The End of Commingling FBA Inventory Practices Coming in March 2026

Amazon is soon making a major change to how FBA inventory is handled. Starting on March 31, 2026, Amazon will officially end commingled inventory practices. Along with this change comes tighter rules around who can use manufacturer barcodes versus Amazon barcodes. This change is a significant win for brand owners and a more challenging adjustment for resellers.

What Does Commingled Inventory Mean for FBA Sellers?

Commingling takes place when Amazon fulfills identical products from multiple sellers from one shared pool of inventory. While this system was designed for efficiency, it blurred accountability. For brands, this often meant losing control over product quality. When a counterfeit product made its way into FBA centers, all sellers carrying the product were blamed for it – whereas removing commingled inventory will allow Amazon to pinpoint the culprit.

How is Amazon Changing FBA Inventory Practices in March 2026?

Beginning March 31, 2026, Amazon is changing how FBA inventory is tracked, labeled, and fulfilled by eliminating commingled inventory. Going forward, every unit shipped to a customer will be tied directly to the seller who sent it into Amazon’s fulfillment network.  

To support this change, Amazon is also redefining who can use manufacturer barcodes and what steps sellers must take to remain compliant. Amazon will no longer fulfill orders using shared inventory across sellers offering the same ASIN. Instead, inventory ownership will be enforced at the barcode/FNSKU level.  

What Do FBA Sellers Need to Know About Upcoming Commingled Inventory Changes?

The end of commingled inventory at Amazon is either music to your ears or may send you into a panic, depending on whether you’re a brand or a reseller. For brands, this approach provides more control. Without commingled inventory, your inventory is yours. Meaning there’s no risk of another seller’s problem becoming yours. It also means no more FNSKU labels, creating a more streamlined FBA shipment process by removing this incredibly tedious step altogether.  

It’s important to note that you must have the Brand Representative role within Brand Registry to be eligible for manufacturer barcodes. To switch to manufacturer barcodes from Amazon labels, you can choose between the following options:

• Convert listings in bulk by downloading Amazon’s manufacturer barcode eligibility file, updating eligible SKUs, and re-uploading it in Seller Central.

• Switch during the Send to Amazon workflow by selecting “Save using manufacturer barcode” for eligible SKUs when creating inbound shipments.

• Create a new SKU when inventory or open shipments prevent a direct switch, and select manufacturer barcode tracking during setup.

Here are some key points to consider before switching to manufacturer barcodes:

• Advertising does not carry over to new SKUs: Sponsored Products, targeting, deals, coupons, and other promotions must be manually relaunched or added to existing campaigns, or visibility and sales can drop.

• Advertising recommendations take time to appear: Amazon won’t show recommendations on a new SKU until it generates enough traffic, so expect a short ramp-up period.

• Subscribe & Save subscriptions do not transfer automatically: Sellers must submit a transfer request to avoid losing recurring subscribers.

• Virtual bundle set-up: Existing virtual product bundles won’t automatically include the new SKU, so sellers need to rebuild bundles to maintain bundle visibility and sales.

Read more about what to consider before switching to manufacturer barcodes here. On the other hand, for resellers, this upcoming change means labeling your inventory with FNSKUs going forward, which is often no small feat. This means generating FNSKU labels in Seller Central, and ensuring every unit is properly labeled before it gets shipped to an Amazon fulfillment center.

With the constant updates in online marketplaces, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest changes. If you're a client looking for more information, contact your account team! If you’re interested in learning more about how Blue Wheel can aid in your brand efforts in online marketplaces, schedule a consultation with our team, we would love to hear from you.

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