Amazon will end partial shipment splits

To qualify for the optimized shipment and not pay placement fees you still have to send 5 identical boxes of the same sku right?

Update to FBA standard-size partial shipment split options

Hello,

Effective February 20, 2025, we’ll update the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inbound placement options for standard-sized products and the partial shipment splits option will no longer be offered.

Our redesigned fulfillment network now enables faster delivery for standard-size products through minimal and Amazon-optimized shipment splits.

With this change, you’ll be able to choose from the following two options:

  • Amazon-optimized shipment splits: There is no inbound placement service fee if you’re able to ship your shipments to multiple US
  • fulfillment centers.
  • Minimal shipment splits: For a fee, you can send your inventory to one location within a geographic region of your choosing.

Partial shipment splits will continue to be available for large bulky products.

For more information, go to 2025 FBA inbound

I don’t see how this is different from the current policy. If you ship to one FC, you pay. If you ship to five FCs, you don’t pay.

Yes, they’ll require 5 identical boxes of the same SKU.

There’s no right or wrong here, it completely depends on your business model and strategy.

The 5-box split is the only way to avoid paying a placement fee, which is obviously a positive! No placement fee = higher margins! However, you must order in multiples of five. If you don’t order at least five units per SKU, you will have to pay the fee.

The challenge with this approach is that you must ensure you’re ordering enough stock to create a 5-box shipment, and all the boxes must contain identical items. If you choose this strategy to avoid the fee, you need to make sure you’re ordering enough stock in one go to fill those five boxes. Failing to do so will cause delays in getting your units into Amazon.

I often see sellers who are desperate to get shipments in as fast as possible but don’t want to pay the placement fees, yet they simply don’t order enough stock to fill the five boxes, which ends up delaying their shipments. This usually leads to a shift in purchasing techniques.

The second approach, sending single boxes as fast as possible, can also be just as beneficial if it aligns with your system. Yes, you’ll have to factor in the additional expense of the placement fee, BUT you’ll get those units into Amazon and flipped for a profit much faster. This could make paying the placement fee worthwhile, as it allows you to sell through inventory quickly and rinse and repeat.

Personally, I recommend both methods to different sellers depending on their situation. It all comes down to factors like purchasing techniques, cash flow, and business model. For a standard OA seller, single-box shipments may be the better option, whereas a high-volume wholesale seller might benefit more from the 5-box split strategy.

This is my take on the two approaches! There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, just the strategy that suits you best. I hope I’ve explained this clearly!