To use Amazon FBA, you will need to create your seller account, add eligible products, prepare and label your inventory, and ship it to Amazon
Once Amazon receives your stock, it stores the products and handles picking, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns for eligible FBA orders.
In this guide, weโll explain the Amazon FBA process step by step, from account setup to customer fulfillment.
What Is Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)?
Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, is a service where Amazon stores and ships products for sellers.
You send eligible products to Amazonโs fulfillment network. When a customer orders, Amazon picks, packs, and ships the product. Amazon also handles most customer service and returns.
FBA does not mean Amazon runs your whole business. You still control your products, listings, pricing, inventory planning, and profitability.
In simple terms, you manage the business while Amazon handles much of the physical order fulfillment.
How the Amazon FBA Process Works Step by Step
The Amazon FBA process starts with your seller account and continues through product setup, inventory preparation, shipment creation, receiving, and customer delivery.
Here is how to use Amazon FBA from start to finish.
Step 1: Create or Upgrade Your Amazon Seller Account
You need an active Amazon seller account before you can start using FBA.
Amazon sellers can choose between Individual and Professional selling plans. The right option depends on your sales volume and business needs.
If you already sell on Amazon, you may only need to review your current selling plan and register your account for FBA, rather than create a new seller account.
Once your account is ready, register for Fulfillment by Amazon through Seller Central.
Before sending inventory, review Amazonโs product and program requirements. A product may be allowed for sale on Amazon but still have special FBA restrictions or preparation rules.
For a deeper look at selling plans and related charges, read SalesDuoโs guide to Amazon Seller Central costs.
Step 2: Add Your Products to the Amazon Catalog and Choose FBA
Now, list your products in theโAmazon catalog and choose FBA as your fulfillment method. You can either sign up your entire eligible catalog for FBA or use FBA for selected products only, depending on your fulfillment strategy.
If you are creating a new listing, select Amazon fulfillment during setup. If the product already exists in your inventory, you can change the fulfillment method to FBA when the item is eligible.
Before doing this, check:
- FBA eligibility
- Category restrictions
- Product preparation rules
- Labeling requirements
- Expiration-date rules
- Dangerous goods requirements
Do this before preparing a large batch of inventory.
It is much easier to fix a product, packaging, or eligibility issue before hundreds of units are ready to ship.
Step 3: Prepare and Label Your Inventory
Your stockโneeds to be properly prepped and labeled before Amazon can take possession of it. Amazon requires all items to be safe, scannable, and easy to identify during receiving, storage, and fulfillment.
Depending on the product, preparation may include:
- Scannable product barcodes
- FNSKU labels when required
- Poly bags
- Bubble wrap
- Protective packaging
- Expiration-date labels
- Warning labels
- Correct carton preparation
An FNSKU is an Amazon-specific identifier that can connect inventory to the correct seller and listing.
Do not assume every product needs the same barcode or label setup. Follow the requirements shown for your SKU in Seller Central.
For a more detailed walkthrough, read SalesDuoโs Amazon FBA packaging requirements guide.
Important: If you are sending a product to FBA for the first time, check a small batch before preparing your full inventory. This can help you catch packaging or labeling mistakes early.
Step 4: Create a Shipping Plan Using Send to Amazon
After your products are ready, create the inbound shipment using the Send to Amazon workflow in Seller Central.
This workflow tells Amazon what inventory you are sending and provides the information needed to receive it correctly.
You may need to enter or confirm:
- Ship-from address
- SKUs
- Number of units
- Packing details
- Box quantities
- Product dimensions
- Box dimensions
- Shipping method
- Carrier information
- Required shipment labels
Make sure the information in Seller Central matches what you physically pack.
For example, if your shipment says you are sending 100 units but the boxes contain only 90, Amazon may need to investigate the difference during receiving.
Accurate shipment details also make it easier to track problems later.
Step 5: Ship Inventory to Amazon Fulfillment Centers
Once the shipment is created, pack your cartons or pallets and send them to the destination Amazon provides.
