Any shipment received at an Amazon fulfillment center without box content information is subject to fees that Amazon assesses. InventoryLab has built options to provide this information into your workflow to make your life easier!
2D Barcode Label Requirements
The 2D barcode labels generated by InventoryLab are PD417, the type recommended by Amazon.
Amazon also recommends printing these labels using either a thermal or laser printer. Their support article states:
We recommend thermal or laser printers for printing your 2D barcode labels. Do not use inkjet printers. To prevent the PDF print area from scaling, make sure the printer’s scaling settings are set to none or 100%. We also recommend that you periodically test your barcodes by scanning them.
For more information, please refer to their article Send to Amazon: 2D barcodes for box content information.
Box Content Settings
To provide box content using 2D barcodes, you must have this option turned on both in Seller Central and in InventoryLab.
Turning on 2D Barcodes in Seller Central
Log in to Seller Central and click the Settings gear in the upper-right corner.
Hover over it and select Fulfillment by Amazon from the dropdown menu, as shown below:
Locate the Inbound Settings section and confirm that the option for 2D Barcodes for Box Content Information is Enabled.
If not, click the Edit button.
Select Enable in the 2D Barcodes for Box Content Information section, then click Update.
Turning on Box Content in InventoryLab
When creating a new batch on the List > List & Prep page, set the Box Contents option to On - Using 2D Barcode.
With this selection, you're all set to generate 2D barcodes for your boxes during the Box It portion of the batch workflow.
Note: If you forgot to change the Box Contents information while creating the batch, don't worry, you can edit a batch to switch from Feed to 2D Barcode in either Find It or Box It. Simply click the three dots by your batch name, and select Edit Batch Information.
Assigning Items to Boxes
Note: Amazon allows up to 100 items per box but only 700 characters per 2D Barcode label. Due to variables that affect the number of characters needed per item, we have set the limit to a maximum of 40 ASINs per box to prevent issues.
After you have added your items to your batch, you will be moving to Box It.
If you have Box Contents On for your batch, you'll need to assign each item to a box.
You can assign your items to boxes manually or in bulk. You also have the option to copy boxes, duplicate boxes, switch the quantities of a box to a different box, and more! For more details, see Providing Box Contents Using Feeds.
Printing Labels
To print FNSKU labels from this page, click the checkbox icon located next to the search bar.
Select the checkbox next to the item(s) for which you’d like to print labels. Click Print Labels if you use a thermal label printer.
You also have the option to print 30-up labels by clicking this option on the menu bar.
A popover will appear asking how many labels you'd like to print.
If you are only printing labels for one item, this will default to showing the total number of labels you need. If you want to print a different number, enter the number of labels you would like to print. Select Print.
If you are printing labels for more than one item at a time, the field will be blank. Click Print to automatically print the correct number of labels for each item. Alternatively, enter a number to print that exact amount for each selected item, even if it's more or less than you need.
Entering Box Weights and Dimensions
Once you've finished boxing your items, you'll need to enter box weights and dimensions.
If you have Box Contents On, see "Adding Box Weight & Dimensions" in Providing Box Contents Using Feeds. Then skip down to "Shipping Your Boxes" below.
If you have Box Contents Off, it's best to enter each box's weight and dimensions one at a time. Start by packing all your boxes for one group. If you have more than one box in the group, click + New Box until you have all the boxes you need.
Finally, click on your box and enter the weight, length, width, and height of one of your boxes. Repeat until all your boxes have been filled in.
Shipping Your Boxes
To finish the Box It step, click Next in the lower right if you have not done so already.
If you missed the weight and dimensions of any of your boxes, you'll be prompted to enter them now. Fill in all fields and then click Save and continue.
You'll see the popover shown below. In the Shipping Mode field, select Small Parcel Shipment(s) - SPD if you're only sending boxes, then choose your Ship Date. Alternatively, switch to Less Than Truckload Shipment(s) - LTL if you're shipping your boxes on pallets. Click Confirm Shipping Mode when ready.
You'll then arrive on our Ship It step, where you can choose from a variety of shipment options and purchase and print your labels.
For information on completing shipments, please refer to the articles below: