Amazon Small and Light FBA Program – A 2024 Guide for Sellers!

The Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program can be a great option for anyone looking to sell on the marketplace without worrying about the logistic hassles involved with storing, packaging, and shipping products to customers. It’s basically order fulfillment on auto with no strings attached.

But what if you have small or inexpensive items to sell? Surely, paying the multiple fees associated with Amazon FBA could leave you with little to no profits?

Well, that’s where the Amazon FBA Small and Light (SNL) program comes into play!

What is Small and Light FBA? 

Amazon's Small and Lightweight FBA is a cost-cutting fulfillment program aimed at sellers that sell small and light products, priced under $10. It helps you minimize storage and shipping overheads for your small and lightweight inventory while providing almost all the perks of the standard FBA program. 

With SNL, you can run a profitable store on Amazon without losing the competitive edge against regular FBA sellers.

The program also helps Amazon optimize its operations where it can utilize its resources in a better way to handle the products that may be too small or lightweight for regular FBA services. 

What is Considered Small for Amazon? 

Any product that measures 18 x 14 x 8 inches or less and weighs 3 lb. or less is considered small by Amazon and qualifies for the FBA small and light fulfillment in 2022. That said, the company often revises these requirements from time to time, so it’s recommended to consult the official Amazon SNL help page for future purposes.  

Are FBA Small and Light listings and Amazon add-on items the one and the same thing?

FBA Small and Light vs Amazon Add-on

Products included in the Amazon Add-on program cannot be shipped as single units and customers can only purchase them with FBA orders valued at $25 or more. Furthermore, the program is fully automated, and sellers have no control over what gets added or dropped from the add-on listings.

In contrast, Small and Light products don’t have to be a part of a larger order and can be shipped as single units. Sellers also get to decide what items to enroll in the program.

How Does SNL Differ from Regular FBA?

While the idea behind regular FBA and Amazon SNL is the same, the two programs have some important differences, especially  when it comes to fulfillment fees and delivery times. 

• The standard FBA fulfillment fee is calculated based on the product category, dimensional weight, size tier, and shipping weight. For Amazon SNL, the fulfillment fee only depends on the latter two. 
• Regular FBA items get next-day delivery. However, small and light products typically take 3-5 days to ship. 

The delayed shipment is what actually makes FBA Small and Light a low-cost fulfillment program. Unlike standard FBA products, Amazon doesn’t have to worry about delivering small and light items the next day of receiving an order, charging a lesser fee to sellers. 

Small and Light FBA fees 2022

Here's the Small and Light FBA fee structure as laid out by Amazon on April 28, 2022:

Do SNL products qualify for the Prime badge?

Yes, SNL products qualify for the Prime badge, just like regular FBA items. Having the Prime badge makes your listing visible to more than 170 million active Prime users worldwide. It’s a great way to boost your sales. 

This brings us to our next question…

Is FBA Small and Light Worth It?

FBA Small and Light provides an excellent opportunity for sellers to maximize their profit margins while offering reliable order fulfillment services to customers. Here are the main benefits of the program:

• Save money: As discussed earlier, Amazon SNL allows you to avail FBA services for a fraction of the standard fee. This helps you save money on your operational overheads.
• No Minimum Order Requirement: There is no minimum order requirement under Amazon SNL. Customers can buy as many units of your product as they like, and you’ll still be able to ship them their orders using Small and Light FBA.
• Give Discounts for Free: With Amazon SNL, you can offer free discounts of up to 5% for items priced at $5 or lower if a customer purchases more than one unit from you. Amazon won’t charge you the cost of the discount.
• Multi-Channel Fulfillment: Amazon SNL supports multi-channel fulfillment, allowing you to fulfill your orders on several marketplaces outside of Amazon, including Shopify and Walmart. However, make sure to check out the corresponding fees for each respective platform.

Disadvantages of Amazon SNL

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Here are some of the disadvantages of Amazon SNL:

• The program is only available in selected countries. Even prominent marketplaces like Australia don’t have access to it. 
• Despite being "Prime-eligible," the products listed under the Amazon SNL program do not qualify for next-day delivery.
• Sellers must comply with specific prep and shipping requirements, resulting in extra work.

What Marketplaces Support SNL?

Amazon SNL is available in seven countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Every marketplace has a separate fee structure, meaning the FBA Small and Light Germany program fees will differ from the Small and Light UK program.

Does Amazon offer FBA Small and Light in Canada?

Unfortunately, FBA sellers in Canada don’t have access to the Amazon Small and Light program yet. However, this may change in the future.  

How to Start with Amazon Small and Light FBA

To get started with Amazon Small and Light FBA, you first need to determine if your product is even eligible to qualify for the program. 

FBA Small and Light eligibility 

We have already discussed some of the requirements for FBA Small and Light earlier. For example, your product must not measure more than 18 x 14 x 8 inches. Also, it must weigh 3lb or less. Additionally, it must be in new condition and priced at $10 or less.  

