Guides › Choosing a prep center

How to Choose an Amazon FBA Prep Center: 12 Questions to Ask

By the PrepWorx team · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read

Cost

1. What exactly is included in the per-unit fee?

Watch out for nickel-and-diming: a low introductory per-unit rate, then a steady stream of add-on fees for labels, bags, label removal, "special handling" and anything else they can bill separately. Those add up quickly. Ask for the full price list: receiving, processing, bundles, fragile items, liquids, storage, outbound boxes and disposal.

2. Are there minimums or contracts?

Look for monthly volume minimums, minimum spend, setup fees and how much notice you need to give to leave. Long contracts are a red flag for a new relationship.

3. Will I pay sales tax on inventory shipped there?

Prep centers in Oregon, Delaware, Montana and New Hampshire are in states with no sales tax, so retail purchases shipped there aren't taxed. That alone can be worth more than the prep fee. See how much you'd save in your state.

4. How is storage charged, and when?

Find out how many free days you get, what it costs after that, and what happens to inventory that sits too long.

Speed

5. What's your turnaround, and what is it in Q4?

Ask for an average, not a best case: time from arrival to checked in, and from your request to shipped. Then ask what happens in November and December, when every prep center is busiest.

6. How do you handle receiving?

Good centers check in every box against what you said was coming, flag shortages and damage, and tell you quickly. "We'll get to it" isn't a process.

Accuracy

7. What happens when you make a mistake?

Mislabeled or poorly prepped units can be refused by Amazon, or fixed by Amazon for a fee. Ask who pays when the prep center gets it wrong, and how they keep it from happening, such as scanning every unit.

8. Do you keep up with Amazon's rule changes?

Amazon changes its rules often. In 2026, for example, it stopped offering its own prep and labeling services in the US. A good prep center can explain the current requirements without looking them up.

Visibility and communication

9. Can I see my inventory in real time?

You should be able to see what's arrived, what's being prepped and what's shipped without having to ask. Prep centers that run on spreadsheets are a warning sign: the numbers are out of date the moment they're sent, versions get mixed up, and figuring out where a unit went turns into a back-and-forth of emails.

10. Does your software connect to Amazon?

Creating FBA shipments directly from your prep center inventory, with Amazon's packing and placement options, saves hours and cuts errors.

11. How do I reach you, and how fast do you answer?

Ask what channel they use (chat, Discord, email, phone) and how quickly they usually respond. Then send a question before you sign up and see how long the answer takes.

12. What do current clients say?

Read reviews on Google and prep center directories, and look for comments about communication and fixing problems, not just price.

Red flags

• A low headline rate with a long list of add-on fees
• Inventory tracked in spreadsheets instead of a real system
• No published pricing, or pricing that changes once you're sending inventory
• Vague turnaround ("it depends") with no average to point to
• No way to see your inventory without emailing someone
• Slow or no answers before you're even a client
• Long contracts or big setup fees up front

How PrepWorx answers these

Common questions