Changes to Amazon Vendor USA labelling requirements

Starting 1st July 2024, there are updated Amazon Vendor labelling requirements.

These are first being rolled out across North America, but as with all changes that occur in North America, we expect these to be replicated across the EU in the medium term future.

What's changing?

The major changes are as follows:

• Pallets must have an SSCC or AMZNCC License plate barcode. It's no longer sufficient to just put an ASN label on the pallet.  
• Packages within Pallets no longer require adding PO, PRO, ARN, Ship To/From information on the carton label. The carton labels must still contain the License plate SSCC or AMZNCC. 
• Packages shipped small parcel (non-palletized) must now require the AMZNCC or SSCC; the GTIN14 code is no longer sufficient for Small Parcel Shipments. 

What does this mean? 

Firstly, this is a step up in granularity and a bit of extra work for labelling. The Pallet-level SSCC requirement means that vendors who ship multiple pallets will have to assign each carton to the relevant pallet, rather than just specifying the number of pallets in a given LTL shipment. 

Secondly, this is a bit of a downgrade for the GTIN14 and Goldlist barcoding. The Goldlist has historically been seen as a nice alternative to not needing to carton label each box, though with this change all Small Parcel shipments will require a License plate code (either SSCC or AMZNCC). For palletized shipments, the GTIN14 barcode should still work on the individual cartons, though the pallet level SSCC requirement means that Vendors will need to assign specific cartons to each pallet. 

Lastly, the dropped requirement to add in Shipment level info on a palletized shipment will be a mild benefit to Vendors. This means that cartons in the pallet shipment only need a license plate code, or GTIN14 code, rather than the ASN label as well. 

What will be the implication for me? 

If you ship in pallets, you will need to be recording which cartons were on which pallet. You can do this via an EDI system like KhooCommerce or manually inside Vendor Central. 

If you ship small parcel, you will need to implement License plate SSCCs (via EDI) or AMZNCCs for shipments if you currently use the GTIN14 label.

Further Questions? 

If you would like to ask us about this or have further questions please send us a message! 

Here's a full description of the changes: 

Labelling Requirements for Palletised Shipments:

For both single-SKU and mixed-SKU pallets, ensure that the label incorporates the following information:

1. License Plate (LP) Barcode (SSCC or AMZNCC)
2. Ship-from and Ship-to Addresses
3. Purchase Order Text and Barcode

For single-SKU pallets, include a product identifier text (UPC, GTIN-12, EAN, ISBN, GTIN-14, ASIN, or SKU), and for mixed-SKU pallets, use a "Mixed SKU" placard. Additionally, include the expiration date for single-SKU pallets, if applicable.

Optional information on each pallet label may include the Bill of Lading (BOL), Progressive Rotating Order/Progressive Number (PRO), Pallet Number, Total Number of Pallets, Total Number of Cartons on the Pallet, and Amazon Reference Number (ARN) for collect vendors.

If transmitting advance shipment notifications via EDI, provide pallet LP information at the tare level.

Labelling Requirements for Single-SKU Cartons within Palletized Shipments:

For single-SKU (identical) cartons within single- and mixed-SKU pallets, the carton label must include a logistic barcode, item description, and quantity.

Optional details on the carton labels within palletized freight include purchase order, ship-from, ship-to, and carrier details (such as PRO, BOL, and ARN).

The logistic barcode must be one of the following: SSCC, AMZNCC, 2D-barcode packaging slip (BPS), or GTIN-14. If opting for GTIN-14, it requires pre-registration and adherence to specific guidelines.

Labelling Requirements for Single-SKU Cartons in Non-Palletized Shipments:

Single-SKU cartons shipped in non-palletized form must have a label that includes logistic barcodes (SSCC, AMZNCC, or BPS), ship-from and ship-to addresses, purchase order text and barcode, product identifier text, item description, quantity, and expiration date if applicable. Optional information on each carton label may include BOL, PRO, and ARN.

Requirements for Other Shipment Formats:

For all multi-SKU cartons, regardless of palletization, and Direct Import shipments, specific labelling requirements are outlined, including logistic barcodes, ship-from and ship-to addresses, and purchase order details. Small parcel shipments must include a carrier tracking number on individual cartons.

See full article on Amazon