> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sourcesheets.gitbook.io/sourcesheets-new-seller-blueprint/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sourcesheets.gitbook.io/sourcesheets-new-seller-blueprint/part-5-shipping-sales-and-your-first-payout/10.5-using-a-prep-centre.md).

# 10.5 Using a Prep Centre

A prep centre is a third-party warehouse that receives stock on your behalf, does the labelling and packaging covered in 10.3, and ships it on to Amazon's FCs for you. You never touch the physical stock yourself.

## Why Sellers Use One

The biggest advantage is time. Instead of receiving deliveries at home, printing and applying labels, and packing boxes yourself, you have your supplier ship stock directly to the prep centre, and they handle everything from there. This matters more as order volume grows, but even as a new seller it can be worth it if you're short on space or time.

## How It Works

You set your prep centre's address as the ship-from address when creating your shipment plan in Seller Central (10.2), or you send your supplier's stock there directly and instruct the prep centre on what needs doing (FNSKU labelling, poly bagging, box building) before they forward it to Amazon.

Most prep centres charge per unit for labelling and a small handling fee per box or shipment, so it's an added cost to factor into your margins, especially for lower-value products where a few pence per unit can matter.

## Should You Use One for Your First Shipment?

For your very first shipment, doing it yourself is usually the better choice, even if it takes a bit longer. It forces you to actually understand the labelling and packing requirements from 10.3, which makes it much easier to spot when something's gone wrong later, and easier to brief a prep centre correctly once you do start using one.

Once you're comfortable with the process and your order volume starts making the time trade-off worth it, a prep centre becomes a sensible next step.