What is Amazon FBA Small and Light (and Is It Worth It)?
Amazon FBA is a tremendous benefit for retailers who need help sending orders to their customers. By using FBA to its best advantage, retailers have been able to increase both profits and customer satisfaction. However, Amazon FBA isn’t for everyone. Your products need to be at a certain price point in order to make Amazon FBA a profitable option.
That’s where Amazon FBA Small and Light comes in.
What is Amazon FBA Small and Light?
Amazon FBA Small and Light is a fulfillment program that is targeted towards small and fast-moving products that are priced under $7.
All products must have a dimension of 16 x 9 x 4 inches or less and weigh 10 oz or less. According to the Seller Central guide, all FBA Small and Light products are Prime-eligible with standard shipping for Prime customers within 3 to 5 days, while non-Prime customers receive their orders within 6-8 days.
Is Amazon Small and Light worth it for sellers?
Let’s review some of the pros of using Amazon Small and Light:
- Reduced fulfillment costs
- Products are now Prime-eligible
- Your products are covered under the A-to-z Guarantee
- No minimum-order requirement
- Available in multiple countries: US, UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Japan
- 5% discount for customers who order multiple items priced $5 and under
A potential downside of the Amazon Small and Light program is that it has very strict product guidelines. In order to qualify, a product must not be:
- Any condition other than new
- Temperature-sensitive
- Crushable
- ASINs with more than 30 units of the same product in Standard FBA. Sellers must clear all existing inventory from Standard FBA and then create a new offer for FBA Small and Light.
- Products with manufacturer barcodes or commingled offers. Amazon bar codes only
- Products from the prohibited item list:
- ASINs on Amazon.com more than 90 days old selling fewer than 25 units in the past 4 weeks
Of particular note is the last condition, which forbids slow-moving products from being enrolled into the FBA Small and Light program. You won’t be able to take advantage of the program if you don’t sell a high volume.
The other real downside is the longer shipping time. Many Amazon customers (Prime members especially) are accustomed to quick delivery, and being ineligible for overnight shipping could be a turn-off for some shoppers.
Even taking longer shipping times and item restrictions into account, the Amazon Small and Light program provides many clear benefits that make it a must-have for retailers that sell small and low-cost products.
How to Enroll in the FBA Small and Light Program
We’ve broken the enrollment process down into steps:
- Check that the products you want to enroll into FBA Small and Light follow the required guidelines, including weight, dimensions and price.
- Review the enrollment guide.
- Obtain an MSKU as per the instructions in the enrollment guide
- Go to the Amazon FBA Small and Light program enrollment page.
- Download the enrollment template
- Enter the MSKUs into the provided template fields
- Upload your file into Seller Central
- Review upload status
Once you’ve uploaded your MSKUs into Seller Central, don’t forget to ship your products to your local Amazon Fulfillment Center! Amazon recommends that you send at least enough inventory to cover 60 days’ worth of sales. Each unit of product should have a scannable bar code or be individually stickered.
Amazon has created a prep guide and shipping requirements cheat sheet for you to ensure there are no problems with shipping your FBA Small and Light products.
FBA Small and Light Fees
In the US, Amazon FBA Small and Light fees are as follows:
| Size | Weight | Fee per unit |
| 16 x 9 x 4 inches or less | Less than 4 oz | $1.97 |
| Greater than or equal to 4 oz and less than 10 oz | $2.39 |
Take the next step
Although Amazon FBA Small and Light does have restrictions that will prevent some retailers from enrolling in the program, it’s still a cost-effective alternative to Amazon’s regular FBA program. Customers will be able to enjoy the cost savings from lower fulfillment rates and the A-to-z Guarantee, While you benefit from lower fulfillment costs and a more reliable distribution chain.
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