FBA prep · China first leg
FBA prep in China, with a photo of every unit before it leaves.
Since 1 January 2026, Amazon no longer preps US-bound FBA inventory on the seller’s behalf. WooliiPorter runs the prep where the goods already are: your suppliers ship to your China warehouse address, each declared prep service is executed from your written instructions and closed with photo evidence, and the shipment departs for Amazon fulfillment centers in the US, EU, Canada or Mexico fully prepped.
Per unit, before it leaves
What you hold if a unit is ever questioned
Every declared prep service produces, before the shipment leaves China: the photograph of the unit, the operator who performed the work, the timestamp, and the written instruction the work was executed from. Each service is its own settlement line item, so the list you were billed for and the list that was photographed are the same list.
Sellers moving prep out of Amazon are asking one question above all others, and it is not about price: “if the labels are wrong, is there any way to show it was the 3PL?” Amazon’s answer is that it is between the seller and the provider. WooliiPorter’s answer is the record.
That record is produced as a by-product of the operation rather than assembled after an incident, which is the only way an evidence trail is ever complete.
The three prep jobs
What gets done before the first leg departs
Three prep jobs run at the China leg: FNSKU labeling from the printable file you upload, polybagging and protection per your declaration, and palletizing at dispatch for LTL or FCL. Each is declared on the order and closes with photo evidence before the order moves to packing.
| Prep job | How it runs |
|---|---|
| FNSKU labeling | You upload the printable label file and written instructions with the order. Staff print, apply and photograph each unit, and the order moves to packing once the service closes with evidence. |
| Polybag and protection | Loose or multi-part items are bagged per your declaration; polybags with large openings carry suffocation warnings; fragile items get protective wrapping. Executed during packing from your instructions. |
| Palletize for LTL or FCL | Requested on FBA first-leg orders and performed at dispatch as part of the freight handoff, following the pallet and carton requirements of the booked shipment. |
Amazon Seller Central is the authoritative reference for current label, bag and pallet specifications. Background on the 2026 policy change is in the FBA prep guide.
Why declaration-first
Prep failures are instruction failures
Every prep service is stated on the order with its label file and written instructions attached, executed from that declaration, closed with photo evidence, and billed as its own settlement line item. Ambiguity is resolved at intake rather than at Amazon receiving.
| Property | What it means for the shipment |
|---|---|
| Declared explicitly | Every prep service is stated on the order, with the label file and written instructions attached, so ambiguity is resolved at intake rather than at Amazon receiving. |
| Closed with evidence | Each declared service is executed from your instructions and closed with photo evidence before packing and quoting. What you approve is what was done. |
| Billed line by line | Each prep service is its own settlement line item, reconciling against the packed quote, so the bill itemises the work rather than summarising it. |
| Only what you asked for | Prep is executed from your declaration, so the services on the shipment are the services you specified. |
| The same contract for agents | The identical declarations work over Merchant API V1 and the MCP server, so an agent placing an FBA first-leg order states the prep bundle in the same structured way. |
Per shipment
Prep per shipment. Storage only if you choose it.
Your supplier ships each batch to your WooliiPorter China warehouse address; it is received with scan and photo evidence, prepped per declaration, packed, measured and quoted from the live rate table. Stocking SKUs at the warehouse is a separate decision made per SKU, and the goods stay merchant-owned either way.
Storage applies only to what is actually stored — 60 days free from receipt, then $0.50 per m³ per day.
Questions
How do I show that prep work was done to spec?
WooliiPorter produces the record before the shipment leaves China: a photograph of each labeled unit, the operator who performed the work, the timestamp, the written instruction it was executed from, and a settlement line item per service. The billed list and the photographed list are the same list.
Does Amazon still prep FBA units on arrival?
For US-bound FBA inventory, no. Since January 1, 2026, Amazon no longer performs FBA prep or labeling on the seller’s behalf — no FNSKU application, polybagging, bundling or kitting. Units must arrive fully prepped. Verify current requirements in Amazon Seller Central, which is the authoritative reference.
Does WooliiPorter apply FNSKU labels?
Yes, as an explicitly declared service. You upload the printable FNSKU label file and written instructions with the order; warehouse staff print, apply and photograph each labeled unit, and the order moves to packing once the service closes with evidence. Prep is executed from your declaration, so the services performed are the services you specified.
Which destinations does FBA first-leg cover?
FBA first-leg preparation and dispatch coordination runs from China to Amazon fulfillment centers in the US, EU, Canada and Mexico. The route for a specific shipment is resolved against the live route table and your cargo type at the moment you book.
Can WooliiPorter prep and ship FBA inventory without me stocking anything?
Yes. Your supplier ships each batch directly to your WooliiPorter China warehouse address, and the goods are received, prepped per declaration, packed, quoted and dispatched as they arrive. Nothing is stored, so no storage charge applies. Stocking SKUs is a separate decision made per SKU.
How is prep billed?
Each declared prep service becomes its own line item on the settlement, so the final bill reconciles against the packed quote line by line and itemises the work rather than summarising it. Services are billed on the quantity actually operated.
Send one batch through prep.
Your marketplaces, your prep bundle and one real batch from one supplier exercise the whole path: receiving with evidence, declared prep closed with photos, the packed quote you approve, and dispatch to the fulfillment center.
The merchant hub · How the China leg runs · What the record holds