Amazon is unforgiving about paperwork on the inbound side — a wrong label means the shipment is refused at the door and returned at your cost. Here is the sequence that works.
The FBA process starts in Seller Central, not with a freight booking. Shipment creation generates the labels, the destination fulfilment centre code and the booking reference — none of which the factory can produce.
Get this wrong and the goods arrive labelled for the wrong shipment, which means they cannot be received against your inbound plan. Rework at a UK warehouse costs more than the freight for that carton.
| Level | What is required |
|---|---|
| Each unit | FNSKU barcode, printed clearly, not covered by tape or film |
| Each carton | FBA box label with shipment ID and carton number, plus the FNSKU if case-packed |
| Each pallet | Amazon pallet label (four sides), GS1-compliant, max 1.8m high including pallet, max 500kg |
| Pallet build | Standard 1200×1000mm, stacked squarely, shrink-wrapped, no overhang |
Two details that cause avoidable rejections: cartons over 15kg need a “Team Lift” label, and any carton over 23kg is refused outright. If your product is heavy, the factory must split it across more cartons.
To store stock in a UK fulfilment centre you will almost certainly need a UK VAT registration. Amazon acts as the deemed supplier for marketplace sales in some circumstances, but it is not the importer of record for your inbound container — that has to be an entity with a GB EORI.
Two structures work:
For FBA sellers shipping regularly, the first structure is almost always worth the setup effort. The import VAT on a container of consumer goods is usually far larger than the entire freight bill.
Fulfilment centres do not accept unscheduled deliveries. Once the shipment is in transit you book a delivery window in Seller Central, and the carrier must arrive within it. Arriving early, late, or without a booking normally means the load is refused — and refused loads are returned or held at your expense.
This is why the last mile to an FC is not the same as delivering to a normal warehouse. Your forwarder needs the shipment ID and the booked window before the container is dispatched from the port, and the delivery address must match the FC code Amazon assigned, not the one you assumed.
Work backwards from your target in-stock date:
| Step | Allow |
|---|---|
| Sea freight China → UK port | 30–38 days |
| Clearance and release | 2–4 days |
| Haulage to the FC (booked slot) | 2–7 days, depending on availability |
| Amazon receiving and check-in | 3–10 days in busy periods |
That is 40 to 60 days from sailing to sellable stock. Add the factory lead time — often 25 to 40 days — and a restock decision made in January lands on the shelf in April. This is why FBA businesses that look healthy on paper still go out of stock: the reorder was placed on last month's sales velocity.
If you want the whole chain handled — collection from the factory, consolidation, sea or air freight, clearance on your EORI, and delivery into the booked FC slot — see our FBA first-leg service and send us the shipment details.
In practice yes — storing stock in a UK fulfilment centre means you are importing and holding goods in the UK, and HMRC expects a VAT registration. Get it before your first shipment lands.
Yes, and most will if you send the label PDFs and clear instructions. Always check photos of labelled cartons before the container is sealed.
Typically three to ten days after delivery, longer in Q4. Plan for it — the goods are not sellable until they are received.
Yes, if the shipment template is set up for mixed cartons; each unit still needs its own FNSKU label and the carton needs the FBA box label.