Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program is a great way to get your products in front of millions of potential customers. However, the costs associated with FBA can quickly eat into your profits. So, if you came here looking for the cheapest way to ship inventory to Amazon FBA warehouses and fulfillment centers, this article is for you.
In this article, we’ll outline a strategy to minimize your FBA costs and maximize your profits – without taking on more work and headaches. Let’s dive in!
- Partner with an FBA prep, logistics & forwarding service
- Instruct supplier to ship to FBA prep center
- Choose how you want your FBA prep service to ship inventory
- Reduce costs with FBA prep, inspection, packaging & labeling
Partner with an FBA prep, logistics & forwarding service
The first step to finding the cheapest way to ship to an Amazon FBA fulfillment center is to partner with the best FBA prep service. These are experts who can help with the entire FBA process and significantly reduce your costs for selling through Amazon FBA. They can also help you strategically plan your inventory shipments based on your business needs, global events, and sales schedules.
Here’s how it works:
Once your inventory arrives at an FBA prep facility, they’ll inspect and prep your inventory to meet Amazon’s requirements. This process is extremely daunting for manufacturers, suppliers and FBA entrepreneurs like yourself – which is why FBA prep services have efficient systems and protocols in place to streamline these complex steps at low costs.
The key here is they handle FBA prep right the first time, because Amazon doesn’t give second chances. If you send inventory to FBA that doesn’t meet regulations, you’ll need to spend time and money having it all shipped back or destroyed. Amazon will not allow non-compliant inventory into their FBA network.
With an FBA prep partner, FBA prep can be simple and effortless on your end – making the process of selling on Amazon much easier for you. And by partnering with a reputable prep company, you can focus on other aspects of your business, minimize your shipping costs and leave the worry of meeting Amazon’s requirements to them.
Instruct your supplier to ship to your FBA prep center
Now that you’ve found a supplier and negotiated terms, it’s time to get your inventory shipped to your FBA prep service.
Your supplier can arrange shipping via ocean or air freight. While air freight is faster, it’s also more expensive. Ocean freight takes longer, but it’s cheaper. You’ll need to decide which shipping method makes the most sense for your business – especially with your cash flow situation.
Many FBA sellers choose ocean freight since it’s cheaper, but keep in mind – time is money. The longer shipping takes, the longer it takes to sell through inventory and re-invest in more stock.
Once you’ve decided, instruct your supplier to ship your inventory to your FBA prep service. They’ll take care of the rest and arrange the cheapest shipping option for you – along with full coordination to get your inventory to the FBA prep center.
Tip: Give your FBA prep center a heads-up regarding any complex packaging or labeling done by your supplier. Your FBA prep partner can always work with you hand-in-hand to identify and inspect disorganized inventory, but be prepared to work closely with them.
Choose how you want your FBA prep service to ship inventory
Once your FBA prep service receives and inspects inventory, they’ll store it for as long as you’d like – until it’s time to ship inventory to Amazon. They’ll fully manage your shipments in your Amazon Seller Central account based on your preferences – with the following options below:
1) Forward entire shipment
The most common gameplan is to proceed full steam ahead and forward your entire batch of inventory to Amazon. This option works best if you plan to immediately start selling through inventory at a moderate rate (or faster).
The good news is if you need help deciding, an FBA prep company like ZonPrep can help advise on strategic business decisions like this. They have a team of Amazon selling experts themselves, who have already sold millions in product over the years for their own brands. They can help evaluate your business standing, cash slow situation and revenue targets – providing an extra layer of guidance to help you grow and scale on Amazon with ease.
2) Periodically drip-feed inventory
As anyone who has sold on Amazon knows, storage fees can quickly eat into your profits. To avoid this, many sellers choose to ship their inventory in small batches, known as “drip feeding.” This allows them to keep their Amazon storage fees to a minimum and reduces the risk of having their products become “stranded” in an Amazon warehouse.
This is where FBA prep service can be a valuable asset, as they can receive your inventory shipments and break them down into small batches that can be shipped to Amazon on your behalf. This can save you a considerable amount of time and hassle, and free you up to focus on other aspects of your business.
FBA prep services also charge significantly-lower storage fees compared to Amazon, due to the large demand of retailers using FBA. So if you’re looking for the cheapest way to ship to Amazon FBA warehouses, an FBA prep service paired with drip-feeding is definitely worth considering.
3) Forward inventory to multiple endpoints
Inventory management is a crucial component of any successful business, but it can also be a complex and time-consuming task. Having inventory spread out helps to reduce inbound fees, while ensuring quick coverage. However, forwarding inventory to multiple locations and warehouses can be a challenge that you’ll want a forwarding partner for.
This is where your FBA prep service can serve as your forwarding partner – including reducing your overall shipping costs, increasing your efficiency, and reducing your delivery times with streamlined logistics. In addition, they can provide you with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your inventory is being managed by a team of experts. When it comes to inventory management, forwarding and logistics, an FBA prep service can be an invaluable resource.
Reduce costs with FBA prep, inspection, packaging & labeling
As an Amazon seller, you know that fees can quickly eat into your profits. And one of the areas where fees can really add up is inventory prep. Amazon will reject your inventory if it’s not prepped correctly, costing time and money. That’s why it’s so important to use a reputable FBA prep service.
A good prep service will package and label your inventory according to Amazon’s strict standards, preventing added fees and rejected inventory. In addition, they’ll also help you stay compliant with Amazon’s constantly changing rules and regulations. So if you’re serious about selling on Amazon, make sure to choose a quality FBA prep service.
Final thoughts on the cheapest way to ship inventory to Amazon FBA fulfillment centers
Let’s face it, preparing FBA shipments is complicated. There are so many rules and regulations to keep track of, on top of the actual physical process of preparing and shipping inventory to Amazon warehouses. It’s no wonder that some sellers attempt to do it themselves, only to end up making costly mistakes. Fortunately, the FBA prep service we mentioned above can take this stress off your shoulders.
An FBA prep company can save you money by reducing packaging and shipping costs, while ensuring your inventory arrives at Amazon warehouses in good condition. They’ll take care of the headache-inducing requirements, so that you can focus on growing & scaling your Amazon business. So if you’re thinking about taking on the challenge of FBA yourself, be sure to use an FBA prep service first. It’s by far the quickest way to save time, money, and frustration in the long run.
Published: July 6, 2022
Updated: February 16, 2026