Box count and total weight decide which of the three you're actually pricing.
Path one: your own small-parcel label
A shipment that fits inside Amazon's own small-parcel delivery (SPD) box rules can move on an ordinary USPS, UPS or FedEx label — the same kind SMKlog sells for any other US domestic parcel, bought through Seller Central's shipping-plan flow or pasted in from an outside label the way any other carrier label is. To put a real number on that path, we priced an 18 × 12 × 12 in, 20 lb carton of ceramic mugs on 2026-08-30, from Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 to a Southern California ZIP in a fulfillment-center-dense part of the Inland Empire, 92336.
| Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground Saver | $36.67 | Not quoted with this response |
| FedEx Ground Economy | $36.63 | 8-9 business days |
| USPS Ground Advantage | $39.46 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS Ground | $44.38 | 8-9 business days |
| FedEx Ground | $55.32 | 4-5 business days |
FedEx Ground Economy at $36.63 and UPS Ground Saver at $36.67 led this run within four cents of each other, while the faster-labeled FedEx Ground option at $55.32 cost noticeably more for a comparable window. SMKlog has no Seller Central integration and does not perform FBA prep or labeling — this is a carrier label price for the box, nothing more, priced the same way it would be for any other domestic parcel.
Path two: Amazon's own Partnered Carrier Program
Amazon runs its own inbound shipping program rather than leaving every seller to book their own carrier account. Amazon's program page, read 2026-08-30, describes the reach directly: “With PCP, you can send small-parcel deliveries (SPD) and less-than-truckload (LTL), full-truckload (FTL), and intermodal (IM) shipments” to Amazon's fulfillment network, booked entirely inside Seller Central rather than through a separate account. The same page states a stated saving: “Shipping costs through PCP are up to 25% lower compared to alternatives.”
The mechanism is a rate marketplace built into the shipping-plan flow: Amazon's page describes selecting a preferred partner carrier from a dynamic list of freight-ready dates with real-time cost estimates, rather than a fixed published rate card. That is the reason this page prices path one from a live SMKlog quote rather than quoting a PCP rate — PCP pricing only ever appears inside a seller's own Seller Central account at the moment of booking.
Path three: LTL freight on a pallet
Once a shipment is big enough to palletize — either because Amazon's own inbound plan calls for it or because the box count and total weight make individual small-parcel cartons impractical — the pricing model changes entirely. LTL freight is quoted by weight, pallet count and lane rather than by a single box's dimensions, and Amazon's box rules that govern path one (weight ceilings, minimum sizes, labeling) give way to pallet rules instead: a maximum footprint, a stacking height, and Amazon's own labeling on every unit rather than every box.
SMKlog does not price pallets through the parcel calculator. The one line this page can price directly, because it is the same US domestic parcel label SMKlog sells for any other purpose — see the live carton example above. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.
The fees that ride alongside the carrier charge
Inbound placement
Amazon can charge separately depending on how a shipment is split across its fulfillment network — sending everything to a small number of locations yourself, versus letting Amazon's own recommended split spread it wider. The current schedule and any waiver conditions live inside Seller Central, not on a public price page, so check it there before landing on a total cost.
Prep and labeling
If Amazon performs prep or labeling that a seller's own units arrive without, that is billed as its own line as well. Sending correctly prepped, correctly labeled cartons in the first place is the only lever a seller controls on this one.
The carrier label itself
The one line this page can price directly, because it is the same US domestic parcel label SMKlog sells for any other purpose — see the live carton example above. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.
None of these Amazon-side fees are set or collected by SMKlog. They are Seller Central line items on top of whatever the carrier charged to move the box, and the current numbers change; verify them in your own account before budgeting a per-unit landed cost.
Where these figures come from
- Amazon, Partner Carrier program (PCP) — program scope (SPD/LTL/FTL/IM), the Seller Central booking flow, and the up-to-25%-lower cost claim. Read 2026-08-30.
- Amazon, Fulfillment by Amazon — general program overview and the FBA New Selection program. Read 2026-08-30.
- SMKlog production quote engine — live carrier rates for the carton described above. Captured 2026-08-30.
Amazon's own box, pallet and fee rules for FBA are published and updated inside Seller Central rather than on a public page, and they change without notice. Check the current shipping-plan rules for your own shipment before packing it.
FBA inbound shipping costs, answered
What does it cost to ship inventory into an Amazon FBA warehouse?
It depends entirely on which of three paths you use: your own small-parcel carrier label, Amazon's own Partnered Carrier Program booked inside Seller Central, or LTL freight on a pallet. On a live SMKlog quote captured 2026-08-30 for a 20 lb carton, small-parcel rates ran from $36.63 to $55.32 depending on the service, before any Amazon-side fees are added.
What is the Amazon Partnered Carrier Program?
Amazon's own inbound shipping program, booked from inside Seller Central rather than through an outside carrier account. Amazon's own program page, read 2026-08-30, states it covers small-parcel deliveries (SPD) and less-than-truckload, full-truckload and intermodal shipments, and that shipping costs through it are up to 25% lower compared to alternatives.
Can I just buy my own carrier label to ship inventory to Amazon?
Yes, for small-parcel-sized cartons that meet Amazon's own box rules. That is the same kind of USPS, UPS or FedEx label SMKlog sells for any other US domestic parcel — a live quote for a 20 lb carton, captured 2026-08-30, is on this page. SMKlog does not integrate with Seller Central or handle prep; the label is priced and bought the same way any other parcel is.
When does an FBA shipment need to move as freight instead of parcel?
Once the shipment is palletized rather than a handful of boxes, whether because of total weight or because Amazon's own inbound plan calls for pallets on that shipment. The one line this page can price directly, because it is the same US domestic parcel label SMKlog sells for any other purpose — see the live carton example above. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.
Are there Amazon-side fees beyond the carrier label itself?
Yes. Amazon can charge separately for how a shipment is split across its fulfillment centers and for any prep or labeling it performs on arriving units, on top of whatever the carrier charged to move the box. Those fees are set and billed entirely inside Seller Central and are not part of the carrier label price — check the current schedule there before estimating a total landed cost.