Prep center in China for MercadoLibre Full and Amazon
Your goods leave Shenzhen already labelled, repacked and palletised to the platform specification. Arriving at the warehouse badly prepared is the fastest way to lose a launch.
Respuesta rápida
What does a prep center in China do?
A prep center prepares your goods at origin so they can go straight into a marketplace warehouse with no further handling. In our Shenzhen warehouse we apply the SKU or FNSKU label that belongs to each unit, repack to the platform specification, verify actual measurements and weight, assemble kits where needed and palletise. Doing this in China costs a fraction of doing it in the destination country, and it avoids the most expensive scenario: the shipment being rejected at a MercadoLibre Full or Amazon FBA warehouse.
Service facts
- Where it runs
- Our own Shenzhen warehouse, before shipment
- Services
- SKU/FNSKU labelling, repacking, kitting, palletising
- Platforms
- MercadoLibre Full, Amazon FBA and your own store
- Verification
- Actual measurements and weight per unit and per master carton
- Scan test
- Every label checked for legibility
- Indicative labelling cost
- USD 0.10 – 0.20 per unit
- Timing
- During storage in the run-up to shipment closing
Why prepare at origin instead of at destination
Preparing goods in the destination country means paying local labour, paying for storage while the work is done and, in many cases, paying for a second inland move. Preparing them in Shenzhen happens while the shipment is already waiting for the rest of your orders, using the idle time of consolidation.
The second reason matters more than the cost: rejection. A marketplace warehouse that receives units without the correct label, with a barcode that will not scan or with packaging outside the specification will return the shipment or hold it. Recovering from that costs weeks and, on a seasonal launch, the whole season.
What we prepare for MercadoLibre Full
MercadoLibre requires every unit to carry a label with the SKU of the listing, readable by a barcode scanner. We apply the label on a visible face, scan each one to confirm it reads correctly and check that it does not cover mandatory product information or the product's legal labelling.
Where volume allows, we palletise to the platform specification and label the pallet with its identification. The exact requirements vary by country and category, so we confirm them against your listing before labelling, not after.
What we prepare for Amazon FBA
For Amazon we apply the FNSKU label per unit, or validate the manufacturer's labelling when the product already carries an approved barcode. We add polyethylene bags with the suffocation warning when the product ships loose in a bag, check that master cartons stay within the weight and dimension limits, and confirm that every unit can be scanned without opening the master carton.
We also review category restrictions before preparing the shipment. A product that needs prior approval and reaches the warehouse without it is a lost shipment, and checking that in Shenzhen costs one enquiry; checking it at destination costs the entire shipment.
Kitting, bundles and repacking
When you sell multi-unit packs or product combinations, we build the set at origin with its own SKU and label, and size the packaging to the real dimensions of the kit. That stops the marketplace from receiving loose components and stops you having to assemble the bundle at destination, which is one of the most expensive per-unit operations there is.
We also use the same pass to optimise volume: we replace oversized boxes, strip out redundant packaging when the product is already protected and group units into master cartons. In textiles, plastics and housewares the reduction in chargeable volume typically falls between 20% and 40%, and it translates directly into a lower freight invoice.
| Prep in Shenzhen | Prep in the destination country | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour cost | Chinese per-unit rate | Local rate, several times higher |
| Timing | Uses the consolidation window | Requires an extra logistics stage |
| Storage | No extra cost during the days before shipment | Storage is billed for the prep time |
| Risk of warehouse rejection | Checked and verified before shipping | Discovered on arrival, with the shipment already out of your hands |
| If there is a labelling error | Fixed in Shenzhen before it leaves | The shipment has to be recovered, relabelled and sent again |
| Cost of a rejection | Avoided at origin | Freight paid twice plus the lost sale |
How we prepare your shipment
- 01
Receiving
The goods arrive at the warehouse, are identified by SKU and photographed.
- 02
Specification
We confirm the platform's labelling and packaging requirements against your listing.
- 03
Labelling
We apply the SKU or FNSKU per unit and scan every code to confirm it reads.
- 04
Repacking and kitting
We resize packaging, assemble kits and cut chargeable volume.
- 05
Verification
We check actual measurements and weight per unit and per master carton.
- 06
Palletising
We palletise and label to specification, ready for shipment.
Frequently asked questions about the prep center
What is a prep center and why run one in China?
A prep center prepares goods to enter a marketplace warehouse: labelling, repacking, measurement and weight verification, and palletising. Running that prep in China instead of in the destination country costs a fraction, because labour is cheaper and because the goods are already in our hands during consolidation. It also avoids the most expensive scenario: goods arriving at a MercadoLibre or Amazon warehouse and being rejected because their labelling or packaging does not meet the specification.
What labels do I need for MercadoLibre Full?
MercadoLibre requires every unit to carry a label with the SKU that matches the listing, in a format a barcode scanner can read and printed at a quality high enough to be scanned without errors. The label must sit on a visible face and must not cover mandatory product information. The exact requirements vary by country and product type, and they should be confirmed against the live listing before labelling starts.
And for Amazon FBA?
Amazon requires an individual FNSKU label per unit, or the manufacturer's own labelling if the product already carries an approved barcode. Packaging requirements also apply: polyethylene bags with a suffocation warning when the product ships loose in a bag, cartons whose weight and dimensions stay within the limits, and specific restrictions for products sold as a set. Every unit must be scannable without opening the master carton.
Can you assemble kits or bundles?
Yes. We group several SKUs into a single sellable package, with its own SKU and label, and with the packaging sized to the whole set. This is especially useful when you sell multi-unit packs or product combinations, because it stops the marketplace from receiving loose components that you would then have to assemble in the destination country.
Do you repack to reduce volume?
Yes, and repacking is usually one of the line items where the most is saved. We replace oversized boxes with tightly sized packaging, remove redundant individual packaging when the product is already protected, and group units into master cartons. On light, bulky products the reduction in chargeable volume typically runs between 20% and 40%.
What happens if the platform rejects my goods?
Preventing that rejection is exactly what this service is for. Before the goods ship we check that the labels scan, that the declared measurements and weight match reality, and that the packaging meets the platform specification. When we have prepared the shipment ourselves, a rejection for labelling or packaging is exceptional, and if one happens we review it with the shipment record in front of us.
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Tell us what you need to buy
Send us a 1688 link, a photo or a sample of the product, plus your estimated volume. You get back a shortlist of vetted suppliers, a landed price to your warehouse and a realistic production lead time.
We reply within 24 business hours. See how the process works