Amazon Prep
FBA Prep for Apparel and Textiles: Poly Bags, Labels and Size Sorting
By Alice Wu, CEO & Founder Published
Short answer
FBA prep for apparel means folding each item neatly, sealing it in a poly bag with a suffocation warning where required, placing a scannable FNSKU for the exact size and color, and keeping every carton consistent. Sorting mistakes between sizes are the most common risk.
FBA prep for apparel comes down to four jobs: fold each garment neatly and consistently, seal it in a poly bag (with a suffocation warning when the bag opening is 5 inches or more), apply the correct FNSKU for that exact size and color so it scans through the bag or sits on the outside, and pack cartons so their contents match the shipment plan. The biggest risk with clothing is not the bag. It is mixing up sizes and colors, which creates wrong items in your inventory and unhappy customers. Amazon’s prep rules change from time to time, so confirm current requirements in Seller Central before you prep.
This guide focuses on the workflow for clothing and textiles. If you want the details of bag thickness and warning label wording, see our separate post on poly bag suffocation warning label rules.
Why Apparel Needs Its Own Prep Plan
Most products have one barcode per design. Apparel multiplies that. A single T-shirt design in 5 sizes and 4 colors is 20 separate products, each with its own FNSKU. The garments look almost identical, the labels look almost identical, and they are often packed in the same session. That is where mistakes happen.
Textiles also pick up dust, moisture and snags, which is why Amazon’s prep guidance has listed apparel, fabric and textiles among the items that need a protective bag. Confirm the current category requirements in Seller Central.
Step 1: Folding
Fold every unit of the same SKU the same way, to the same size. Consistent folding:
- Keeps the bag size uniform, which keeps units per carton predictable
- Leaves a flat surface for the FNSKU label
- Makes it easier to see the size tag or printed size through the bag during checks
Use a folding board for T-shirts and similar items. For items that crease badly, ask your factory about tissue or a cardboard insert, keeping in mind that inserts add weight and thickness.
Step 2: Poly Bags
Each unit goes into its own clear, sealed poly bag. Key points:
- Size the bag to the folded garment. Too large and it wrinkles and catches; too small and the seal fails.
- Suffocation warning: bags with an opening of 5 inches or more need a suffocation warning, either printed on the bag or applied as a label. Most apparel bags fall into this group.
- Seal properly. Use self-seal adhesive strips or heat sealing. A bag that opens in transit defeats the purpose.
- Keep it transparent enough to scan. If the FNSKU is inside the bag, the bag must not block the scan.
Confirm current bag thickness and labelling requirements in Seller Central.
Step 3: FNSKU Placement
Each unit needs the FNSKU for its exact size and color variant. There are two common approaches:
- Label inside, scannable through the bag. The FNSKU is on the garment’s hangtag or a card, positioned flat behind clear film so it scans without opening the bag.
- Label on the outside of the bag. The FNSKU is applied to a flat area of the bag. This is the most common approach and usually the easiest to verify.
Either way, there must be only one scannable barcode visible on the unit. Cover or remove any other barcodes, such as a manufacturer’s UPC printed on the hangtag, if they could be scanned instead of the FNSKU. Our FNSKU labelling compliance checklist covers label specs in more detail.
Step 4: Sizes and Colors as Separate SKUs
Treat every size and color as its own product throughout prep:
| Risk point | What goes wrong | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Garments arrive mixed | Sizes mixed in factory cartons | Sort by size and color before any bagging starts |
| Similar labels | FNSKU for M applied to L | Print labels per SKU in separate batches; check the size on the label text |
| One table, many SKUs | Units drift between piles | Prep one SKU at a time and clear the table between SKUs |
| Size tag hidden | Checker cannot see size after bagging | Fold so the size tag or size sticker is visible, or add a size sticker on the bag |
| Carton packing | Wrong SKU added to a carton | Pack cartons per SKU and scan a sample from each carton before sealing |
Spot checks help. After a SKU is bagged and labelled, pull a few units, scan the FNSKU, and compare the product it returns with the size tag on the garment.
Step 5: Hangtags
Hangtags are fine to keep, but watch two things. First, if the hangtag carries its own barcode, make sure it cannot be scanned in place of the FNSKU. Second, attach tags so the plastic fastener does not pierce the poly bag or snag other garments. Tuck the tag inside the fold before bagging.
Step 6: Carton Contents
Shipping cartons should match what you declared in the shipment. In practice:
- Keep units per carton consistent for the same SKU
- If you pack more than one SKU in a carton, record exactly what is in each carton
- Fill empty space so the folded, bagged garments do not shift and crush
- Label each carton with the correct carton (box) label for the shipment
Check carton weight and dimension limits and current box content rules in Seller Central, since they apply to every shipment.
Shoes and Footwear
Shoes are usually shipped in their shoebox, with the FNSKU applied to the outside of the box and any other barcodes covered. If a shoe does not have a box, it generally needs to be bagged. Make sure the box is closed so it cannot open in handling, and that the left and right shoe of the same size are packed together. As with apparel, each size and color is a separate FNSKU. Confirm current footwear rules in Seller Central.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put the FNSKU on the garment’s care label?
It is not a good idea. Care labels are small, soft and folded inside the garment, so the barcode is hard to scan. Place the FNSKU on the outside of the poly bag or on a flat hangtag or card that scans clearly through the bag.
Do I need a suffocation warning on every apparel poly bag?
It applies to bags with an opening of 5 inches or more, which covers most bags used for clothing. Check the current rule in Seller Central and read our post on poly bag warning labels for details.
Should I shrink wrap clothing instead of poly bagging it?
Poly bags are the normal choice for single garments. Shrink wrap is more common for sets or bundles, such as multipacks of socks or a gift set in a box.
How do I stop size mix-ups?
Sort before you start, prep one SKU at a time, print labels in separate batches per SKU, and scan-check samples against the size tag before sealing each carton.
How We Can Help
At our facility in Longhua, Shenzhen, we sort apparel by size and color, poly bag and fold to your spec, and apply FNSKU labels. See our sorting and fulfillment service, FNSKU labeling service, and poly bagging and shrink wrapping service.