The Inbound Performance Summary provides an overview of problems identified with shipments to Amazon fulfillment centers. To see specific shipment-level details, go to the Inbound Performance report.
Problem | The type of problem identified with your shipment to the fulfillment center |
Problem SKUs | The number of products that had problems |
Problem units | The number of units with the identified problem type |
Total units received | The total number of units received during the time period |
Percent of units received | The percentage of units received with the identified problem type |
Prep required - One or more of the products in your shipment did not meet the preparation requirements for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). If your product has one or more of the problems below, Amazon will need to prep it so it can be received at the fulfillment center and placed in your sellable inventory.
Problem | Description |
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Poly bagging required | The unit was not bagged and required bagging to protect it from dust and damage. |
Bubble wrap required | The unit was not bubble wrapped and required bubble wrap to protect it from damage. |
Opaque bagging | The unit is an adult product and required opaque bagging. |
Taping required | The unit required taping. Products that have loose parts should be taped so the parts are not lost during the fulfillment process. Unsealed poly bags and bubble wrap must be taped to keep the product from falling out. |
Suffocation warning missing | The unit was in a poly bag with an opening larger than 5 inches and did not include a suffocation warning. |
Safety/packaging issues - Specific safety or packaging problems were identified when your product arrived at the fulfillment center.
Problem | Description |
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Shipping box oversized | One or more of the boxes in your shipment exceeded the maximum size allowed. See the "Box dimensions" section of Shipping and routing requirements. |
Shipping box overweight | One or more of the boxes in your shipment exceeded the maximum weight allowed. See the "Box weight" section of Shipping and routing requirements. |
Unacceptable pallet condition | Your pallet shipment did not meet our requirements for truckload shipments. |
Sharp products hazard | One or more of the items in your shipment was a sharp product that did not meet our requirements for packaging sharp units. |
Spilled products hazard | One or more of the items in your shipment contained a spillable product that did not meet our requirements for packaging liquids, pastes, gels, and creams. |
Improper dunnage (packing materials) | One or more of the boxes in your shipment included improper packing materials. See the "Packing materials" section of Shipping and routing requirements. |
Electrical products hazard | One or more of the products in your shipment was an electrical product without proper packaging. |
Shipment ID was not included on shipping box(es) | One or more of the boxes in your shipment did not have an FBA shipment ID label. Each box you send to a fulfillment center must have a shipment ID label. |
Catalog issues - The product listing did not meet our catalog requirements.
Problem | Description |
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Product title change required | Your product title did not meet the FBA product title requirements or did not match the product label. |
Unit quantity - The number of items you sent to the fulfillment center was different than what you listed in your shipping plan.
Problem | Description |
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Unexpected item found | One or more of the items in your shipment were not listed in your shipping plan. |
Additional quantities encountered | Your shipment contained more units than you listed in your shipping plan. |
Product or shipment sent to the wrong fulfillment center | Your product or shipment was sent to a different fulfillment center than what was specified in your shipping plan. |
Product damaged upon arrival | Your product arrived damaged at the fulfillment center and could not be received into your sellable inventory. |
Distributed inventory placement issues - A quantity other than what was planned in Seller Central has arrived at the fulfillment center.
Problem | Description |
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More items received than expected | Your shipment contained more items than we expected. |
Fewer items received than expected | Your shipment contained fewer items than we expected. |
Escalated performance feedback - Repeated problems complying with shipment requirements may cause Amazon to suspend your ability to create and modify shipments to fulfillment centers.
Problem | Description |
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Unit/shipment preparation errors | One or more of the units in your shipment did not meet our Packaging and prep requirements or Shipping and routing requirements. Amazon may require you to schedule a phone call with our operations team before we can reinstate your shipment creation and modification privileges. |
We provide shipment-level details of any problems with your shipments in the following Seller Central locations:
Additional coaching or product prep requires resources. For repeated problems in the same problem group, Amazon will escalate your coaching level (Standard, Elevated, Critical). For details about coaching level escalations and their corresponding corrective actions by problem type, visit Performance coaching.
Performance measurement unit | Whether the problem occurred at the unit, box, or shipment level |
Problem group |
We group similar problems. For example:
Problem rate calculation and coaching level escalations are based on the problem group. |
Problem type |
Detailed description of any problem identified with your shipment |
Coaching level | The coaching level for a particular problem group: standard, elevated, or critical. |
Problem units | The number of units with the identified problem type |
Total inbound performance alerts | The number of performance alerts by problem type |
Total unplanned service fees | Unplanned service fees charged by problem type |
Shipment problem details | Specific shipment-level details of the problem |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Shipping box overweight | One or more of the boxes in your shipment exceeds the maximum weight allowed. |
Weigh your boxes before sending them to a fulfillment center. Boxes must not exceed the standard weight limit of 50 lb, unless they contain one single oversized item that exceeds 50 lb. Boxes containing jewelry or watches must not exceed 40 lb. For single oversized items, be sure to attach one of the following labels on the top and sides of the box:
For more information, see Shipping and routing requirements |
Shipping box oversized | One or more of the boxes in your shipment exceeds the maximum dimensions allowed. |
Measure your boxes before sending them to a fulfillment center.
