Creating a shipping plan is the process of telling Amazon what products you are sending, how many, and in what boxes. It is a required step before sending any stock to FBA, and getting it right ensures smooth receiving at the fulfilment centre.
Starting a New Shipping Plan
In Seller Central, go to Inventory, then Manage FBA Shipments. Click "Create a new shipping plan." You will be asked for your ship-from address — this should be wherever the stock is shipping from, whether that is your home, a prep centre, or a warehouse.
Next, select the packing type. "Individual products" means each box contains different products. "Case-packed products" means each box contains identical items (for example, a box of 24 units of the same product). Choose the option that matches how you have packed your boxes.
Adding Products
Search for your products by ASIN, SKU, or product name and add them to the shipping plan. Enter the quantity of each product you are sending. Amazon uses this information to allocate space at the fulfilment centre and to verify your shipment during receiving.
Accuracy matters here. If you say you are sending 50 units but only send 45, the discrepancy will be flagged. If you send products not included in the shipping plan, they may be rejected or received against the wrong listing.
Prep and Labelling
Amazon will tell you what prep each product requires — poly bagging, bubble wrapping, or other preparation. It will also indicate the labelling method — whether you are using FNSKU labels or the manufacturer barcode. Confirm that your products are prepped correctly before proceeding.
You can print FNSKU labels from this screen if you have not already applied them. Select the label format that matches your label stock (30-up, 21-up, etc.) and print them.
Shipment Splitting
Amazon may split your shipping plan into multiple shipments, each destined for a different fulfilment centre. This is Amazon distributing your inventory across their network for faster customer delivery. You will see separate shipment IDs for each destination.
If you want all your stock to go to one fulfilment centre instead, you can opt into the Inventory Placement Service — but this comes with an additional per-unit fee. Many sellers accept the split shipments as the cost of doing business with FBA.
Providing Box Content Information
For each shipment, you need to tell Amazon what is in each box. You can do this by entering the contents of each box individually (which items and quantities are in box 1, box 2, etc.) or by using the "everything in one box" option if you are packing simply.
Accurate box content information speeds up receiving. If Amazon has to manually check every item in every box, your stock takes longer to become available for sale.
Choosing Your Carrier
Select whether to use Amazon's Partnered Carrier or your own carrier. Enter box dimensions and weights. If using the Partnered Carrier, Amazon calculates the shipping cost. If using your own carrier, you will provide tracking numbers once your shipment is collected.
Printing Labels and Shipping
Print the shipping labels for each box. Each box gets its own unique label that Amazon uses to identify which shipment it belongs to. Place labels on the outside of the box — not on the top (which might be covered by other boxes on a pallet) and not on the bottom.
Arrange collection or drop-off, and your shipment is on its way. You can track the status in Seller Central under the Shipments tab. Once Amazon receives and processes your stock, it becomes available for sale.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not mix products from different shipping plans in the same box. Do not reuse old boxes with previous shipping labels still attached. Ensure box weights are accurate — overweight boxes cause handling issues. And double-check your quantities before confirming the shipping plan.