Other SNL Amazon requirements are very much similar to regular FBA, where you must not sell:

• Adult products
• FBA prohibited products
• Restricted products
• Dangerous goods 
• Temperature-sensitive products 

Is media eligible for Small and Light FBA?

Media products are eligible for Amazon Small and Light FBA as long as they meet the eligibility criteria and don't fall under the restricted category.

Next, let’s discuss how to enroll your products in the Amazon Small and Light program.

How do I add items to SNL on Amazon?

Amazon's small and light product enrollment is pretty straightforward. 

1. Go to Amazon's FBA Small and Light page and click the Get started button. You’ll be prompted to log in to your Seller Central account. Once done, the Amazon servers will redirect you to the SNL enrollment page. 
2. On the SNL enrollment page, you have two options: 

1. Quick enroll: This allows you to register less up to 100 MSKUs. Simply enter your product IDs to check their eligibility. Click “Enroll Selected Products” to register eligible SKUs for the FBA Small and Light program. 
2. Download a template: This option works best for enrolling up to 50,000 MSKUs in bulk. Basically you download an excel file and fill it up with the relevant information, including the MSKUs of the products you want to register. Save the file in Text (tab delimited) format. Upload on Seller Central.  

3. Go to the inventory page and check the FBA fee to confirm if your product has been successfully enrolled in the Amazon SNL program. 

Once registered, you can ship your product(s) to your designated Amazon fulfillment center to get your listing live.

Is there anything you should keep in mind when sending my SNL inventory to Amazon?

Yes, absolutely! 

FBA Small and Light prep requirements

In addition to standard FBA packaging and prep requirements, you must comply with Amazon's small and light prep and packaging guidelines when shipping products to Amazon. Here are the most important ones:

• Each unit must be packed separately and have an Amazon barcode
• If using FBA Label Service, make sure each unit has a single scannable barcode such as EAN, UPC, etc, placed in a flat, accessible location. Avoid putting the barcodes on the curve, seam, or corner of your packaging
• Fragile items and sharp objects must be safely packaged to avoid breakage or injury. Crushable items must be prepared and packed to prevent damage
• The shipment must have a minimum of 24 units for each packaged SKU to be accepted at the fulfillment center

How to Get the Most from Small and Light Program

Like anything else, finding success with the Amazon Small and Light program requires careful planning and thorough execution. Here are some tips to follow:  

Manage your inventory proactively

Make sure you are proactively managing your inventory. SNL items can often move fast, and the last thing you'd want is to go out of stock when customers are in the queue ready to place their order. You will not only lose potential sales but it will also affect your account health and seller ranking. You can set up inventory replenishment alerts inside your Seller Central to monitor inventory levels. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools like ZonGuru’s My Products. 

Price your products wisely

Higher profit margins can be enticing, but you must price your products competitively to get the most from the FBA Small and Light program. Keep a close tab on your competitors and evaluate their listings daily to stay alert on any sudden price changes.

Optimize your product listings

A well-optimized listing can go a long way in boosting conversions. Write SEO and buyer-friendly product title, bullet points, and description, add high-quality images, and work on A+ Content to make your product more sellable. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon FBA Small and Light Program

Is there any fee you must pay when using Amazon SNL?

The registration for Amazon SNL program is absolutely free. However, just like the standard FBA program, you must pay an FBA fee, referral fee, order removal fee, returns processing fee, and labelling fee (optional) to use the service.

Can you have both small and light and standard FBA?

Yes, you can have both standard FBA and Small and Light FBA for your product. You must create a new SNL offer for the latter, though. 

Enrolling in the Amazon SNL program will not change your existing standard FBA offers. However, Amazon will convert listings not meeting the eligibility criteria for FBA Small and Light to regular FBA and charge the standard applicable fees.

How to identify FBA Small and Light products in Amazon Seller Central?

Amazon Seller Central has a tool called FBA Opportunities that helps sellers analyze their catalog, recommending ASINs for various programs, including FBA Small and Light. You can use the machine-learning system to your advantage and identify offers that would qualify and benefit from the SNL program.

Is Small and Light next-day delivery?

The next-day delivery is not available for Small and Light FBA orders. The products are eligible for free 3 to 5 days shipping for Prime members and 6 to 8 days shipping for non-Prime members.

Can SNL increase your sales rank?

Yes, it can. Sales rank on Amazon is calculated based on historical sales data. Higher sales volume contributes to an increase in the sales rank of an ASIN. The sales volume for products listed under the Amazon SNL program tends to be higher since these products are priced on a lower end and have no minimum order requirements. 

Is SNL available to B2B sellers?

Yes, Amazon SNL is available to B2B sellers. If you meet the product criteria, you are eligible for the program, whether you're a B2B or B2C company.

Conclusion

Enrolling in Amazon SNL program will allow you to make more profits than you'd make using the standard FBA or FBM fulfillment options. While the program comes with some additional preparation requirements, considering the benefits it brings to the table, it's worth the extra effort.

It's also worth noting opting for FBA small and light means Amazon will do all the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus more on growing your business.

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