*Standard-size includes any packaged item that weighs 20 lb or less, has dimensions of 18 inches or less on its longest side, 14 inches or less on its median side, 8 inches or less on its shortest side. For more information, see: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Electrical products hazard | One or more of the products in your shipment was an electrical product without proper packaging. |
Package batteries and hard drives to prevent shocks, shorts, and sparks.
For more information, see |
Sharp products hazard | One or more of the products in your shipment was an incorrectly packaged sharp item. |
Sharp items must be packaged so sharp edges or points will not become exposed during the fulfillment process.
For more information and how-to videos, see: |
Spilled products hazard |
One or more of the products in your shipment was an item that can spill. These include:
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Products that can spill may cause damage during shipping and when stored.
For more information, see Packaging liquids, paste, gels, and creams.
For drop-test instructions and additional information, see Packaging pellets, powders, and granular products.
For more information, including a how-to video, see the "Loose products" section of Packaging and prep requirements. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Unacceptable pallet condition | Pallets cannot be properly unloaded and received. |
Stacking
Weights and dimensions
Packaging and labeling
For more information, including a how-to video on building pallets, see Seller requirements for LTL, FTL, and FCL deliveries |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Improper packing materials (dunnage) | One or more of the boxes in your shipment contained unacceptable packing materials. | Be sure to use appropriate dunnage so we can receive your products quickly and protect our associates from injury. The following packing materials are not allowed:
Accepted packing materials include:
For more information, see the "Packing materials" section of Shipping and routing requirements. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Shipment ID was not included or is unscannable on shipping boxes |
One or more of the boxes in your shipment did not have an FBA shipment ID label, or the label could not be scanned. |
Each box you send to a fulfillment center must have a shipment ID label. Make sure the labels are uncovered, fully visible, and scannable before sending your shipment.
Label requirements
Label dimensions and placement
For more information, see Send/replenish inventory to Amazon |
The table below provides information about labeling problems. To learn more about how to avoid these problems, watch our Inventory labeling requirements video.
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Amazon barcode missing | One or more of the products in your shipment arrived without the required scannable Amazon barcode, also known as an X00 label or FNSKU. The Amazon barcode is an identifier that fulfillment centers use to identify individual offers for a specific ASIN. |
For more information, see Use an Amazon barcode to track inventory and How to label products (PDF). |
Manufacturer barcode missing | One or more of the products in your shipment arrived at the fulfillment center without the required scannable manufacturer barcode (GCID, UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN). Amazon will always use the manufacturer barcode to track your inventory throughout the fulfillment process, unless you change your barcode setting. |
For more information, see Using the manufacturer barcode to track inventoryand How to label products (PDF).
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Suffocation warning missing | Suffocation warning labels are required for poly bags with an opening that is 5 inches or larger (measured when flat). |
Suffocation warnings must be printed in a legible font size for the size of the bag and placed in a prominent location. Measure the length plus the width of the bag when determining font size:
Example warning WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs, beds, carriages, or play pens. This bag is not a toy. For more information, see the "Poly-bagged units" section of Packaging and prep requirements. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Unit mislabeled | The item arrived with a barcode that does not match the physical product. |
For more information, see: |
Barcode cannot be scanned | One or products in your shipment had a barcode that was smudged or smeared and could not be scanned at the fulfillment center. |
Make sure your products have a physical, scannable barcode (GCID, UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN). Label placement and size
Printer requirements
For more information, see: |
Barcode is not accessible by scanner | Due to poor label placement, or prep such as bubble wrap, your barcode is not scannable. |
For more information, see: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Labeling required |
One or more of the products in your shipment required either a manufacturer barcode or an Amazon barcode, or both, to be applied because of one or more of the following reasons. The barcode:
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For more information, see: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Bagging | Items in your shipment did not include the required poly bagging. |
Poly bags used to protect items must meet the following requirements.
Note: If a unit is poly bagged, it may also require a label if the bag prevents the barcode from being scanned.
