What Is the Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Program?

Frustration-Free Packaging or FFP was designed to make shipping safer and give shoppers the best customer experience by eliminating the hassle of unpacking products. The packaging offered by Amazon is 100% recyclable, does not require an additional shipping box, and takes up less space. This was made to reduce waste, develop environmentally-friendly packs, and reduce environmental pollution. The brand can develop its own external design of such packaging in order to maintain uniqueness and guarantee the integrity of the goods during transportation at the same time.

Amazon helps brands that want to support such an initiative with the development of reliable and cost-effective packaging to make it as easy as possible to implement new product packaging standards.

As a result, the buyer receives the goods without damage in packaging, which is easy to open and safely disposed of. Brands that agree to implement such an option gain loyalty from customers supporting the environmental initiative and reduce packaging waste.

Frustration-Free Packaging vs. Standard Packaging

Not like standard packaging, FFP is made for e-commerce delivery. It protects the item, but the design of the packaging is easy to open. As an extra bonus, FFP utilized packaging materials that are recyclable.

When compared side by side to traditional packaging, this packaging reduces waste and effort. 

Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Benefits

Both sellers and buyers benefit from FFP. Sellers get the following Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging benefits for their business:

• Reducing the time and material required for packing your products 

When you go to Frustration-Free Packaging Program, you don’t need to use additional packaging to reduce the risk of the good’s damage during shipping. Amazon makes sure that customers receive quality goods, so it doesn’t allow brands to participate in the program which didn’t take enough care of packaging at the stage of its development. However, the advantage for brands and sellers is that if you have worked on the design of the box once, you will forget for a long time that you have to use additional boxes (with the packaging of the goods provided by the manufacturer) to deliver the item in one piece. Packaging is designed to be as light, small, and convenient as possible. This saves materials and avoids additional costs.

In addition, instead of wasting time when carefully packaging the product with additional fasteners, bolts, etc., it’s enough to simply place the almost assembled one in a package that is specially designed for it. This allows you to reduce the time you need to spend on packing or repackaging each item.

• Reducing costs when shipping items

Reducing the volume of boxes and their number leads to lower shipping costs. Ultimately, you can either increase your margin by reducing operating costs or lower the cost of goods for customers, thereby increasing brand loyalty.

• Reducing the cost of packaging

Saving materials leads to lower packaging costs, which also has a positive effect on your business. Considering other benefits, this is a nice added bonus.

• Absence or reduction of the chargeback fee

Amazon may impose a chargeback fee if the packaging is not certified or does not meet minimum requirements which Amazon updates periodically.

• The ability to use packaging for branding

The first thing a customer sees when receiving a product is its packaging. When an additional box with the Amazon logo is used for shipping, it is no different from thousands of the same boxes. If you use the FFP option, you can create a branding design to stand out from sellers with similar products.

• 100% recyclable material

Many buyers are committed to protect the environment. You can use this to show them that you share their values. Use your participation in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging as part of your brand's positioning in the marketplace to highlight your benefit over others.

• Improving product ratings by getting positive reviews

An easy-to-open package is an important option that many sellers overlook. Meanwhile, the better the shopping experience is during the unpacking process, the higher the likelihood of an overall positive evaluation of the item. Customers will appreciate your concern for them and will be probably more willing to write a review about the product (of course, if its quality really meets their expectations).

As for customers, they also receive a benefit when purchasing products that are packaged according to the Amazon FFP guidelines. It’s an Easy-to-open Package. There’s no plastic or hardwire that is hard to open and might make a poor client experience. Usually, it is enough to just open the box to immediately get the goods and start using them. In addition, if the product consists of several parts, most of them are delivered to the buyer already assembled. So, they don't have to waste time and effort to make it work.

How to Enroll in the Frustration-Free Packaging Program?

Amazon is currently encouraging sellers to move to new packaging standards. Therefore, there are no special requirements for them. Those who have passed the certification and approval of Amazon are allowed to participate. However, you should consider other options as well if you want to become a full-part member of Amazon FFP.

The FFP has many benefits, and thus maybe you are thinking about how to join the Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Program. Here are the things you need to follow: 

• The item must be in the "New" condition. Renew Items or used goods cannot qualify for Amazon FFP.
• The Amazon FBA option for the product must be active. This means that the product is packaged and delivered by Amazon so packaging must be optimized for it.
• The minimum package dimensions to participate in Amazon FFP is 9’’x6’’x0.375’’.
• Starting August 1, 2019, Amazon charged a $1.99 chargeback on each unit sold and shipped by Amazon for any package larger than 18”x14”x8” and/or weighing 20 pounds or more that is not a Tier 1 or Tier 2 qualified primary ASIN.
• The product must be certified to be eligible for the program. If the product does not belong to the category of liquids or fragile products (glass, ceramics, clay), certification must be passed in the Amazon laboratory or in a third-party laboratory and ISTA-6A test results must be provided. Through this approach, Amazon strives to guarantee the best customer service for buyers. Products in specially designed packaging which will pass all tests may be eligible for participation in the program.

If your product is not fragile, you can perform a physical performance test for the product yourself to submit the results to Amazon. Detailed instructions can be found on the company's website.

 After getting certified you will need to upload it to Vendor Central:

• Select Support, then Contact Us.
• Select your business group.
• Find the Amazon Packaging Certification support topic.
• Submit the ASINs enrollment form and a completed ISTA6 packaging test report for each primary ASIN.

After that, an option will appear on the page of your product:

That's all, you are ready to save and benefit from participating in the Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Program.

Conclusions

FFP is indeed a good way to avoid wrap rage from customers. Contented and pleased customers mean positive feedback and item reviews. More positive feedback and product reviews will increase the chance of winning the Buy Box. So, with the help of FFP, you help your customers, the environment, and this is a win-win situation.