New FBA Prep Rule (Jan 1, 2026) - Seller Risk & Unplanned Prep Fees
Hi everyone,
I'm writing about the new rule stopping Amazon's FBA prep services, which starts on January 1, 2026. We all got the email about this in late July 2025.
I'm trying to understand a few "what if" situations to avoid problems, and I hope the community or mods can help clarify.
q) What happens if our inventory has prep mistakes?
I know Amazon might fix it for us using "Unplanned Prep Services". But is this service basically a high-cost penalty? More importantly, if our items are lost or damaged while they are waiting to be fixed by this service, will we get no reimbursement at all? Is all the risk on us?
q) What if our 3rd-Party Prep Center (3PL) makes a mistake?
Many of us use 3PLs. If they apply the wrong labels, will Amazon still hold us, the sellers, 100% responsible? Will there be any way to show Amazon that the mistake was made by our 3PL, or do we just have to pay the penalty and then try to get the money back from our 3PL later?
Any clear answers would really help all of us plan better and avoid issues.
@Cooper_Amazon@Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp@Seller_rI7BZIczK8iAC @Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
New FBA Prep Rule (Jan 1, 2026) - Seller Risk & Unplanned Prep Fees
Hi everyone,
I'm writing about the new rule stopping Amazon's FBA prep services, which starts on January 1, 2026. We all got the email about this in late July 2025.
I'm trying to understand a few "what if" situations to avoid problems, and I hope the community or mods can help clarify.
q) What happens if our inventory has prep mistakes?
I know Amazon might fix it for us using "Unplanned Prep Services". But is this service basically a high-cost penalty? More importantly, if our items are lost or damaged while they are waiting to be fixed by this service, will we get no reimbursement at all? Is all the risk on us?
q) What if our 3rd-Party Prep Center (3PL) makes a mistake?
Many of us use 3PLs. If they apply the wrong labels, will Amazon still hold us, the sellers, 100% responsible? Will there be any way to show Amazon that the mistake was made by our 3PL, or do we just have to pay the penalty and then try to get the money back from our 3PL later?
Any clear answers would really help all of us plan better and avoid issues.
@Cooper_Amazon@Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp@Seller_rI7BZIczK8iAC @Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
14 replies
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
I will never do FBA since I simply do not trust them.
As a result I don't have a horse in this race. HOWEVER it seems to me that they are putting more pressure on offshore sellers that have flooded the site with stuff the past many years.
As far as I can see, it will likely increase their costs (and possible problems with bad labels) substantially since everything will need to be labeled before it gets shipped.
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
I have no idea about any of these answers. Nope, that is wrong, I have some ideas, but no knowledge. Amazon is clearly on a path where only the strongest survive.....
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
uhm, not in the real world, no, not a chance.
Bryce_Amazon
Greetings,
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions here. I've worked with the partner team to acquire answers to your questions.
q) What happens if our inventory has prep mistakes?
Products without proper prep might get damaged during shipping or handling, and products with missing or defective labels could be untraceable in our facilities. These products aren’t eligible for reimbursements.
If we determine that a product has missing or improper prep/label, we will flag it as a defect and apply the prep/label. We will surface these as defects in your Inbound Performance Dashboard in Seller Central along with the guidance on how to prep/label, giving you the opportunity to improve your prep/labeling to protect your product.
For information on the prep and labeling guidelines, see Prepare your products for FBA shipping.
q) What if our 3rd-Party Prep Center (3PL) makes a mistake?
Similar to the Service Provider Network, all contracts and transactions are managed between you and the service provider. These providers are listed as available options for your reference.
Thanks again, and please let me know if you have any additional thoughts.
Seller_YFiIC93CtLz1k
I’m SOOO reluctant to send anything in to these people. They commingle items, so the DVD or Book that’s got multiple listings, they just GRAB ONE. So the customer more than likely won’t even GET YOUR item. What if the other items weren’t NEW, or had damage? You’ll get the return, and be out the money AND the item! It has gone WAY downhill. It’s definitely NOT America First. If you don’t know what I mean, you are already cooked. The ONLY way Amazon stays ahead in this race is if they start taking CARE of their American Sellers. WE ARE 50% of THEIR PRODUCTS. They look at it like, if WE walk, there are a million people in the Far East that are more than happy to sell their Alibaba products here. I’m not holding my breath on any changes, and it’s sad. I loved this program 3 years ago. Best of luck US Sellers.
Bryce_Amazon
Greetings,
Back with some updates to your questions.
1. You mentioned that prep errors will be flagged as "defects" in my Inbound Performance Dashboard. I'm trying to understand the severity of this—will these defects directly impact my overall Account Health Rating (AHR)? This is a crucial point for me to manage my account health proactively.
Prep defects flagged in the Inbound Performance Dashboard do not impact the overall Account Health Rating.
However, improper or missing prep may result in receiving delays which may affect fulfilment of that order, or in damages during storage or shipping, resulting in poor customer experience or customer returns.
For more information about all shipment problems and how to avoid them, go to Inbound problems summary.
2. If I use the Amazon Partnered Carrier Program (APCP) for my shipments, and my inventory is damaged while in transit by that carrier, will I, as the seller, still be held 100% liable? I'm trying to understand where the liability lies for in-transit damages when I'm using Amazon’s recommended and partnered carriers.
Shipments damaged during transit is a separate issue than the prep discussion we've been having. The circumstances you're describing here would fall under FBA inventory reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims.
This page applies to items that are lost or damaged when you ship them to Amazon.
Let me know if you have any follow-up, and have a great weekend.
- Bryce
