Amazon FBA Poly Bag Requirements
A working reference on Amazon FBA poly bag requirements for sellers preparing private label, wholesale, and brand-exclusive inventory for inbound shipments.
- The short answer
- A transparent bag at least 1.5 mil thick, fully sealed, protruding no more than 3 inches past the product, with a scannable barcode on the outside and a suffocation warning once the bag opening reaches 5 inches.
When a unit has to be bagged
The bag a product ships to the customer in is the bag Amazon evaluates. A retail bag that already meets the rules is fine. One that does not has to be fixed before the shipment goes.
Poly-bagging is one of several prep methods Amazon accepts, and in specific situations it is required rather than optional. A unit must be poly-bagged when the product is loose, has multiple pieces that could separate, or could be damaged or soiled by dust, moisture, or handling inside a fulfillment center. Soft goods such as apparel and textiles are the most common case, but the same logic applies to any item where exposed surfaces or loose components create a fulfillment risk.
Units already sold in retail-ready poly bags that meet the specifications below do not need to be re-bagged. The existing manufacturer bag has to satisfy every rule on its own, including the suffocation warning and the barcode placement. These rules cover standard poly bags; shrink wrap, bubble bags, and other packaging types have their own separate FBA prep requirements.
What Amazon checks on a poly-bagged unit
Six specifications, each checked independently during prep. A single miss can trigger a unit-level prep issue at the fulfillment center.
Transparency
The bag has to be transparent, so fulfillment staff can identify and scan the unit without opening it.
Thickness
At least 1.5 mil. Thinner bags tear during automated and manual handling.
Seal
Completely sealed or closed, with no part of the product exposed, so the unit stays protected and contained in transit and storage.
Fit
The bag may not extend more than 3 inches beyond the product’s dimensions, which keeps excess material and dimensional inflation down.
Suffocation warning
Required on any bag with an opening 5 inches or larger. The trigger is the bag opening, not the product, so a small item in a large bag still needs the warning.
Barcode
A scannable FNSKU or manufacturer barcode that reads without opening the bag, either through the bag itself or on a label applied to the outside, so the unit tracks to the correct seller and listing.
Amazon accepts standardized wording. The warning has to be legible, and it can be printed on the bag, applied as a sticker, or printed on a tag. Many manufacturers print it on the seam. The required size is set by the bag’s total length plus width, which is a different measurement from the opening that decides whether a warning is needed at all.
Warning text size by bag length plus width
- Less than 29 in
- 10 point
- 30 to 39 in
- 14 point
- 40 to 59 in
- 18 point
- 60 in or more
- 24 point
When you source poly bags in bulk, confirming the pre-printed warning matches the bag’s total length plus width avoids a re-labeling pass during prep.
Which barcode goes on the bag
Every poly-bagged unit needs one scannable barcode that reads without opening the bag. There are two valid ways to get there.
What it is
FNSKU labelAn Amazon-generated barcode that maps the physical unit to a single seller and listing.
Manufacturer barcodeThe product’s own UPC or EAN.
When it applies
FNSKU labelLabeled inventory. Most established private label and brand-exclusive sellers run this.
Manufacturer barcodeOnly when the brand owner holds the Brand Representative role and is approved to use manufacturer barcodes.
What it costs you
FNSKU labelA labeling step during prep, in exchange for inventory that stays traceable to your account.
Manufacturer barcodeAmazon ended stickerless commingled inventory on March 31, 2026, so this route is now limited to approved brand owners.
Either way, the barcode must not be obscured by the seal, a fold, or a wrinkle in the bag. When the FNSKU is applied to the product itself rather than the bag, a second copy or a clearly visible label still has to read through or sit on the outside, so the unit can be scanned without opening it.
Bag them yourself, or hand it off
The specifications above are the whole rule set. Applying them to every unit, every month, is a separate question, and the answer is not the same for everyone.
Keep bagging in house when
- Your units arrive in retail-ready bags that already meet every specification.
- One bag size and one warning size cover your whole catalog.
- The packaging spec is still changing and you want eyes on each unit.
- You are moving under 500 units a month. That is below the floor Marketplace Prep works to, and at that size bagging in house is almost always the right call.
