ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP Certification

ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP certification is the packaging performance test Amazon requires for products shipped through Fulfilment by Amazon in their own retail packaging, without an added Amazon overbox. The programme was renamed from Ships in Own Container (SIOC) to Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) in February 2024, although the underlying test protocol, ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC, kept its original name. For importers sourcing FBA-eligible products in China, Vietnam and other Asia hubs, the real difficulty is rarely the test itself but the coordination between the factory that makes the carton, the laboratories recognised through Amazon's APASS network that certify the sample, and the production run that eventually leaves the container. This guide covers what SIPP requires, the eight test types A to H, the three certification methods, and how the factory-side workflow determines whether a SIPP programme holds up once real production begins.

1. What ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP Is, and How It Relates to SIOC and FFP

ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP is a packaging test and certification programme jointly maintained by ISTA and Amazon. The test, formally titled ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC, checks whether a packaged product can survive Amazon's parcel and LTL distribution environment without an outer box added at the fulfilment centre. A product that passes can ship in its own retail packaging directly to the customer.

SIPP is the current umbrella name. Before February 2024 it was called Ships in Own Container (SIOC); the two terms describe the same requirement, not two tests. Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) sits alongside SIPP as a higher tier with added recyclability and unboxing criteria, covered next. Readers wanting the wider distribution simulation standards ISTA 6-Amazon sits within will find that on our ASTM D4169 guide, and the broader packaging testing standards that frame ISTA 6-Amazon within packaging performance testing generally are covered on our packaging testing hub.

2. The Amazon Packaging Tier Structure: FFP, SIOC, PFP

Amazon's packaging programme is organised into three tiers. Each tier carries a different set of packaging requirements and a different set of chargeback protections. Understanding which tier a product is enrolled in, or should be enrolled in, is the starting point for any SIPP readiness project.

Tier	Core requirement	Chargeback protection
Tier 1: Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP)	Passes ISTA 6-Amazon testing and uses 100% curbside-recyclable materials with an easy-open design	Removal of Amazon prep chargebacks and SIOC chargebacks, reduced packaging and transport costs, brand equity benefits
Tier 2: Ships in Own Container (SIOC), now SIPP	Passes ISTA 6-Amazon testing in a rigid six-sided box or padded mailer	Removal of Amazon prep chargebacks and SIOC chargebacks, reduced packaging and transport costs, brand equity benefits
Tier 3: Prep Free Packaging (PFP)	Meets Amazon's baseline packaging and labelling requirements without full ISTA 6-Amazon certification	Removal of Amazon prep chargebacks only

Tier 1 and Tier 2 both require a passed ISTA 6-Amazon report; Tier 1 simply adds a materials and unboxing requirement on the same physical test. Vendors evaluating FFP versus SIOC should treat certification as the common foundation, then decide separately on recyclability. Products sold into the EU should also check the EU PPWR packaging regulation, since Tier 1 recyclability can overlap with EU packaging waste rules.

3. The SIPP Rebrand of February 2024: What Changed and What Did Not

Amazon renamed the SIOC programme to Ships in Product Packaging in February 2024, as part of a wider update to vendor packaging programmes that also activated FBA chargebacks for ASINs enrolled without valid certification. The rebrand changed the programme name and the chargeback mechanics. It did not change the underlying ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC test protocol, which remains the reference standard for both SIOC and SIPP certification.

The SIPP name replaced SIOC as the programme name in February 2024. The underlying ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC test protocol did not change name in the ISTA catalogue and is still referred to as SIOC in the test procedure itself. Vendors will see both names in circulation.

For importers, a report issued under the SIOC name before 2024 remains valid evidence of certification. What changed is enforcement: Amazon now applies chargebacks more consistently to ASINs lacking valid certification, raising the cost of any mismatch between a certified sample and the packaging that actually ships. Guidelines were last updated in March 2026, so check the current version at enrolment.

