Edison, New Jersey
ARDI’s FBA prep center in Edison, New Jersey handles FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging, bundling, and carton forwarding to Amazon FBA warehouses on the East Coast. Located 25 miles from Port Newark and within 65 miles of five Amazon fulfillment centers.
January 2026 Update
Amazon discontinued its in-house FBA Prep Service in January 2026. Sellers who previously relied on Amazon to label, bag, and prep their inventory must now use a third-party prep center or handle preparation themselves before shipping to FBA.
This change affects every Amazon seller who ships to FBA without pre-applied FNSKU labels. Without proper prep, Amazon rejects inbound shipments or charges penalty fees. A dedicated FBA prep center eliminates this risk and keeps your inventory moving to the shelf.
Comparison
Amazon sellers looking for FBA prep in 2026 face three model types. Each has a structural gap that ARDI fills:
How it works: Prep happens in China before shipping: labeling, bagging, inspection at supplier factory.
What’s Missing: Prep is locked before ocean transit. If goods arrive damaged, mold-contaminated, or Amazon changes requirements mid-transit — you can’t re-prep. No US-side inspection. No placement fee split.
How it works: Receives goods already in USA. Handles labeling, bagging, forwarding to Amazon FCs. 50+ locations.
What’s Missing: Zero international freight. Seller must arrange own China → US shipping, customs clearance, and drayage to the prep center. Two or three vendors to coordinate. Two invoices. Finger-pointing when something goes wrong.
How it works: FMC-licensed freight forwarding + own NJ warehouse + FBA prep + drayage from Port Newark. One company from factory to Amazon shelf.
Nothing slips through the cracks. From the moment your goods reach our warehouse, every unit is logged and barcode-scanned — receiving, inspection, storage, prep, and dispatch to Amazon, all handled under one roof by one team. No internal handoffs where things get lost. Goods in our custody are covered under Warehouseman’s Legal Liability (bailee) insurance. On arrival we inspect post-voyage, re-prep whatever needs it, and split your inventory bi-coastally to eliminate Amazon placement fees.
Services
Print and apply FNSKU barcode labels to each unit. Covers existing manufacturer barcodes per Amazon requirements. Thermal-printed labels for scan reliability.
$0.35/unit 1–2 daysSeal products in clear poly bags with suffocation warning labels. Required for textiles, plush items, and products with loose parts.
$0.30/unit 1–2 daysWrap fragile items in bubble wrap or place into protective overboxes. Amazon-compliant prep for glass, ceramics, electronics, and liquids.
$0.50/unit 1–2 daysAssemble multi-SKU sets into single FBA-ready packages. Apply ‘Sold as Set’ labels. Custom insert placement and marketing material.
$0.70/set 1–2 daysApply suffocation warning stickers to all poly-bagged items with opening >5 inches. Amazon compliance requirement since 2024.
Included With poly-bagHeat-shrink wrap for multi-packs, box sets, and items requiring tamper-evident sealing.
$0.40/set 1–2 daysVisual inspection for damage, missing parts, wrong items. Count verification against packing list. Photo documentation on request.
Included With unloadingPack prepped units into Amazon-compliant cartons. Apply carton labels. Optimize box sizes to minimize dimensional weight fees.
Included With unloading
Key Service
FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) is Amazon’s unique barcode that ties a product to your specific seller account. Unlike a UPC or EAN, an FNSKU ensures that your inventory is never commingled with another seller’s stock of the same product.
If you ship to FBA without FNSKU labels, Amazon either rejects the shipment or defaults to commingled inventory. Commingling means a customer could receive another seller’s counterfeit or damaged stock under your listing — resulting in negative reviews and potential account suspension.
We print FNSKU labels in-house using thermal printers for maximum scan reliability. Labels are applied over existing manufacturer barcodes. Each unit is scanned after labeling to verify accuracy before packing into cartons. Error rate: under 0.1%.
Error Rate
Label Printing
Post-Scan Verify
Protection
Your inventory is in expert hands from the moment it reaches our Edison, NJ warehouse. Every unit is barcode-scanned at receiving and on every movement, giving you full chain-of-custody visibility from unload through prep to Amazon dispatch. Goods in our custody are covered under our Warehouseman’s Legal Liability (bailee) insurance, and any handling discrepancy is documented and worked through a clear claims process. With 24/7 surveillance and controlled, badge-only access, your stock stays secure and accounted for end to end.
When you use a separate prep center that isn’t your freight forwarder, liability gaps form at every handoff. The forwarder says “we delivered full container.” The prep center says “we only received this count.” With ARDI, one company unloads your container, counts units, preps, and dispatches. Documented chain of custody eliminates finger-pointing.
