Verification study · Published 2026-05-27 · Updated 2026-05-27

What we found vetting the FBA prep-center universe.

Of the 54 prep-center candidates we have tracked, 25 were disqualified as not pure FBA prep (general 3PLs or fulfillment platforms, not prep specialists). 8 cleared our 5-point operator standard and are listed. The rest are still in the queue.

The finding

Most directories list everyone. Half of what we screened was not even pure prep.

Candidates tracked

Disqualified: not pure FBA prep

Verified and listed

What "pure FBA prep" means. Pure FBA prep means FBA prep is the core business, not one service line bolted onto a general 3PL or fulfillment platform. Multi-channel 3PLs route to /fba-prep-3pl/ as recommendations, not directory listings.

Why it matters to a seller: a directory padded with 3PLs and closed shops sends you to dead phone numbers and the wrong kind of operator. We track the full universe, publish only what clears the standard, and keep the exclusions auditable.

Named exclusions

We name what we cut, not just what we keep.

The candidates below were excluded by name and reason. The 3PLs we still recommend (with outbound links) live on /fba-prep-3pl/.

Excluded 2026-05-13

15 candidates from the amzprep.com listicle

Failed our pure-FBA-prep classification test (3PL or fulfillment platform, not pure prep)

We imported amzprep.com's published 'Best 19 Amazon FBA Prep Centers' index as a candidate pool. 15 of them (including ShipBob, Ryder, Stord, DCL, Flowspace, ShipMonk, MyFBAPrep, eFulfillment Service, ShipHype, Simpl Fulfillment, AMZ Prep, YYZ Prep, Fulfillment-Box, Red Stag, Buske) primarily market themselves as 3PLs or fulfillment platforms with FBA prep as one offering among many. We list them as recommendations on /fba-prep-3pl/ instead.

The receipts

Every check, dated.

The ledger below is live. It shows the actual verification checks we have run on published centers, by type and result. If our sweep lapses, this panel says so rather than showing stale aggregates.

Where the verified cohort sits

Coverage by state.

Verified and in-queue centers by state. For the live pipeline counters and removal policy, see /coverage/.

Browse by state

Verified prep centers by state.

Tax-free states tagged where operator choice concentrates (Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, Alaska). Click a state to see verified listings.

State	Verified	Pending	Detail
California	2	2	View →
New HampshireTax-free	2	0	View →
DelawareTax-free	1	2	View →
Illinois	1	0	-
Michigan	1	0	-
OregonTax-free	1	8	View →
Georgia	0	1	-
MontanaTax-free	0	4	View →
New Jersey	0	2	-
Texas	0	1	-
Total	8	20

What this is not

We do not publish a pricing index.

Too few centers disclose per-unit rates publicly for an honest benchmark, so we do not fake one. Where an operator publishes rates, we show them on that center's profile and on /fba-prep-fees/. This study is about who is and is not a real prep center, and how we check.