Although both are used in Amazon FBA shipments, they serve completely different purposes.
📦 What Are 2D Barcodes for Box Content?
2D box content barcodes contain detailed information about:
the items inside the box
SKUs
quantities
and box content data.
Amazon scans these barcodes to quickly identify what inventory is inside the shipment box.
👉 These are mainly used for:
Box Content Information
🏷️ What Are FBA Shipping Labels?
FBA shipping labels are attached to the outside of shipment boxes and are used to:
identify the shipment
route the box to the correct fulfillment center
track the shipment within Amazon’s system.
These labels contain:
shipment ID
fulfillment center information
box number
Amazon shipment barcode.
👉 These are mainly used for:
Shipment Identification & Tracking
📊 Main Difference
2D Box Content Barcode | FBA Shipping Label |
Identifies contents inside the box | Identifies the shipment box itself |
Stores SKU & quantity information | Stores shipment/tracking information |
Used for box content receiving | Used for shipment routing |
Helps Amazon know what’s inside | Helps Amazon know where the box belongs |
📦 Important Note
These labels do NOT replace each other.
A shipment may require:
FBA shipping labels
AND2D box content barcodes
depending on the shipment workflow being used.
✅ Summary
2D box content barcodes tell Amazon what inventory is inside the box
FBA shipping labels tell Amazon how to track and route the shipment box itself
Both help Amazon process FBA shipments correctly.