4. Who Needs SIPP Certification and Who Is Exempt

SIPP certification applies to products shipped through Amazon in their own retail packaging, whether sold under a Vendor Central relationship or fulfilled through FBA for a third-party seller. Products below the minimum SIPP dimensions of 6.0 by 4.0 by 0.375 inches, or above the weight threshold for their test type, follow different Amazon packaging paths. This guide focuses on the Amazon FBA compliance requirements that intersect with SIPP; readers wanting the wider set of FBA inbound, prep and labelling rules should consult that guide directly. SIPP is a packaging test only and does not cover product-level requirements; for the category-specific Amazon product testing that some SKUs also need, see our separate guide.

Certain categories are excluded regardless of size or weight: hazardous materials, liquids, powders, sharp objects, food or supplements not in sealed retail packaging, and flexible formats under 1 inch in one dimension that risk scattering. Children's products under CPSC obligations should be checked separately, since SIPP does not substitute for CPSC compliance.

5. The APASS Network: Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network

APASS stands for Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network: Amazon's referral list of third-party laboratories recognised to test against the ISTA 6-Amazon protocols and issue reports Amazon accepts for SIPP enrolment. The list is on amazon-packaging.com and covers laboratories across the US, Europe and Asia, including Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Vietnam.

The APASS list is separate from the Amazon Packaging Lab, reserved for Retail Vendors with fragile products under 50 lb and not available to FBA sellers on Seller Central. For an importer in Asia, the question is not only which laboratory to use but how the sample reaches it still representing the production run, covered in section 8.

Once a laboratory recognised through the APASS network issues a passing report, the reference needs recording against the ASIN. Laboratory selection depends on product category, sample size and geographic proximity, which is why the coordination role described in section 11 sits at the factory rather than at the laboratory itself.

6. The 8 Test Types of ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC (SIPP): A to H Overview

The ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC procedure defines eight test types, A through H, selected by shipment method, handling method and weight. The table below gives the overview needed to identify which type applies; detailed test sequences are published in the ISTA procedure document itself and are not reproduced here.

Type	Shipment method	Handling	Weight range
A	Parcel	Individually handled	Under 50 lb (23 kg)
B	Parcel	Individually handled	50 lb to 100 lb (45 kg)
C	Parcel	Individually handled	100 lb up to the 150 lb (68 kg) parcel limit
D	Less-than-truckload (LTL)	Floor-loaded or palletised	Under 100 lb
E	Less-than-truckload (LTL)	Floor-loaded or palletised	100 lb or greater
F	Less-than-truckload (LTL)	Palletised	As applicable to palletised loads
G	Parcel	TV or monitor products	Under the applicable girth and weight threshold
H	Less-than-truckload (LTL)	TV or monitor products	Girth above 165 inches or weight above the parcel threshold

The ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC 2018 version added Types G and H specifically for TV and monitor products. The ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing procedure is a separate document covering products that Amazon over-boxes rather than SIPP-certified. Both are maintained by ISTA in cooperation with Amazon.

Type classification is not fixed once a product is designed. A TV tested as Type G because samples measured under the 165 inch girth threshold can be reclassified to Type H if production ends up larger, invalidating the certification. Section 8 covers how AQF checks this. For the general compression, drop and vibration testing methods ISTA 6-Amazon draws on, see our packaging testing hub, and for the wider ASTM D4169 distribution testing framework these methods sit within, see our ASTM D4169 guide.

7. The 3 Certification Methods: Self-Test, ISTA-6 APASS Lab, Amazon Packaging Lab

Amazon recognises three routes to SIPP certification, and eligibility for each depends on the product's fragility, weight and packaging format.