Bring in a prep center when
- Your SKUs need several bag sizes and warning sizes, and the sorting is eating your prep time.
- Units are coming back flagged for thickness, seal, fit, warning, or barcode issues.
- Bagging sits on top of labeling, inspection, and shipment building on the same units.
- You are shipping 3,000 or more units a month, which is what Marketplace Prep is built for.
Related Questions
What size poly bag requires a suffocation warning for Amazon FBA?
Any poly bag with an opening of 5 inches or larger requires a suffocation warning under Amazon FBA poly bag requirements. The trigger is measured at the bag opening, not the product, so a small item in a large bag still needs the warning. The required text size is set by the bag’s total length plus width, not by the opening, and runs from 10 point under 29 inches up to 24 point at 60 inches or more.
How thick does a poly bag need to be for Amazon FBA?
Amazon requires poly bags used for FBA units to be at least 1.5 mil thick. Thinner bags tear during automated and manual handling at the fulfillment center, which is the most common reason poly-bagged units are flagged. Bag thickness is independent of the suffocation warning and barcode rules, so a compliant bag must satisfy all of them.
Does the barcode go on the poly bag or the product for FBA?
The barcode must scan without opening the bag, either by reading through the bag or on a label applied to the outside. Sellers can use either an Amazon FNSKU label or, if the brand owner is approved to use manufacturer barcodes, that barcode. The barcode must not be covered by the seal, a fold, or a wrinkle in the bag.
Can I reuse a manufacturer poly bag for Amazon FBA?
Yes, if the existing manufacturer poly bag already meets every Amazon FBA poly bag requirement. The bag must be transparent, at least 1.5 mil thick, fully sealed, fit the product within 3 inches, carry a suffocation warning if the opening is 5 inches or larger, and show a barcode that scans without opening the bag. If any of those are missing, the unit needs to be re-bagged or re-labeled before it ships.
Which products need to be poly-bagged for FBA?
Amazon requires poly-bagging for loose units, products with multiple pieces that could separate, and items that could be damaged or soiled by dust, moisture, or handling in a fulfillment center. Soft goods such as apparel and textiles are the most common case, but the rule applies to any unit where exposed surfaces or loose components create a fulfillment risk.
What happens if a poly bag does not meet Amazon FBA requirements?
Non-compliant poly-bagged units can be flagged at the fulfillment center as a unit-level prep issue, which delays receiving and can result in Amazon performing the prep on the seller’s behalf or requiring the inventory to be returned. Catching thickness, seal, fit, suffocation warning, and barcode issues during prep, before the shipment ships, avoids these downstream problems.
Does Marketplace Prep poly-bag units for FBA?
Yes. Poly-bagging is part of Marketplace Prep’s FBA Prep service, with our own software handling shipment processing and pulling FNSKU labels from Seller Central. Each unit is checked against Amazon’s transparency, thickness, seal, fit, suffocation warning, and barcode rules before it enters a shipment plan, and the bagging method for each SKU is documented during onboarding.
Check these before the boxes leave
Most poly bag rejections trace back to a small set of avoidable issues. Catching them during prep is the difference between a clean receipt and a unit-level investigation. Run these whether or not you ever call us.
Thickness
A bag thinner than 1.5 mil tears in automated handling.
The seal
A bag left open or only partially sealed, or a barcode applied inside the bag or hidden under the seal.
The warning
Missing or undersized suffocation warning on a bag whose opening is 5 inches or larger.
Fit and clarity
An oversized bag with more than 3 inches of excess material, or an opaque or tinted bag that hides the barcode.
One barcode, not two
An old FNSKU and a manufacturer barcode both visible on the same unit creates a scan conflict.
Marketplace Prep poly-bags FBA units as part of its FBA Prep service, with our own software handling shipment processing and pulling FNSKU labels from Seller Central. Every bagged unit is checked against these rules before it enters a shipment plan, and the bagging method for each SKU is documented during onboarding.
Where to go from here
FBA Prep
Receiving, FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging, inspection, and bundling, executed off your Seller Central shipment plan.
Wholesale Prep
Bulk receiving, inspection, sorting, and FBA compliance prep for case-pack inventory.
Private Label Prep
Custom packaging, kitting, insert placement, and quality assurance for brands that own their SKUs.