When does Amazon end commingling?

Amazon officially ends inventory commingling on March 31, 2026. After this date, all inventory will be tracked separately by seller.

What is Amazon inventory commingling?

Commingling pooled identical products from multiple sellers into shared inventory bins. When an order came in, any seller's unit could be shipped, making it impossible to trace product origin and enabling counterfeit mixing.

Do brand owners need FNSKU labels after commingling ends?

No. Sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry can continue using manufacturer UPC or EAN barcodes. Only resellers are required to apply Amazon FNSKU labels to all products.

How does ending commingling affect resellers?

Resellers must apply FNSKU labels to every unit, increasing prep costs. They can no longer rely on manufacturer barcodes and should factor labeling costs into their pricing.

Back to News

Breaking

Operations

Amazon Ends Commingling Program March 2026

Max

December 26, 2025

5 min

Summarize with AI

COO at Nova Analytics

Max leads operations at Nova Analytics, helping Amazon sellers optimize their business performance through data-driven insights and strategic automation.

Quick Summary

•Amazon ends inventory commingling on March 31, 2026
•Brand Registry owners can use manufacturer UPC/EAN barcodes
•Resellers must apply FNSKU labels to all products
•Eliminates counterfeit mixing that cost brands $600M+ in re-labeling

Nova surfaces every Amazon fee, refund, and margin shift in your live P&L, across 23 marketplaces. Open the live P&L

What's Happening

Amazon is ending its controversial commingling program on March 31, 2026. This practice, which pooled identical products from multiple sellers into shared inventory bins, has been blamed for counterfeit issues since its introduction in 2013. Brands running their P&L on Nova tend to catch this in the fee-detail view first, before it lands in the weekly review.

The announcement received the biggest applause at Amazon Accelerate 2025. Brand owners have spent over $600 million in the past year alone on re-stickering products to avoid commingling issues. Use Nova's P&L analytics to track your labeling costs and margin impact.

Key Dates and Changes

Change	Details	Effective Date
Commingling Ends	Amazon stops pooling inventory from multiple sellers. Each seller's units tracked separately.	March 31, 2026
Brand Registry Owners	Can use manufacturer UPC/EAN barcodes. No longer forced to use FNSKU labels.	March 31, 2026
Resellers	Must use Amazon FNSKU barcodes on all products. No exceptions.	March 31, 2026
Inventory Tracking	Each unit traced back to originating seller. Full accountability chain.	March 31, 2026

Mark Your Calendar

Deadline: March 31, 2026. Amazon will stop accepting commingled inventory after this date. Plan your labeling transition now.

Who This Affects

Brand Owners Win

No more counterfeit products mixed with authentic inventory
Can use manufacturer barcodes if enrolled in Brand Registry
Save $600M+ industry-wide on re-labeling costs
Better customer trust and fewer IP complaints

Resellers Face Changes

Mandatory FNSKU labeling on all products
Increased prep costs per unit
Can no longer rely on manufacturer barcodes
Need to adjust workflows and supplier agreements

Why Amazon Made This Change

For over a decade, commingling allowed Amazon to fulfill orders faster by treating identical products as interchangeable. But this created a major problem: counterfeit or damaged products from one seller could be shipped to customers who ordered from a different, legitimate seller.

The Counterfeit Problem

Brand owners had no way to ensure customers received their authentic products. A customer ordering from a trusted brand might receive a counterfeit from a bad actor whose inventory was pooled in the same bin.

The change reflects Amazon's strategic shift toward supporting brand owners over arbitrage resellers. With increasing regulatory pressure on counterfeits and customer complaints, ending commingling was inevitable.

What You Should Do Now

1.
Audit Your Current Labeling: Check which products are using manufacturer barcodes vs FNSKU labels. Identify products that need re-labeling before March 31, 2026.
2.
Enroll in Brand Registry: If you own brands, ensure you're enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. This lets you continue using manufacturer barcodes after the change.
3.
Update Prep Workflows: Resellers should update supplier agreements and prep center workflows to include FNSKU labeling. Factor the per-unit cost increase into your pricing.
4.
Track Transition Costs: Use Nova's P&L tracking to monitor your labeling and prep costs. Understand the true cost per unit and margin changes during the transition.
5.
Plan Transition Timeline: Don't wait until March 2026. Start transitioning inventory now to avoid last-minute bottlenecks and potential FBA receiving delays.

How Nova Helps

Track your transition costs and margin impact with precision. Nova's P&L dashboard breaks down prep costs, labeling expenses, and per-unit profitability so you can manage the transition efficiently. Try Nova free for 14 days

Manage Your Transition with Nova:

→ P&L Analytics: Track labeling and prep costs at the SKU level

→ Custom Breakdowns: Segment products by labeling status and brand ownership

→ Seller Cockpit: Monitor FBA fees and margin changes during transition

→ Daily Analytics: Track margin changes as you adjust prep workflows

Verified Sources

All information verified from official Amazon sources and trusted industry analysts as of publication date.

Deep Dive: Related Guides

For more comprehensive analysis on these topics:

→ Amazon FBA profit margins 2026: benchmarks by category

What's a healthy FBA seller margin in 2026? Benchmarks across 10 categories, the real net-margin formula (not the simplified one), and 8 fixes that added 5-12 points of margin for real sellers.

→ Amazon Brand Registry 2026: Complete Setup & Benefits Guide

Amazon Brand Registry unlocks powerful features for brand protection and growth. Complete enrollment guide with step-by-step setup and strategy tips.

Amazon Ends Commingling Program March 2026

Quick Summary

What's Happening

Key Dates and Changes

Mark Your Calendar

Who This Affects

Brand Owners Win

Resellers Face Changes

Why Amazon Made This Change

The Counterfeit Problem

What You Should Do Now

How Nova Helps

Manage Your Transition with Nova:

Verified Sources

Deep Dive: Related Guides

Ask Claude about your Amazon data

Ask Claude about your Amazon data

What's Happening

Key Dates and Changes

Mark Your Calendar

Who This Affects

Brand Owners Win

Resellers Face Changes

Why Amazon Made This Change

The Counterfeit Problem

What You Should Do Now

How Nova Helps

Manage Your Transition with Nova:

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Amazon end commingling?

What is Amazon inventory commingling?

Do brand owners need FNSKU labels after commingling ends?

How does ending commingling affect resellers?

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Amazon end commingling?

What is Amazon inventory commingling?

Do brand owners need FNSKU labels after commingling ends?

How does ending commingling affect resellers?