1. Self-test: rigid packaging under 50 lb, non-fragile, or flexible packaging that is non-fragile, non-granular and non-sharp. Follows a 17-drop protocol at 18-inch drop height, with one 36-inch drop on the most fragile face, documented on Amazon's drop test template. Flexible self-tests also include a material strength test.
2. ISTA-6 APASS laboratory testing: required for fragile items, items above the self-test weight threshold, and flexible formats outside self-test eligibility. Performed by a laboratory recognised through the APASS network, resulting in a formal certification report.
3. Amazon Packaging Lab: an Amazon-operated route reserved for Retail Vendors (Vendor Central) with fragile products under 50 lb. Not available to FBA Sellers on Seller Central, who must use self-test where eligible or an APASS laboratory.

Choosing the wrong method is a common source of delay: a fragile product that does not qualify for self-test sometimes still gets submitted on the self-test template, which Amazon rejects at enrolment. Confirming eligibility before scheduling any test avoids that loop. For lab testing coordination that spans multiple product categories beyond packaging, including broader consumer product lab testing, AQF coordinates both scopes together where one production run needs multiple reports.

8. Preparing Samples at the Factory for SIPP Testing

The most consequential decision in a SIPP readiness project happens before the sample reaches a laboratory: whether it is drawn from an actual production run or from a prototype. A prototype rarely has the same carton grammage, adhesive or joint geometry as a carton made on the line at volume, so a report based on it protects nobody once Amazon inspects a real shipment.

The sample also has to survive its own journey to the laboratory without biasing the result. ISTA allows a sample to be adequately over-packaged for shipment, or repackaged at the laboratory, so transit damage does not distort the test, a step easy to miss when the laboratory relationship is managed remotely.

The table below sets out the failure modes AQF sees most often between a certified sample and the carton that eventually ships, and how a pre-shipment inspection catches each one before the container leaves.

Failure mode at the factory	Signal at the FC or lab	Resolution before shipment
Lab sample is a hand-made prototype, not production-run	Report is valid for the sample but does not represent production	Sampling planned after production kick-off, sample identified and documented
Production carton has lower grammage (cartonnier changed lot)	Cartons crushed in transit, rejection spikes, chargebacks	Cartonnier audit plus pre-shipment grammage verification
Flap adhesive differs from the certified sample	Flaps open in transit, inbound reported as damaged	Pre-shipment seal integrity check, photo comparison
SKU on carton does not match SIPP enrolment	ASIN mismatch, certified status rejected	SKU, ASIN and labelling reconciled at pre-shipment
Carton dimensions exceed the 6 x 4 x 0.375 inch minimum	Rejected at inbound, manual prep, chargeback	Pre-shipment measurement against certified specification
Inner packaging differs from the certified sample	Item damage in transit, possible chargeback	Inner packaging checked against sample photos
Report older than one year after an ISTA revision	Amazon requires re-certification, ASIN suspended	Importer alerted, retest scheduled ahead of deadline
TV/monitor tested as Type G but production exceeds 165 in girth	Amazon reclassifies to Type H, requires retest	Dimensions checked against production before certification

9. The ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing March 2026 Update

A separate ISTA document, ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing, covers products Amazon still over-boxes rather than ships in certified retail packaging. The March 2026 revision made several changes relevant to factories preparing dunnage: kraft paper is now standard and air pillows are no longer allowed, the dunnage quantity calculation was formalised around product volume and void space, hazardous product dimensions and weights were updated, and sample combinations for multi-item orders were expanded.

The March 2026 Over Boxing update accepts test reports from the prior version for up to one year. Vendors with an active Over Boxing certification should confirm whether their reports remain within the transition window and plan a retest if the anniversary falls before their next Amazon audit.

Factories supplying dunnage should confirm which Over Boxing version their certification relies on. Air pillows still in use need phasing out in favour of kraft paper before the one-year transition window closes.

10. How SIPP Certification Fits into the Amazon FBA Workflow

SIPP certification is one input into a wider FBA enrolment workflow. Once a laboratory recognised through the APASS network issues a passing report, or a self-test is completed and documented, the reference is recorded against the ASIN. From that point the ASIN is treated as certified, chargebacks for missing certification no longer apply, and the product moves through inbound without an added overbox.

