Amazon Seller University

Frequently Asked Questions

Fulfillment by Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

Understanding Fulfillment by Amazon - FBA

1. What is FBA?
With Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), you store your products in Amazon’s
fulfillment centers (FCs) and we pack and deliver the orders to customers,
provide customer service and handle returns.
2. What are the benefits of selling through FBA?
a. Focus on your business: Amazon takes care of storage and shipping,
so that you can focus on your business.
b. Pay as you go: You only pay for the services you use - no additional
subscription fees, no minimum units and no start-up fees.
c. Build Trust: Customers trust Amazon's world class packaging,
shipping, customer service and returns - your brand benefits.
d. Customers keep coming back for more: We support customer service
and returns. Your products will be eligible for Free Delivery options
available with Amazon. Easily send your products to Amazon’s
fulfillment centers using Amazon-trained transporters.
e. Cash on delivery: With Cash on Delivery (COD) being extensively used
in India, you can fulfill your orders using COD facility through FBA.
f. Amazon Prime: Your FBA products become eligible for unlimited free
one-day and two-day delivery options with Amazon Prime –
enhanced customer shopping experience, increased customer
demand and loyalty.
3. What is the cost involved for getting started?
There are no additional set up charges or subscription fees when you add
Fulfillment by Amazon to your seller account. Visit here for more details.
4. What is Amazon Prime?
a. Amazon Prime is a membership programme that will offer Amazon
customers in over 100 cities, unlimited free one-day and two-day
delivery on lakhs of eligible products.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

b. The Prime services are offered on all products on amazon.in which

are fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). Being an FBA seller, your products have
been selected as Prime eligible and the Prime badge will appear for all
such products on Amazon.in.
c. There is no separate fee for FBA sellers to join this programme

Registration on FBA
1. What is the registration process?
Register here and start the Seller Central simulation here to understand
the step-wise guide to FBA enrolling process
2. Will Amazon help with my queries?
Yes. In case you have additional queries after enrollment, you can reach
out to Seller Support here.
3. What are the documents required for registering?
All the necessary documents for registration are mentioned here..
4. How long will it take for the process to complete?
If all the requirements are met, the process of onboarding to FBA
shouldn’t take more than 2 days.
5. How different is it from Merchant Fulfilled (MFN) Orders or Easy Ship
(ES) Orders?
The following facilities that are not available for MFN/ES sellers are
available for FBA sellers:
a. Storage of your products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers
b. Increased exposure for your products on Amazon.in
c. Picking and packing of your products when a customer orders
them
6. What are the charges?
The FBA rate card can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

7. What is APOB?
If you are opting for Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) services, you have to
register Amazon Fulfilment Centre as your Additional Place of Business
(APOB) in your tax registrations. This is required because your goods are
stored in the Amazon fulfilment centers and are picked, packed and
delivered as per the orders placed by end customers across all cities in
India.
8. Do I need to register in all states for GST for APOB?
If you are selling/shipping products from multiple states, you will require a
separate GSTIN for each such state. Consequently, registering the respective
fulfilment center as an APOB becomes necessary.
9. Is FSSAI license required if I am selling food products/consumable items?
Yes, FSSAI license is required for if you are selling food items/consumable
products. FSSAI license should have Amazon fulfilment center as one of the
additional place of business since your goods will be stored in the Amazon
fulfilment center and are picked, packed and delivered as per the orders
placed by end customers across all cities in India.

Shipment Details
1. How do I decide on the products which needs to be shipped?
You can sell items in the following categories: Baby Products, Beauty, Books,
Consumer Electronics (including Cameras and Video Games - Consoles),
Digital Accessories (including Mobile Accessories, Electronics Accessories
and PC Accessories), Home, Jewellery, Kitchen, Luggage, Mobile Phones,
Movies, Personal Care Appliances, Personal Computers, Tablets, Toys, Video
games (consoles and games), and Watches. More categories can be viewed
here.
2. How much quantity can I send? Is there a minimum set of products I can
send?
FBA has no minimum number of items required to use it. However, there is
a variable inventory limit, which keeps changing basis your inventory health,
sales & space available at our Fulfillment Center. Check this help page for
more info.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

