What Is Amazon SIPP and How to Enroll – Fee Savings Guide
Most FBA sellers shipping bulky products are paying a fee they do not know exists. It is called the packaging fee and it applies to every Small Bulky and Large Bulky unit that ships without SIPP certification. The average packaging fee is $2.07 per unit. On 1,000 units per month that is $2,070 per month in fees that disappear the moment you enroll in SIPP.
SIPP stands for Ships in Product Packaging. It is Amazon’s program that allows qualifying FBA products to ship to customers in their original retail packaging without Amazon adding an outer box. This guide explains what SIPP is, who must enroll versus who benefits from optional enrollment, how the certification process works, and the break-even calculation that tells you whether enrollment makes financial sense for your specific SKUs.
What SIPP Is and Why Amazon Created It
Before SIPP Amazon added its own outer shipping box or poly mailer around almost every FBA product before shipping it to the customer. This generated enormous packaging waste and added to Amazon’s per-unit fulfillment cost.
SIPP solves both problems. When a product is SIPP enrolled its retail packaging has been certified to survive the fulfillment network without an outer box. Amazon attaches the shipping label directly to the product packaging and ships it as-is. No over-box. No additional materials.
For Amazon: lower packaging cost, less waste, more sustainable fulfillment.
For the seller: lower per-unit fulfillment fee, branded packaging delivered directly to the customer, and elimination of the packaging fee that applies to non-enrolled bulky products.
SIPP was launched on February 5 2024 rebranded from the earlier Ships in Own Container program with the same packaging standards but expanded fee incentives. Since January 15 2026 the program has become significantly more important because Amazon introduced mandatory packaging fees for non-enrolled bulky products that make inaction expensive.
For the complete breakdown of all 2026 FBA fee changes and how they interact with SIPP savings see Amazon FBA Fees Explained.
Mandatory vs Optional – Two Very Different Situations
This is the distinction most guides miss. SIPP enrollment is not the same for all sellers. For some it is optional fee optimization. For others it is mandatory compliance with a chargeback for non-participation.
Mandatory SIPP (chargeback applies):
Products with dimensions greater than 18 × 14 × 8 inches or weight over 20 lbs that do not fall into excluded categories must be SIPP certified. Excluded categories include hazmat items with transportation requirements and Amazon Fresh items.
For these products SIPP certification is not optional. Amazon charges a packaging fee of $1.51 to $4.04 per unit for products in this dimension and weight range that are not certified. This is confirmed in Amazon’s own packaging FAQ published February 2026.
If your product exceeds 18 × 14 × 8 inches or weighs over 20 lbs you are already paying this fee on every unit shipped whether you know it or not. The first step is checking your Seller Central fee statements for packaging fee line items.
Optional SIPP (fee saving applies):
Small Bulky and Large Bulky products that do not meet the mandatory threshold above can still enroll in SIPP voluntarily. Non-enrolled products in these tiers face a packaging fee of $1.51 to $4.04 per unit based on dimensional weight. The average across the tier is approximately $2.07 per unit.
SIPP enrollment eliminates this fee entirely. For optional enrollment the decision is purely financial: do the per-unit savings exceed the cost of certification at your volume?
Standard size products:
Standard size products can also enroll in SIPP and receive a smaller fee discount of $0.04 to $0.25 per unit. For standard size the economics are less compelling because the packaging fee for non-enrollment is lower. Evaluate standard size SIPP after addressing any mandatory or bulky SIPP opportunities first.
For the complete size tier reference and how Amazon classifies products into standard, small bulky, large bulky, and extra-large see Amazon Size Tiers.
Two Certification Paths – Self-Certification and ISTA-6 Lab Testing
Every product enrolled in SIPP must pass a packaging performance evaluation. There are two paths depending on what your product is.
Path 1: Self-Certification
Available for products that are all of the following:
Under 20 lbs in weight.
Not fragile.
Do not contain liquids.
Do not contain sharp objects.
Do not contain granular materials smaller than 1mm in diameter.
Self-certification involves performing Amazon’s prescribed drop tests on your packaging. Amazon provides drop test guidelines for both flexible and rigid packaging types. You evaluate the test results against Amazon’s failure criteria:
The item shows visible damage or breakage: fail.
The item loses its functionality or utility: fail.
The item has poor sealing or visible tape breakage: fail.
If the packaging passes all drop tests you can self-certify and submit for SIPP enrollment without external lab involvement. Self-certification is free beyond the time investment of conducting and documenting the tests.
Path 2: ISTA-6 Lab Testing
Required for products that are fragile, contain liquids, contain sharp objects, or contain granular materials. Also required for heavier products and products in the mandatory SIPP category.
ISTA-6 (International Safe Transit Association 6-Series) certification must be obtained through a report issued by a certified lab from Amazon’s Packaging Support and Supplier (APASS) Network. The lab simulates the stresses products encounter during the fulfillment network including vibration, compression, and drop scenarios.
ISTA-6 testing costs range from $300 to $2,000 depending on the lab, the complexity of the product, and whether retesting is needed after a packaging modification. Costs vary significantly by lab so getting quotes from multiple APASS-certified labs before committing is worthwhile.
Minimum packaging dimensions:
All SIPP products regardless of certification path must meet minimum packaging dimensions of 6 × 4 × 0.375 inches. This ensures the packaging can accommodate shipping labels and barcodes during fulfillment. Products with packaging smaller than these dimensions are ineligible for SIPP regardless of other factors.
The Enrollment Process – Step by Step in Seller Central
Step 1: Check eligibility.
In Seller Central go to Settings, Fulfillment by Amazon, Ships in Product Packaging. Amazon automatically identifies ASINs that may qualify based on packaging data on file. Review the eligible list. Check the ineligibility tab for products that do not qualify and the reason for each.