Apply all required shipment labels and hand the inventory over to your chosen carrier.
Keep records of:
- FBA shipment ID
- SKUs
- Quantity sent
- Shipping date
- Carrier
- Tracking details
- Proof of delivery, if available
These records can help if Amazon receives fewer units than expected or if the shipment is delayed.
You can track the inbound shipment in Seller Central while Amazon receives and processes it.
Step 6: Amazon Receives, Stores, and Manages Your Inventory
After delivery, Amazon checks and processes your shipment before the inventory becomes available for sale.
Your units may move through different receiving or inbound statuses before they are fully available.
Once processing is complete, eligible sellable inventory can be stored in Amazonโs fulfillment network and used to fulfill customer orders.
At this stage, compare the quantity Amazon received with the quantity you sent.
If inventory is lost or damaged and qualifies under Amazonโs rules, you may need to investigate. SalesDuoโs Amazon FBA reimbursement claim guide explains that process in more detail.
Step 7: Amazon Picks, Packs, and Ships Customer Orders
Once your inventory is available, Amazon handles the physical fulfillment process when a customer places an order.
The process looks like this:
Customer places an order โ Amazon picks the product โ Amazon packs it โ Amazon ships it โ Customer receives it
This is the main reason sellers use the Fulfilled by Amazon program.
You don't need to pack and ship every FBA order yourself.
However, you are still responsible for areas such as:
- Product listings
- Pricing
- Advertising
- Inventory planning
- Product quality
- Profit margins
- Compliance
- Replenishment
FBA handles fulfillment. It does not replace your day-to-day business decisions.
Step 8: Amazon Handles Customer Service and Returns
Amazon handles much of the fulfillment-related customer service and return process for FBA orders.
When a customer returns a product, Amazon manages the customer-facing process under its applicable policies.
You should still monitor returns because repeated return reasons can point to problems such as poor product quality, incorrect sizing, compatibility issues, weak packaging, confusing instructions, or inaccurate listing information.
Amazon may handle the physical return, but understanding why customers send products back is still important.
What You Handle vs. What Amazon Handles
With FBA, you manage the product and business decisions, while Amazon handles much of the physical fulfillment.
| Seller Responsibilities | Amazon FBA Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Choose products | Store received inventory |
| Check FBA eligibility | Pick customer orders |
| Create product listings | Pack orders |
| Set prices | Ship orders |
| Prepare inventory | Handle physical fulfillment |
| Follow packaging rules | Provide tracking |
| Apply required labels | Manage fulfillment-related customer service |
| Create inbound shipments | Process eligible returns |
| Send inventory to Amazon | Operate fulfillment centers |
| Monitor and replenish stock | Handle day-to-day order logistics |
| Manage advertising and profitability | โ |
Amazon can handle warehousing and delivery, but you still control your products, pricing, listings, inventory planning, and profitability.
If you need support managing Amazon account operations, including inventory oversight, fulfillment coordination, and day-to-day account workflows, SalesDuo can help
Key Benefits of Using FBA
Amazon FBA can reduce the amount of daily fulfillment work you need to manage.
The main benefits include:
- Prime eligibility: Eligible FBA products can qualify for Prime delivery benefits.
- Customer trust: FBA orders use Amazonโs established delivery, tracking, customer-service, and returns processes.
- Less manual fulfillment: Amazon handles picking, packing, and shipping.
- Customer service support: Amazon manages much of the fulfillment-related support.
- Returns handling: Amazon processes eligible FBA returns.
- Easier scaling: You can grow order volume without immediately building your own warehouse operation.
- Broader fulfillment reach: Amazonโs fulfillment network can help sellers reach customers across a wider area without building their own warehouse network.
These benefits can be useful, but FBA is not automatically the right choice for every product.
A large, slow-selling, low-margin product may perform very differently from a small product that sells quickly.
Sellers planning to expand beyond one marketplace can review SalesDuoโs Amazon Global Selling guide for international fulfillment.
