good, see the Dangerous goods identification guide and watch the Dangerous Goods Awareness video in Seller University.
If your product is a liquid, paste, gel, or cream and is regulated as dangerous good — such as perfume, certain bathroom cleaners, polish removers, and permanent ink — the following prep is required. For more information, visit Packaging and prep requirements.
Container type | Container size | Prep requirements |
---|---|---|
Non-fragile | Any | Poly-bag |
Fragile | 4.2 oz or more | Poly-bag, bubble wrap, and box |
Fragile | Less than 4.2 oz | Poly-bag or bubble wrap |
For liquid, paste, gel, and cream products that are not regulated as dangerous goods, the following prep is required. For more information, visit Packaging and prep requirements.
Container type | Container size | Prep requirements | Exceptions |
---|---|---|---|
Non-fragile | Any | Poly-bag | If the liquid is double sealed and passes a drop test, no bagging is required. (See the table below for examples of double seals.) |
Fragile | 4.2 oz or more | Bubble wrap | |
Fragile | Less than 4.2 oz | No prep required |
If your product is bundled to be sold as a set or is expiration-dated, be sure follow the prep requirements listed below in addition to the ones outlined above.
To learn more, see Expiration-dated FBA inventory.
A double seal is defined as a tightened lid that cannot be easily opened and one of the following:
Other types of double seal | Example |
---|---|
Induction seal: Thermoplastic material sealed to the opening of a container through induction heating. | ![]() |
Safety ring: A plastic band sealing the cap of a product to the container | ![]() |
Clips: Metal clips sealing the lid to the can. Applicable to liquid, paste, gel, and cream products that are in cans and are not regulated as dangerous goods. A minimum of two clips are required. | ![]() |
Plastic wrap band: Tight plastic film around the opening of the product. | ![]() |
Watch this brief video (in English) for examples of how to prep your products for shipment to and storage in Amazon fulfillment centers.