Step 2: Prioritize by volume and size tier.
Sort eligible ASINs by monthly unit sales. Prioritize Large Bulky and mandatory category products first since they carry the highest per-unit fee exposure. Standard size products with small savings can be addressed after the high-priority SKUs are enrolled.
Step 3: Choose certification path.
For each prioritized ASIN determine whether self-certification or ISTA-6 lab testing applies based on the product characteristics covered in the previous section.
Step 4: Conduct testing.
For self-certification: perform the drop tests, document results, and confirm all pass criteria are met.
For ISTA-6: contact an APASS-certified lab, submit product samples, and obtain the certification report.
Step 5: Submit for enrollment.
In the SIPP enrollment portal in Seller Central select ASINs to enroll. For fragile items requiring ISTA-6 certification upload the certification report. For self-certified products confirm the self-certification declaration. Submit the application.
Step 6: Monitor approval and damage rates.
Amazon reviews the application and notifies you via Seller Central. Once approved enrolled products ship in their original packaging. Monitor damage rates on enrolled products after enrollment. If SIPP packaging causes damage rates above Amazon’s threshold certification can be revoked. A damage rate increase after SIPP enrollment signals the packaging needs strengthening before resubmission.
Use the FBA Fee Calculator to model the per-unit savings from SIPP enrollment alongside your full FBA cost stack so you can see the exact margin improvement per SKU.
The Break-Even Calculation and When SIPP Does Not Make Sense
The break-even formula:
Break-Even Units = Testing Cost ÷ Per-Unit Fee Saving
Example 1: ISTA-6 testing costs $500. Per-unit packaging fee saving is $2.07 (average bulky rate). Break-even at 242 units. A seller moving 500 units per month recoups the testing cost in under 30 days and saves continuously thereafter.
Example 2: ISTA-6 testing costs $1,500. Per-unit saving is $0.25 (standard size). Break-even at 6,000 units. A seller moving 300 units per month takes 20 months to break even. SIPP for standard size at low volume is not financially compelling.
When SIPP makes sense:
High-volume bulky products where the $1.51 to $4.04 packaging fee applies. Break-even is typically under 3 months at modest volume.
Mandatory category products where the packaging fee is already being paid. Enrollment eliminates the fee immediately.
Products where branded retail packaging is a customer experience advantage. The packaging that reaches the customer is your packaging not an Amazon box.
When SIPP does not make sense:
Low-volume SKUs where testing cost exceeds savings over the realistic product lifecycle. Calculate break-even before committing to lab testing on slow-moving products.
Products with inherently fragile packaging that cannot reliably pass drop tests without significant redesign. If the redesign cost exceeds the fee saving SIPP enrollment is not the right investment.
Products where the retail packaging is not customer-facing ready. SIPP means customers receive the product in its retail packaging directly. If the retail packaging is designed for shelf display rather than direct-to-consumer delivery enrollment may generate negative reviews before packaging is redesigned.
For the complete framework on oversize product FBA viability including when to switch to FBM for bulky products see FBA Fees on Oversize Products.
Rates verified July 22, 2026. See changelog.
You've read the theory—now see the actual math for your packages. Use our Carrier Savings Engine to identify 'Savings Gaps' in your packaging and discover the cheapest way to ship your products.
Check My Savings →FAQ
Q: What is Amazon SIPP and how does it save FBA sellers money?
A: SIPP stands for Ships in Product Packaging. It is Amazon’s program that allows qualifying FBA products to ship to customers in their original retail packaging without an Amazon outer box. Non-enrolled Small Bulky and Large Bulky products pay an average packaging fee of $2.07 per unit on every sale. SIPP enrollment eliminates this fee entirely. Products over 18 × 14 × 8 inches or over 20 lbs face a mandatory SIPP certification requirement with a packaging fee of $1.51 to $4.04 per unit for non-enrollment. Use the FBA Fee Calculator to model the per-unit savings from SIPP enrollment against your current fee stack.
Q: What are the requirements to enroll in Amazon SIPP?
A: Products must meet minimum packaging dimensions of 6 × 4 × 0.375 inches for label compliance. Every enrolled product must pass a packaging performance evaluation through either self-certification or ISTA-6 lab testing. Self-certification is available for non-fragile products under 20 lbs that do not contain liquids, sharp objects, or granular materials smaller than 1mm. All other products require ISTA-6 certification from an Amazon APASS-certified lab at a cost of $300 to $2,000 depending on the product. Hazmat items and Amazon Fresh products are excluded from SIPP eligibility.
Q: Is Amazon SIPP mandatory or optional?
A: Both depending on your product dimensions and weight. For products with dimensions greater than 18 × 14 × 8 inches or weight over 20 lbs that are not in excluded categories SIPP certification is mandatory. Non-certified products in this range face a packaging fee of $1.51 to $4.04 per unit confirmed in Amazon’s packaging FAQ. For Small Bulky and Large Bulky products below those thresholds SIPP enrollment is optional but eliminates a packaging fee of $1.51 to $4.04 per unit that applies to non-enrolled products. Standard size products can also enroll optionally for a smaller fee saving of $0.04 to $0.25 per unit.
Q: How do I calculate whether SIPP enrollment is worth it for my products?
A: Divide your total testing cost by your per-unit packaging fee saving to find the break-even unit count. If ISTA-6 testing costs $500 and your per-unit saving is $2.07 you break even at 242 units and save continuously after that. If testing costs $1,500 and your per-unit saving is $0.25 for a standard size product break-even is 6,000 units which may not be justified at low volume. Prioritize Large Bulky and mandatory category products first since they carry the highest per-unit fee exposure. See Amazon Size Tiers for the complete size tier reference to identify which of your products fall into the highest-savings enrollment categories.