Amazon has discontinued the FBA Small and Light program and substituted it with low-price FBA rates for eligible products. If you want to understand how the earlier program worked, you can still refer to SalesDuoโs Amazon FBA Small and Light guide for background and historical context.
Understanding FBA Costs
Amazon FBA does not have one flat cost for every product. Sellers may pay referral fees, FBA fulfillment fees, storage charges, inbound-related costs, and other fees depending on the product and services used.
Costs can change based on the productโs size, weight, category, and inventory levels. That is why you should calculate FBA costs for each SKU instead of using one average cost for your whole catalog.
For the full 2026 breakdown, read SalesDuoโs Amazon selling fees guide.
The Amazon Revenue Calculator can help you estimate how much profit each product or SKU may generate.
If fees are compressing your margins, read SalesDuo's guide to reducing Amazon FBA fees.
FBA Returns: How Do They Work?
Amazon generally handles the customer-facing return process for FBA orders. Returned inventory is handled based on the itemโs condition and Amazonโs applicable return rules.
Sellers should still monitor return reasons and inventory adjustments because high return activity can hurt profitability and may point to a problem with the product or listing.
For the full returns-handling process, read SalesDuoโs Amazon FBA returns guide.
FBA vs. FBM: Which Is Right for You?
FBA means Amazon stores and fulfills your inventory, while FBM means you or another provider handles storage and shipping. FBA can reduce daily logistics work, while FBM gives you more direct control over fulfillment.
The right choice depends on your product costs, size and weight, sales volume, and existing fulfillment setup.
Read SalesDuoโs full Amazon FBA vs. FBM comparison before choosing a model.
Final Thoughts
Using Amazon FBA successfully comes down to knowing what you handle and what Amazon handles.
You choose eligible products, prepare and label inventory, create the shipment, and send stock to Amazon. Once Amazon receives the inventory, it handles much of the storage, picking, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns process.
You still control pricing, inventory planning, product quality, compliance, advertising, and profitability. Getting that handoff right makes FBA much easier to manage as your business grows.
Need hands-on help managing FBA? See how SalesDuo's Amazon account management agency supports catalog, inventory, and day-to-day account operations.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Use Amazon FBA
1. How are FBA and FBM different?
With FBA, Amazon stores your inventory and handles picking, packing, shipping, and much of the fulfillment-related customer service.
With FBM, you keep the inventory and manage fulfillment yourself or through another provider.
FBA reduces daily logistics work, while FBM gives you more direct control over storage and shipping.
2. How much does Amazon FBA cost per unit?
There is no single FBA cost per unit.
The cost depends on factors such as product size, shipping weight, storage, category, and other applicable fees.
Calculate costs at the product level instead of using one average amount for your whole catalog.
3. Can I use FBA for products I sell outside of Amazon?
Yes. Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment, or MCF, can use inventory stored in Amazonโs network to fulfill eligible orders from your website and other non-Amazon sales channels. MCF has its own fees, requirements, and processes, so check the current program terms before using FBA inventory for off-Amazon orders.
4. What happens if a customer returns an FBA item?
Amazon generally manages the customer-facing return process for an FBA order.
The returned item may be checked and handled based on its condition and Amazonโs rules.
You should still monitor return reasons and inventory changes to identify product, listing, or profitability problems.
5. How do I track my FBA inventory in Seller Central?
Use the FBA inventory and shipment tools inside Seller Central.
You can monitor available units, inbound stock, shipment status, low-stock risk, inventory age, and replenishment needs.
Regular tracking helps you avoid both excess inventory and stockouts.
About the Author
Giridhara Prasad is an Associate Director at SalesDuo and a startup enthusiast. With extensive expertise in e-commerce, this ex-Amazonian has been instrumental in driving success for businesses worldwide. Apart from his passion for creating innovative sales strategies and optimizing online retail experiences, Giri finds interest in watching and playing sports, including starting to play pickleball, traveling, and exploring political science, and philosophy.
