In Amazon FBA wholesale, the product is rarely the problem. The supplier is. Buy from the wrong source and you can end up with stock you cannot list, an account health warning, or a margin that disappears once Amazon's fees are taken off.

These are the checks to run before your first order with any wholesale supplier.

1. Is the supplier an authorised source?

For branded goods, the safest suppliers are the brand owner itself or its authorised distributors. They can show where the stock came from, and their invoices carry weight if Amazon ever asks.

Ask the supplier directly:

Do you buy direct from the brand, or through a distributor?
Can you supply invoices that show your company details and mine?
Are there any brands in your range you are not allowed to sell to online resellers?

A supplier who is vague about where their stock comes from is a supplier to avoid.

2. Will the invoice stand up?

Amazon may ask for invoices to approve you for a brand or category, or to resolve a complaint about authenticity. A good invoice:

Is issued by a real, registered business with contact details you can verify
Shows your business name and address
Lists the products clearly, with quantities
Is recent

Pro-forma invoices, handwritten receipts and invoices from marketplace sellers are unlikely to be accepted. Check Amazon's current requirements in Seller Central before you rely on any invoice.

3. Does the product match the listing exactly?

On Amazon you sell on an existing listing, and the item you send in must match it exactly — same brand, same size, same pack count, same variant. The simplest check is the barcode:

Match the EAN/UPC on the supplier's product to the barcode on the Amazon listing
Check the pack count: a supplier's "case of 12" is not the same as a listing for a single unit — or a 6-pack
Watch for different packaging versions, such as a price-marked pack or packaging printed for another country, which may not match the listing

Sending in the wrong variant is one of the most common causes of inbound problems and customer complaints.

4. Can you actually sell this brand?

Some brands and categories are gated on Amazon, and some brands actively restrict who can resell them. Before you buy:

Check in Seller Central whether you can list the product
Search for any known brand restrictions or a history of intellectual-property complaints
Be especially careful with electronics, beauty and heavily counterfeited brands

Buying stock before checking you can list it is an expensive way to learn.

5. Do the numbers still work after fees?

Wholesale margins on Amazon are often thin, so the full cost matters:

Your buying price per unit, before VAT (and whether you can reclaim VAT)
Shipping from the supplier to you, and prep and shipping into Amazon's warehouses
Amazon's referral fee and FBA fulfilment fee for that product's size and weight
Monthly storage, and the risk of long-term storage costs if it sells slowly
Returns for your category

Compare the result with how often the product sells and how many sellers share the Buy Box. A small profit on something that sells daily can beat a large one on something that sits.

6. Start with a test order

Even after all these checks, place a small first order. Inspect the goods, compare them with the listing, and send in a small shipment before you commit to a larger one.

Supplier checklist

Registered business with a verifiable address and contact
Authorised source for the brands you plan to buy
Proper invoices with your business details
Barcode and pack count match the Amazon listing
You are allowed to list the brand and category
Profit per unit is positive after every fee
Test order inspected before scaling up

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Qogita or other B2B marketplaces for Amazon FBA? Many FBA sellers do. Check the invoice terms, whether stock is authorised for resale, and that barcodes match your listings — the same checks apply to any supplier.

What if a supplier won't give me their source? Treat it as a warning sign for branded goods. The strength of your invoice trail depends on theirs.

How many units should my first order be? Enough to judge quality and sell-through — usually the supplier's minimum, or one case — before you scale.

Find FBA suppliers faster

Tell GSAi you sell on Amazon FBA and search for a product, a brand or a barcode. It looks for distributors and wholesalers that sell by the case with proper invoices, and shows trade prices and minimum orders where they are published. See also our Amazon FBA supplier guide. Start a free 3-day trial — no card needed.