The workflow does not end at certification. Every container leaving the factory still needs to match the certified specification and fit within the wider Amazon FBA compliance requirements for inbound and prep, and the product still needs to survive shipping from China to Amazon FBA, covered in our shipping guide.

11. How AQF Coordinates SIPP Readiness with Factories in China and Vietnam

AQF operates upstream of the APASS laboratory, at the factory. The role is to verify the packaging specification agreed with the cartonnier matches the applicable ISTA 6-Amazon test type, coordinate extraction of a production-run sample rather than a prototype, support shipment of that sample to a laboratory recognised through the APASS network, and run a pre-shipment inspection confirming the finished container still matches the certified sample.

In many sourcing relationships, the factory assembling the product is not the supplier that manufactures the carton, often bought from a separate cartonnier in Guangdong or Zhejiang. A change in that supplier's grammage or adhesive between lots can invalidate a certification without the importer knowing, which is why a factory audit on the cartonnier closes the gap before it becomes a chargeback. Product-level testing, distinct from packaging performance, is covered separately in our Amazon product testing guide. The eight-step sequence below is the checklist AQF works through with importers.

Before mass production starts

1. Confirm the ISTA 6-Amazon test type applicable to the SKU (A to H), cross-checked against shipment method, handling method and weight.
2. Confirm the packaging specification with the cartonnier supplier: box style, material grade, basis weight, dimensions matching the 6 x 4 x 0.375 inch minimum, inner packaging and sealing method.
3. Confirm the laboratory recognised through the APASS network, or confirm self-test eligibility if the SKU qualifies.

During production

1. Pull the SIPP sample from the initial production run, not a prototype pilot. Document sample identity, batch number, production date and cartonnier lot reference, with photographs.
2. Repackage the sample for transit using a separate outer shipping carton, so it arrives in its authentic production state without transit damage biasing the result.

Before the container ships

1. Verify the SIPP-certified report reference is recorded in the ASIN enrolment on Vendor Central or Seller Central, matched to the correct type and tier.
2. Run a pre-shipment inspection to open finished cartons and verify grammage, inner packaging, sealing method and dimensions match the certified sample.
3. Reconcile the SKU on the finished carton to the declared ASIN, and verify the product identification label is legible and matches the SIPP enrolment.

A sourcing meeting held before the purchase order is confirmed is the most effective point to raise packaging questions with a new supplier: which test type applies, who the cartonnier is, whether a recent report already exists for a comparable SKU, and the supplier's notification protocol if a component changes mid-production. Raising these questions at sourcing stage, rather than after a chargeback, is consistently the cheaper path.

Frequently asked questions

What is ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP certification?

ISTA 6-Amazon SIPP certification confirms that a packaged product meets the physical performance criteria of Amazon's Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) programme. The underlying test protocol is ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC, developed by the International Safe Transit Association with Amazon and covering eight test types depending on shipment method, handling method and weight. The certification is required to ship items in their own retail packaging through Amazon fulfilment without an added Amazon overbox.

What is the difference between SIOC, SIPP and Frustration-Free Packaging?

Ships in Own Container (SIOC) is Tier 2 of Amazon's packaging programme and requires a rigid six-sided box or padded mailer that passes ISTA 6-Amazon testing. Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) is Tier 1 and adds a 100% curbside-recyclable materials requirement plus an easy-open criterion. Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) is the current name of the umbrella programme, adopted in February 2024, and the standards for SIPP certification remain the same as SIOC. Prep Free Packaging (PFP) is Tier 3.

What are the 8 types A to H of ISTA 6-Amazon.com-SIOC?