Poly bag requirements
Poly bag label requirements
Categories that may require poly bags include:
For more information, visit Packaging and prep requirements and watch our Inventory prep requirements video. |
Opaque bagging | Items in your shipment required a black, opaque outer bag. |
Adult products must be packed in black, opaque bags. The outside of the bag must have a scannable X00 or ASIN label and a suffocation warning. These include but are not limited to the following:
For more information, see Packaging adult products |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Bubble wrap | Items in your shipment did not include the required bubble wrap. |
Bubble wrap can protect items from breaking during shipment or storage. Categories that may require bubble wrap include:
For more information, see: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Taping | Items in your shipment had inadequate taping. |
Taping can protect products during storage and shipment. Tape can be used to seal poly bags, bubble wrap, boxes that can open easily and caps of bottles that contain liquid, as well as to secure loose products. For more information, visit Prepare your products for FBA shipping |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Expiration issue | Your expiration-dated inventory must be prepped so the expiration date is visible during the receiving process. |
Inventory requirementsAmazon considers a best-by or sell-by date the equivalent of an expiration date.
Label requirements
Packaging requirements
For more information, see Expiration-dated FBA inventory |
Amazon requires accurate box content information for each box sent to a fulfillment center. This information allows the fulfillment center to receive your shipment more quickly and make your inventory available for sale sooner. If you do not provide box content information, Amazon manually processes your box contents and charges you a manual processing fee.
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Inaccurate number of boxes | The number of boxes shipped to the fulfillment center did not match the box content information provided with the shipment. |
You are required to provide box content information for each box sent to Amazon. This includes:
Make sure that the number of boxes you send per shipment matches the number of boxes you specified when you created your shipment. If you decide to send additional items after finalizing a shipment, create a new shipment. If you are unable to send the products originally planned in your shipment, delete the inaccurate shipment and create a new one. For more information, see Provide box content information. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Inaccurate item quantity in box | There were item quantities in your shipment that did not match the expected amount based on the box content information you provided. |
You must put your box labels on the correct boxes to ensure that the label information identifies the contents of each box. For additional information, see Set quantity for shipments to Amazon. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Unexpected item found in box | One or more boxes in the shipment contained items that were not specified in the box content information you provided. |
You are required to provide accurate box content information for each box sent to Amazon. This includes:
Provide box content information at the Prepare Shipment step of the shipment creation workflow, or by uploading an XML file via Amazon Marketplace Web Service (Amazon MWS).
For more information, see Provide box content information. |
Problem group | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Unexpected item found in shipment | Your shipment contained items that were not on the original shipping plan. |
For more information, see Set quantity for shipments to Amazon. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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More items received than expected | Your shipment contained more than the number of items specified on the shipping plan. |
Verify the quantities of each unique item in the shipment, and ensure that they match the quantities specified on the shipping plan.
For more information, see Set quantity for shipments to Amazon. |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Product title change required |
The product titles for ASINs listed must have the correct information and formatting. Your product title did not meet the FBA product title requirements and/or did not match the product label. |
Product information
For more information, see FBA product title requirements |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Product or shipment sent to the wrong fulfillment center | Inventory was shipped to a different fulfillment center than the one indicated in your shipping plan. |
For more information, see: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Restricted item |
Some products require prior approval before you can sell them on Amazon. There are also products that FBA does not support. All Amazon requirements and restrictions also apply to FBA. |
For more information, visit: |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Product damaged upon arrival | Some of your items arrived damaged at the fulfillment center, and we could not process them into your sellable inventory. |
Prep your products according to our Packaging and prep requirements. Using proper packing material (dunnage) when packing your boxes can help ensure your inventory is not damaged in transit. Acceptable dunnage includes
When sending pallets, stack your boxes with the heaviest boxes on the bottom and the lightest on the top. For more information, see Seller requirements for LTL, FTL, and FCL deliveries |
Problem type | Problem description | How to avoid the problem |
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Shipment was canceled, misrouted, or incomplete (standard-size or oversize) |
One or more shipments were not in compliance with FBA’s canceled, misrouted, and incomplete shipments policy. Once you approve a shipping plan, you must ship your products to Amazon as stated in that plan, including sending the stated quantity of each product to the assigned fulfillment center. Deleting shipments after you have approved them, misrouting shipments, or sending incomplete shipments may delay the receipt of your inventory and its availability for sale.
Note: The Problem quantity for this shipment indicates the number of units that were received with problems.
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To ensure that any future multi-destination shipments comply with FBA policy, do not delete shipments after you approve the plan, and make sure that all shipments in your approved plan arrive within 30 days after the first shipment arrives at a fulfillment center. For more information, see Deleted, misrouted, and incomplete shipments.
Important: We will notify you if a shipment does not meet these guidelines. If you do not correct the identified problems, we may do one or more of the following:
If you would like to send your eligible inventory to a single destination, you can sign up for the FBA Inventory Placement Service. Amazon will then receive your units and redistribute them across our fulfillment network as needed. A per-unit service fee applies. Using this service can help you avoid delays and unplanned service fees if you find it hard to manage multi-destination shipments. |
Problem type | Problem description | Problem description and how to avoid |
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There were general issues identified with your shipment. | Generic event |
Follow the steps below for instructions on how to avoid these problems.
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