New Seller Guide
You're Launching on Amazon. Here's What FBA Prep Actually Costs.
Most FBA prep guides online say the same generic things. We run the dock. Here's what it actually costs to get a first Amazon shipment inspected, labeled, and boxed — with the math shown, not a sales pitch.
Free quote · Reply within one business day · No sales call
Get a fulfillment quote in 24 hours
Tell us what you sell and your monthly volume. A real person replies within one business day with exact numbers.
Before you request a quote
Know the cost. Check the fit. Plan your first shipment.
Start with a small shipment or an established operation. There is no minimum volume. Tell us what you sell so we can confirm the handling, space and shipping you actually need.
What will my first month cost?
Example: 500 full-service FBA units under 5 lb × $0.75 = $375. If each needs a $0.20 polybag, add $100; one inbound pallet adds $20 and one full billable pallet-month adds $25. Total: $520 before outbound shipping or other requested work.
Examples use standard storage in the first three months. Long-stay pallet rates are $28/month in months 3–6 and $32/month after six months. Your written quote separates receiving, storage, handling, materials and shipping. Build your own estimate.
Why are there two handling prices?
Under 5 lb, Lean FBA is $0.50/unit and Lean FBM is $1.75/order when goods arrive pre-packed and ready to label. Full-service handling is $0.75/FBA unit or $2.00/FBM order; materials and postage are separate. These are service tiers, not automatic volume discounts.
Heavier items use different weight bands; over 15 lb or bulky items need a written quote. See the complete rate card.
Can you handle my products and platform?
Share your product type, packed dimensions and weight, sales platform and expected volume. Small batches and returns-only enquiries are welcome. Batteries, liquids, food, supplements, temperature-sensitive, hazardous or oversized items need acceptance and handling requirements confirmed before you ship.
For Shopify, Amazon, Walmart or another platform such as Amboras, tell us how orders and inventory are exchanged. The team confirms the connection or file workflow before onboarding; a platform name alone does not guarantee a supported integration.
How do I send inventory?
- Send your SKU list, dimensions, weights and carton/pallet count.
- Receive the written scope, rates and product-acceptance confirmation.
- Confirm account setup, labeling and receiving instructions with the team before dispatch.
- Send shipment details and tracking; agree the first prep job or order workflow.
Receiving location: 6117 Long Dr, Houston, TX 77087. Confirm inbound instructions before sending goods.
What about shipping and storage dimensions?
For a shipping estimate, send origin and destination ZIP codes, packed dimensions, weight, parcel count and desired delivery speed. Handling prices do not include carrier postage. Storage is charged only by carton or pallet. Bin and shelf storage is included in our standard pick-and-pack rate, with no separate charge. Send product dimensions and quantities so the team can confirm usable space, availability and the applicable carton or pallet storage rate in writing.
After you enquire: a real person from our Houston team replies within one business day, confirms any missing details and sends itemized pricing. You can ask for a written quote without booking a sales call. Unsure of volume? Select “Not sure yet” in the quote form.
What FBA prep actually includes
Full-service FBA handling for units under 5 lb is $0.75/unit, including FNSKU labeling and prep labor. Materials are separate: polybag $0.20/unit and bubble wrap $0.20/unit when needed. Receiving, storage and outbound freight are separate. Lean label-ready units start at $0.50; heavier units use the published weight bands.
If your supplier overseas already prints FNSKU labels, tell us and we skip that step. The rate stays $0.75/unit either way — it's priced for the handling and the compliance check, not just the sticker.
What it costs to launch through KAK
Four line items cover a typical FBA launch: prep, receiving, storage, and — if something comes back — returns. Here's the full published rate card:
| Service | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FBA prep | $0.75/unit | Full-service FBA handling for units under 5 lb is $0.75/unit, including FNSKU labeling and prep labor. Materials are separate: polybag $0.20/unit and bubble wrap $0.20/unit when needed. Receiving, storage and outbound freight are separate. Lean label-ready units start at $0.50; heavier units use the published weight bands. |
| Receiving | $20/pallet ($5/carton) | Charged on every inbound |
| Pallet storage | $25/pallet, monthly | Climate-controlled; billed for the fraction of the month actually used |
| Returns processing | $1.50/return | Inspection included |
No setup fee. No minimum unit count, SKU count, or monthly spend.