Type A covers parcel delivery of individual packaged products under 50 lb (23 kg). Type B covers parcel between 50 lb and 100 lb (45 kg). Type C covers parcel of 100 lb or greater, up to the 150 lb (68 kg) parcel limit. Type D covers less-than-truckload (LTL) delivery under 100 lb. Type E covers LTL 100 lb or greater. Type F covers LTL palletised loads. Types G and H cover TV and monitor products for parcel and LTL respectively.

What is the APASS network?

APASS stands for Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network. It is Amazon's referral list of ISTA-certified third-party laboratories that are recognised to perform SIPP certification testing to the ISTA 6-Amazon protocols. The APASS lab list is public on amazon-packaging.com and covers laboratories located in the United States, Europe, China and other regions. A test report issued by an APASS-recognised lab is accepted by Amazon for SIPP enrolment.

Can I self-test my packaging for SIPP certification?

Self-testing is only permitted for a limited set of items. For rigid packaging, the product must weigh under 50 lb and be non-fragile. For flexible packaging, the product must be non-fragile, non-granular and non-sharp. Self-testing follows a 17-drop protocol using an 18-inch drop height (with one 36-inch drop on the most fragile face) documented on the Amazon drop test template. Fragile items, heavier items and non-eligible flexible items require a lab report from the APASS network or the Amazon Packaging Lab.

What is the ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing March 2026 update?

The March 2026 revision to ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing changed the dunnage specification: kraft paper is now the standard and air pillows have been removed as an allowable option. The revision also formalised the calculation of paper dunnage quantity based on product volume and available void space, updated hazardous product dimensions and weights from Amazon customer order data, and expanded the sample combinations required for multi-item orders. ISTA accepts test reports based on the prior version for up to one year after the revision was published.

What are the minimum packaging dimensions for SIPP eligibility?

The minimum packaging dimensions for SIPP are a length of 6.0 inches (152.4 mm), a width of 4.0 inches (101.6 mm) and a height of 0.375 inches (9.5 mm). Rigid packaging must be a six-sided box or padded mailer with no sharp protrusions, no openings and no shrink wrap, with all flaps fully sealed. Flexible packaging must have an outer material thickness of at least 2 mil or a basis weight of at least 130 gsm, no holes greater than 0.25 inches, and must contain rigid or padded inner packaging to secure the contents.

Are there items that cannot be enrolled in SIPP?

Yes. Prohibited or restricted items include hazardous materials (hazmat) with transportation regulations, items in flexible packaging with dimensions under 1 inch that may scatter or leak, liquids, powders, sharp objects, and food or supplements not in sealed retail packaging. Certain oversized products or products with unusual shapes may also require the ISTA 6-Amazon.com-Over Boxing protocol instead. The full list of exceptions is published in the Amazon SIPP programme certification guidelines updated in March 2026.

Where can I find an APASS-certified lab in China?

The APASS referral list is published on amazon-packaging.com and includes ISTA-certified laboratories located in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai and other manufacturing hubs across China, as well as laboratories in Vietnam and other Asia sourcing regions. Any laboratory on the APASS list is recognised by Amazon for SIPP certification purposes. AQF coordinates sample logistics from the factory to the APASS partner laboratory and does not name individual laboratories, since laboratory selection depends on product category, sample size and geographic proximity.

How does AQF help importers prepare for SIPP certification?

AQF operates upstream of the APASS lab in the factory. AQF verifies that the packaging specification agreed with the cartonnier supplier matches the ISTA 6-Amazon test type applicable to the product, coordinates the extraction of a production-run sample rather than a prototype, arranges shipping of the sample to a laboratory in the APASS network, and conducts a pre-shipment inspection to confirm that the carton in the actual container matches the certified sample. This closes the gap between what Amazon receives in the SIPP test report and what arrives at the Amazon fulfilment centre.

Amazon programme requirements evolve. Verify current specifications with amazon-packaging.com and Seller Central or Vendor Central at the time of your enrolment, since dimensions, weight thresholds and certification methods are subject to change.