What is Amazon Commingling?
Commingling is where Amazon fulfil orders using identical products from different sellers, regardless of who was selling it. It was always automatically done and product dependent. They used virtual tracking of the manufacturer’s barcode to trace the source of eligible products, despite the virtual transfers of ownership commingling entailed. It simplified logistics and allowed faster order fulfilment, as Amazon could complete a delivery using items from a fulfilment centre closest to the buyer. This particularly helped sellers who weren’t always able to maintain inventory levels.
Why are they ending Amazon Commingling?
Although it’s been particularly helpful to resellers over the years, unfortunately it has brought complaints. Tracking units and ownership is difficult with Amazon Commingling. It brings operational and tax challenges, as well as VAT risks, as sellers would often lose visibility and control over which units were shipped. Counterfeit products were also easier to sneak through, as well as selling used products marked as new. Scams would involve sending fake products under the commingling programme. This would leave other seller’s reputations at risk.
They’ve said that ‘now that most sellers maintain inventory levels that keep products close to customers, we can achieve fast delivery without commingling’. So from March 31st 2026, Amazon will end commingling practices.
What does this mean for sellers?
FBA sellers who do not have Brand Registry permissions will now need FNSKU stickers. These are Amazon barcodes put on the products to directly link them to the seller. Even if the product has a manufacturer barcode, they’ll need to be applied before shipping the item to fulfilment centres. Only Brand Registered sellers can continue to use manufacturer barcodes only. This means more flexibility in how sellers manage their inventory, as they’ll no longer need to pre-allocate units to Amazon or other channels.
This may cause more operational requirements, but it’s expected to provide a more reliable and consistent customer experience. We think the idea is also to encourage bigger brands to start selling on Amazon.
We think overall this is a good move from Amazon, but whether it’s beneficial to resellers remains to be seen. For more information on how to switch to manufacturer barcodes, click here.
There have been quite a few updates from Amazon lately. For all the latest news, head over to our Knowledge Base or contact us today for all your Amazon selling needs!