How to list an expiration-dated product

If your product includes at least one of the following characteristics, be prepared to provide additional information to Amazon when you create an ASIN:

• Printed expiration dates
• Shelf life
• Loss of effectiveness over time

When you list an expiration-dated product, we’ll ask you about the product’s expiration date and how to handle it at a fulfillment center. The information you provide will help us track your product's expiration effectively and prevent expired products from reaching customers. Improper or incomplete answers may result in customers receiving expired products or the early removal or return of your products.

To create a listing, go to Add a product. Under the Vital Info tab, you’ll see the question Is Product Expirable?

This attribute allows Amazon to identify whether your product expires or loses effectiveness over time.

Select Yes if the product meets one of the following criteria:

• Has a printed expiration/manufacturing date
• Is a topical or consumable product for either human or animal use
• Has a recommended shelf life
• Has a PAO symbol
• Loses effectiveness over time

Select No if the above criteria don’t apply.

The additional attributes appear if you have More attributes turned on in the upper-right corner.

Product Expiration Type

This attribute determines how we will treat your product at our fulfillment centers.

When you select Yes for the Is Product Expirable question, the Product Expiration Type attribute offers four options in the drop-down field:

• Expiration date required
• Expiration on package
• Production date required
• Shelf life

When you select No, the Product Expiration Type attribute offers one option in the drop-down field, Does not expire.

• Select Expiration Date Required when the expiration date is printed on the product packaging.
• Select Expiration on Package when you want the product to be reviewed for an expiration date after it arrives at a fulfillment center.
• Select Production Date Required when the production or manufacturing date is printed on product packaging.
• Select Shelf Lifewhen the product will lose effectiveness over time but does not have an exact expiration date or production date. For example, batteries & certain beauty supplies.
• Select Does Not Expire, if you have selected No for the Is Product Expirable attribute.

Fulfillment Center Shelf Life

This attribute specifies the duration your product can be kept on a shelf in a fulfillment center without losing its effectiveness. In other words, it tells us how many days the product can be stored before becoming unfit for sale.

Convert the duration that your product can be on a shelf without losing effectiveness into days and enter that value into the text field. The maximum value allowed for this field is 1825 days. This field is required if you select Yes for the Is Product Expirable attribute. To learn more about the shelf-life requirements for your product, go to Expiration dates on FBA products.

Examples

• Your product has no printed dates, but you know that it will lose effectiveness in 36 months. The shelf life value will be 36 months multiplied by 30 days per month, which is 1080 days.
• The production date is January 1, 2021, and the expiration date is December 31, 2021. The shelf life value is the difference between the production date and expiration date, which is 365 days.
• The manufacturing date is January 1, 2021, and best before 24 months. The shelf life will be 24 months multiplied by 30 days per month, which is 720 days.
• The expiration date is January 1, 2022, and your product will reach Amazon (ship date) on March 1, 2021. The shelf life value will be the difference between the ship date and expiration date, which is 270 days.

Fulfillment Center Shelf Life Unit

This attribute specifies the unit of measurement for the fulfillment center shelf life.

Select Days, which is the only available option. This field is required when you have provided the Fulfillment Center Shelf Life attribute.