What a 500-unit launch actually costs
Say you're bringing in 500 units for a new listing — a common first-order size. Here's the math on published rates, no rounding tricks:
- Inbound freight lands as 2 pallets. Receiving: 2 × $20 = $40.
- FBA prep on all 500 units: 500 × $0.75 = $375.
- Storage while units sit waiting on an Amazon shipment ID — say 3 weeks, or 0.75 of a month, on those 2 pallets: 2 × $25 × 0.75 = $37.50.
Total: $452.50 to get 500 units from your dock to Amazon-ready — about $0.91/unit landed, before Amazon's own referral and fulfillment fees. No setup fee sits on top of that total.
This is a worked example, not a quote. Your actual pallet count and how long inventory sits before moving to Amazon will change the number — send your SKUs for pricing built on your case.
What new sellers ask before they sign
We hear a similar list of questions from almost every brand launching for the first time. Direct answers:
- Do you take small first orders? Yes. No minimum unit count, no minimum SKU count, no minimum monthly spend. We've onboarded clients starting at a single unit.
- Setup or onboarding fees? None. There's no setup fee and no charge to get your account running in our WMS. Software or integration needs beyond that are custom-quoted — tell us your specs and you'll have a number in 24 hours.
- Contract or cancellation penalties? No contract. We run month-to-month.
- Do prices go up during Q4 or peak season? No peak-season surcharges. The rate you sign at is the rate you pay in November.
- How fast does new inventory get processed? Anything received before our 2pm CT cutoff, Monday through Saturday, is prepped the same day.
Where first-time launches actually go wrong
Most problems on a first FBA shipment aren't about rate — they're about process, before the units ever reach a warehouse:
- No advance ship notice. Cartons show up with no packing list and no heads-up, which slows receiving because we're reconciling on the fly instead of checking against a manifest. Send an ASN — even a shared spreadsheet — before the truck leaves.
- Wrong poly bag call. Amazon requires a suffocation warning on poly bags above a certain opening size. Sellers who prep overseas sometimes miss it, which risks a rejection at Amazon's receiving dock. It's built into our $0.75/unit prep, not an add-on.
- Treating storage as free. Units sitting for weeks before an Amazon shipment plan gets created still accrue pallet storage. Build your Amazon shipment plan before inventory lands, not after.
- No plan for the DTC side. Brands launching FBA often run a Shopify or TikTok Shop storefront for the same product. Returns there run $1.50 each with inspection included — budget for it instead of finding out at invoice time.
What you get beyond the prep line
The per-unit rate isn't the whole relationship. Every account gets a live view into KAK WMS, our real-time inventory dashboard — unit counts, prep status, and shipment history without emailing us for an update. Lot-number and expiration-date tracking is available for products that need it.
Need kitting, bundling, a subscription box assembled, or a branded insert in every unit? We do it — custom-quoted, because labor varies with the spec. Tell us what you need and you'll have a number in 24 hours, not a guess.
Every shipment in the building carries insurance coverage up to $500,000, and we're liable for our own handling. That's how the facility runs, not a marketing line.
The warehouse behind the rate card
KAK Sourcing & Fulfillment has run fulfillment out of Houston since 2024.
The facility sits at 6117 Long Dr, Houston, TX 77087, monitored 24/7. Walk-ins are welcome with 24 hours' notice, Monday–Saturday, 9am–6pm CT.
Starting is simple: send your SKU list and unit counts through the quote form, or call +1 832 759 1368. For the full rate card across every service, see our price list or the broader pricing page; for storage specifics, how storage billing works; and for everything under one roof, our 3PL warehouse service page.
FAQ: launching on Amazon and FBA prep
Do you accept new brands with small unit counts, like 500 units?
What does the $0.75/unit FBA prep price actually include?
Is there a setup fee to get started?
How is storage billed?
What's the cutoff for same-day prep?
Do you charge extra during Q4 or peak season?
I also sell direct on Shopify or TikTok Shop — do you handle that too?
What happens with returns?
Is my inventory insured while it's in your warehouse?
Can I get kitting, bundling, or custom inserts for my launch?
Ready when you are
Get a fulfillment quote in 24 hours
Lean handling under 5 lb: FBA $0.50/unit or FBM $1.75/order for pre-packed goods. Full service: $0.75/FBA unit or $2.00/FBM order. Materials and postage are separate; storage is $25/pallet/month.