How Much Does FBA Prep Cost?

FBA prep cost comes down to a per-unit rate that depends on how many units you send each month. This guide covers what that rate includes, what is priced separately, and what moves your total, from a Fort Worth, TX prep center.

Schedule a Call See the full rate card

The short answer: Marketplace Prep’s standard FBA prep runs $1.50, $1.25 or $0.75 per unit depending on monthly outbound volume, with the 9 standard steps included. Bronze is 500 to 1,000 units, Silver 1,001 to 3,000, Gold 3,001 to 10,000, and Platinum (10,000+) starts at Gold rates. The full rate card is on our prep pricing page.

FBA prep rates by monthly volume

One per-unit rate covers the standard prep steps. The tier is set by your monthly outbound US unit volume, and your rate adjusts each month to the volume you actually ship.

TierMonthly outbound unitsPer-unit rate

Bronze

Monthly outbound units500 to 1,000 units per month. Built for newer and smaller sellers.

Per-unit rate$1.50 per unit

Silver

Monthly outbound units1,001 to 3,000 units per month. Built for growing brands.

Per-unit rate$1.25 per unit

Gold

Monthly outbound units3,001 to 10,000 units per month. Built for established sellers.

Per-unit rate$0.75 per unit

Platinum

Monthly outbound units10,000+ units per month. High-volume and enterprise accounts.

Per-unit rateStarts at Gold rates ($0.75 per unit)

These are the standard rates for standard prep. Platinum and any high-volume SKUs, oversize or specialty prep can carry custom pricing. The same tiers cover inventory bound for Walmart WFS. TikTok Shop (Fulfilled by TikTok) prep is not a standard tier and is available by arrangement only. See the full prep pricing page for the rate card, or our pricing overview for every service.

What moves your FBA prep cost

Two sellers on the same tier can still see different totals. These are the inputs that shift the number.

Monthly volume

Volume sets your tier, and the tier sets the per-unit rate. Because the rate adjusts to your actual monthly outbound US units, a busy month can land you in a lower-rate tier and a slow month in a higher one.

Units per SKU

We price per unit, so the model works best for sellers sending dozens or more of each product. A catalog of singles spread across hundreds of SKUs creates far more handling per unit, and it is worth a conversation before you assume the tier rate applies.

Product needs

Standard prep covers labeling, polybagging when needed, and the rest of the 9 steps. Bundling, multipacks, oversize items, heavy products and specialty packaging add labor, so they carry their own charges or a custom quote.

Inbound condition

Clean, correctly counted, labeled cartons keep the per-unit rate where it is. Wrong counts, unlabeled cartons, mixed pallets, heavy damage, dirty product or unsafe pallets take extra work and may need custom pricing.

Storage

There is no storage fee while inventory is actively being prepped and shipped. Inventory that cannot be processed right away is held at $1 per pallet per day, on a standard US pallet up to 54 inches tall and 1,500 pounds.

What the rate includes and what is quoted separately

The per-unit rate covers the same 9 steps in every tier. Work outside those steps is scoped with you.

Quoted separately

Kitting and bundling. Bundling and multipacks add $0.50 for each unit beyond the initial unit, and custom kitting is quoted.
Oversize products. Oversize adds $2 to the base rate, and medium, large and special oversize are quoted.
Specialty or labor-intensive prep, such as custom rework or specialty packaging.
Problem inbounds, such as wrong counts, unlabeled cartons or mixed pallets.
Inbound freight and transportation.

Included in every tier

Basic Inspection
Receiving
FNSKU Label
Polybag (if needed)
Expiration Date Labels
Defect Logging
Dunnage
Box Contents Labels
Shipment Creation

Per-unit and itemized pricing, side by side

Prep centers generally price in one of two ways, and a quote only makes sense once you know which one you are reading.

Per-unit

One rate per unit covers a defined set of steps. The total is predictable: units multiplied by the rate. The questions to ask are which steps are inside that rate and which work falls outside it.

Itemized

Each action is priced on its own: a label, a polybag, a scan, a carton opened. A low headline number can look attractive, but the total depends on how many touches your products need, so you have to add the lines up against your own inbound.

How Marketplace Prep prices it

We use per-unit tiers with the 9 standard steps inside the rate. Anything beyond standard prep, such as kitting, oversize or problem inbounds, is quoted or listed as a separate add-on on the rate card. To compare any two quotes, ask for your own SKU list priced on both. Our FBA prep center checklist lists the other questions to ask.

Why this matters now that Amazon ended its prep service

Amazon ended its own US FBA prep and labeling services on January 1, 2026, so prep is now the seller’s job or a prep center’s.

That puts a real line item in your landed cost for every unit that goes to FBA. Knowing whether your prep center bills per unit or per action, and what falls outside the rate, lets you price that line before you send a shipment. For what a prep center does at each step, read what an FBA prep center does.

Questions about FBA prep cost

How much does FBA prep cost per unit?

Marketplace Prep’s standard FBA prep is $1.50 per unit at 500 to 1,000 units a month (Bronze), $1.25 per unit at 1,001 to 3,000 units (Silver), and $0.75 per unit at 3,001 to 10,000 units (Gold). Platinum, above 10,000 units a month, starts at the Gold rate. The tier follows your actual monthly outbound US unit volume, so the rate adjusts as your volume changes.

What is included in the per-unit rate?

Every tier includes the same 9 standard steps: Basic Inspection, Receiving, FNSKU Label, Polybag (if needed), Expiration Date Labels, Defect Logging, Dunnage, Box Contents Labels and Shipment Creation. There are no itemized add-ons for those steps.

What costs extra beyond the per-unit rate?

Kitting and bundling, oversize products, specialty or labor-intensive prep, problem inbounds such as wrong counts or unlabeled cartons, and inbound freight are priced separately from the per-unit rate. Storage is also separate for inventory that cannot be processed right away. Published add-ons and the quoted items are listed on the prep pricing page.

Does the same pricing cover Walmart WFS prep?

Yes. The same tiers and the same 9 standard steps cover inventory bound for Walmart WFS as well as Amazon FBA. TikTok Shop (Fulfilled by TikTok) prep is not a standard tier. It is available by arrangement, and we set up the workflow with you first.

Is there a long-term contract?

No. Marketplace Prep is month-to-month with no long-term contracts, and every tier is billed on your actual monthly outbound US unit volume.

Did Amazon stop offering its own FBA prep service?

Yes. Amazon ended its US FBA prep and labeling services on January 1, 2026, according to its Selling Partner API changelog. Sellers who relied on Amazon for prep now handle prep themselves or use a prep center such as Marketplace Prep.

Get your tier confirmed

Tell us your monthly outbound volume and what you are sending, and we will confirm your tier and scope anything that falls outside standard prep. Marketplace Prep is month-to-month with no long-term contracts.

We are at 1925 Golden Heights Rd, Suite 200, Fort Worth, TX 76177, in the Alliance area of north Fort Worth. Office hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Central, Monday to Friday, and receiving hours are 9 AM to 3 PM. Call (817) 841-9711 or send a message.

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Sources

Amazon, US FBA prep and labeling services to end January 1, 2026, Selling Partner API changelog. Rates and add-ons: Marketplace Prep prep pricing.