Cargo guarantee does not cover goods confiscated by regulatory agencies. ARDI’s goal is to prevent this from happening. Through our pre-shipment inspection service, ARDI verifies HS codes, required certifications (FDA, CPSIA, FCC), and labeling compliance before your goods leave the factory. This reduces the risk of US Customs seizure to near zero.
Resolution: Warehouse-stage claims resolved within 3 months.
Workflow
Inventory arrives at our Edison dock either via container drayage from Port Newark (25 miles) or from your own shipping arrangements. Here is the NJ-specific prep workflow:
We unload your shipment, count every unit against the packing list, and flag discrepancies. Container unloading takes 2–4 working hours. Individual pallets and parcels are processed same-day.
Each SKU gets a prep plan based on Amazon’s 2026 category requirements. Our team checks the current FBA prep requirements for your ASINs and applies the correct combination of labeling, bagging, wrapping, or bundling.
Labels printed and applied. Poly-bags sealed. Bundles assembled. Each unit inspected before packing. Our SPN certification means Amazon has verified our prep quality and processes.
Prepped units packed into Amazon-compliant cartons. Carton labels applied. SPD shipments dispatched to EWR4 (30 mi), TEB6 (35 mi), ABE8 (65 mi), or any assigned FC. Same-day dispatch for orders completed before 2 PM EST.
Total prep turnaround: 1–2 days from receiving to dispatch for standard orders.
Same-day prep available for urgent shipments under 500 units. Full container loads: 2–3 days including unloading.
Coverage
The exact path your container takes from factory to Amazon shelf through our Edison facility:
SPD cartons arrive same day
Same-day delivery
Next-day delivery
Next-day delivery
Next-day delivery
Same-day container drayage
Facility
Operated by ARDI Express NJ LLC
NY Metro Coverage
Population within 2-hour radius for DTC
Our prep center operates inside the same 3PL warehouse that handles container unloading, storage, and fulfillment. Inventory moves from container to prep station to Amazon in one facility with zero truck transfers between buildings.
Services
Remove retail packaging, apply FNSKU labels, poly-bag per Amazon’s category requirements, and pack into mixed-SKU cartons. We handle both individual units and bulk OA shipments.
Condition verification (New, Used-Like New, etc.), FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging for books with dust jackets, and carton building optimized for book weight limits. We know Amazon’s book-specific prep requirements.
FAQ
No. Amazon discontinued its in-house prep service in January 2026. Sellers must now use a third-party FBA prep center or handle labeling, bagging, and packaging themselves before shipping to FBA warehouses.
FNSKU is Amazon’s unique barcode that ties a product to your seller account. Every unit sent to FBA must have an FNSKU label unless you opt into commingled inventory (not recommended). Without proper FNSKU labels, Amazon rejects inbound shipments.
Standard turnaround is 1–2 business days from receiving to FBA dispatch. Same-day prep is available for urgent orders under 500 units. Full container loads (FCL) take 2–3 days including unloading and quality inspection.
Cargo in ARDI’s custody is covered by Warehouse Legal Liability (bailee) insurance from receiving through dispatch. Certificate of insurance and policy limits available on request.
Yes. Our Edison facility is 35 miles from Manhattan and serves the entire NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. Sellers based in New York City often use us because Edison offers lower warehouse costs than NYC while maintaining same-day access to all major Amazon FCs in the region.
New Jersey hosts many FBA prep providers due to its port proximity and Amazon FC density. ARDI differentiates by combining FMC-licensed freight forwarding with FBA prep under one company — container goes from Port Newark to our dock to Amazon without a third-party handoff. Most NJ prep centers handle only the prep step, not the upstream freight.
Yes. We prep OA shipments including retail packaging removal, FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging, and mixed-SKU carton building. Both individual units and bulk OA shipments accepted. No minimum order requirement.
Yes. ARDI Express is an Amazon Seller Performance Navigator (SPN) partner. Our prep processes are verified by Amazon to meet FBA compliance standards. SPN status means Amazon has audited and approved our labeling, packaging, and shipping procedures.
Contact
Amazon stopped doing prep in January 2026. If your goods arrive at an FBA warehouse without proper FNSKU labels, poly-bags, or packaging — Amazon rejects them. Don’t lose sales waiting for a prep solution. Tell us your SKU count, prep requirements, and monthly volume. Receive per-unit pricing and forwarding from our Edison warehouse within 24 hours.
Warehouse & 3PL services only. Freight forwarding is quoted separately by ARDI Logistics.
Takes about 60 seconds. Ranges are fine. We reply within 24 hours.
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