Amazon requires expiration-dated products to have enough shelf life left when they arrive, and the date must be easy to read on each unit and on the case. Products that get too close to their date are removed, so the dates on your wholesale stock affect how long you have to sell it.
Quick answer: Send dated products with at least 90 days of shelf life left when Amazon receives them, show the date as MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY, and put it on every unit and on the outside of each case in large print. Amazon removes units as they get close to expiring.
Always confirm the current rules in Amazon’s help page for expiration-dated products, as they can change and some products have stricter limits.
Which Products Count as Expiration-Dated?
Any product with an expiration, “best by” or “use by” date: food and drinks, supplements and vitamins, some cosmetics and personal care, pet food and some household products.
How Many Days Before Expiration Can You Send to Amazon?
Plan for at least 90 days of remaining shelf life when the shipment is received, not when it leaves your supplier. Add time for shipping and receiving. Industry guides also note that Amazon removes units that come within about 50 days of their date (eComEngine), so the real selling window is shorter than the date on the pack.
Ask your supplier for expiration dates before you order dated products.
Expiration Date Label Format on Amazon
- Use MM-DD-YYYY or MM-YYYY.
- If the packaging shows the date in another format, add a label in the correct format.
- Make the date easy to see without opening the packaging.
Expiration Date on Case Pack Amazon Rules
Each case of dated products should show the expiration date on the outside, in large, clear print, so warehouse staff can see it without opening the box. If a case holds units with different dates, the box should show the earliest date, and it is cleaner to keep each case to one date.
Learn more about cases in case-packed vs individual units, and remember each unit also needs its FNSKU; see FNSKU vs UPC.
Grocery and Gated Categories
Grocery has extra rules on top of dates, and it is a gated category for many sellers. See how to get ungated in grocery.
For the full list of prep rules, read the Amazon FBA prep requirements.
Dated Products From Us
We are a supplier that ships directly to Amazon FBA. Ask us for the expiration dates on any dated product before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I send products that expire too soon?
Amazon may refuse them, mark them unfulfillable or remove them, and you may pay for removal or disposal.
Do I need dates on every unit?
Yes. Each unit needs a readable date, and so does the case.
Can I sell dated products as FBM instead?
Yes, but the same honesty rules apply: customers must receive products with reasonable shelf life left.