3. What is the process of shipping? Is there someone from Amazon to

help with the process?
You can get help from Seller Assistant here. Start the second module on
Shipment Creation Workflow.
4. How do I pack the products to be sent to FC?
Collect your packaged and labeled units and pack them in boxes to ship to
Amazon fulfillment center. Print shipping labels for your packages. You can
print from your seller account the list of products and quantities you
intend to send us and use this list as a reference when collecting the
products from your storage facility.
Pack your product units using as few boxes as possible. Protect the
products from damage during shipping by adding cushioning material like
styrofoam or bubble-wrap to the box. Check the sealed box to ensure the
contents in the box do not move during shipping and that the box is
strong enough for shipping. Repack the box if necessary.
5. Is it mandatory to use a carton box to pack products?
Yes. You need to collect your labeled units and pack them in boxes to ship
to Amazon fulfillment centers. Print shipping labels and paste them
outside the box. This will allow us to scan and receive the product at our
FCs.
6. Will Amazon pick the products or do I need to drop it?
Our pickup services are available at most of the locations. We will have
the packed products picked up from your store or warehouse and deliver
it to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. You can schedule pickup appointments
based on your convenience.
7. How do I get an early slot?
To get an early slot, plan your shipment a week ahead and book your slot
from Seller Central to get a confirmed appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

At the Fulfillment Centre (FC)

1. Are my products safe at FC?
All fulfillment centers in the Amazon fulfillment network are secure
facilities with pick, pack and ship processes under written down SOPs to
facilitate the safe and timely processing of merchant orders. Features
include the following:
a. 24-hour security staff in fulfillment center.
b. Fully automated wireless and computer-networked order tracking
throughout the facility.
c. High-value secure cage storage.
2. How does the billing take place?
We will deduct the FBA fees from proceeds credited to your Selling on
Amazon account & withhold the fees from the disbursement of funds to
you.
3. How do I know the reasons for returns?
Reason code for each return can be checked from Returns Report here.
4. What happens if my products are damaged?
You need to create removal of your damaged or unfulfillable inventory to be
returned to you.
5. How does Amazon manage the returns?
If we determine the returned product is not in the same condition as listed
by you, we will flag it as damaged in your seller account and will hold it
temporarily. If you do not tell us within 90 days whether you elect to
dispose of the unit or have it returned to you, we may choose to dispose of
or return it at our discretion. If we determine the returned product is in the
same condition as listed by you, we will automatically place the unit back
into your inventory available for sale.
6. Can I take my inventory back whenever I want it?
Yes. You can create removal order as and when you want and our FC will
process them for you.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

7. What is the timelines for getting my stock back?

14 business days from removal creation date

Restocking
1. How do I get recommendations of products needed to be re-stocked?
The Restock Inventory tool is intended to provide the online sellers with
information that helps them manage their inventory levels at the
registered Amazon fulfilment centers following the forward-looking
demand. The tool is only a recommendation and not a substitute for your
own judgment about demand for your products. To access this tool,
navigate to the following path on Seller Central: Inventory > Inventory
Planning Dashboard > Restock Inventory
2. How does Amazon generate restock recommendations for products
listed on Amazon.in marketplace?
Inventory management recommendations and related estimates
(e.g. estimated days of supply) are based on a variety of factors:
a. Projected customer demand of the product.
b. Competitive offers and sales from other sellers.
c. Regional customer-demand distribution.
d. Current inventory levels (both in stock & in-transit inventory).
e. Inbound lead time for replenishment.
f. Replenishment-related information configured for the product (such
as, reorder frequency with supplier, number of units per carton,
minimum order quantity, lead time to procure from supplier). For
more details visit the help page here.
Frequently Asked Questions - FBA

Payments & Reconciliation

1. Where do I check the payment of each order?
A simplified display of details by each order is available here.
2. Where do I check the details of FBA reimbursement?
Itemized details of your FBA reimbursements including reimbursements
initiated by you and reimbursements that were generated automatically.
For the reimbursements you requested, a Case ID is included in the report
entry. For information on other reports about Payments and FBA charges,
visit the help page here.
3. How do I reconcile my FBA inventory?
Refer to the Inventory Reconciliation Report, which shows your net
inventory details for a specific time period. Use this report to analyze your
inventory movements to and from Amazon fulfilment centers including
products that are sold, returned, removed/disposed of, damaged, lost and
found. You can view all historical movements of your inventory for 18
months.