Amazon Preparing for Shipment – What Does it Mean, FAQs & More   

We can imagine how you feel banging your head against the wall while waiting for your Amazon shipment to arrive.

Let me guess, your order has been stuck for days under the “Preparing for Shipment” status on Amazon, and you don’t have the slightest idea of what’s going on, and it doesn’t seem worth it? Trust me, we know the feeling.

We are sure questions will pop into your head: What does it mean? How long will it take? Can I cancel my order and save my money or not?

Relax and take a chill pill. We will answer all your questions and help you with the complications.

So, Let’s get down to business!

Amazon Preparing for Shipment – What Does It Mean?

Can we be totally honest with you? A simple Google search will reveal how many people complain about the matter. Hundreds of buyers on the world’s largest online marketplace have to wait for their orders stranded on “Preparing for Shipment” status.

You guessed it right. It is a common problem.

The “Preparing for Shipment” status generally means that your desired product is in the process of packing, labeling, and pick-up preparations while at the same time Amazon has contacted your pick-up carrier.

So, what’s the catch?

What Happens at Amazon While Preparing for Shipment?

You may be curious about what is actually happening at Amazon while it is preparing to ship your order?

The answer?

Amazon has to take care of several different operations to ensure the quality of the product being delivered to its customers.

Amazon may be trying to figure out the warehouses holding the product and make a decision on the best warehouse for fastest delivery.

In addition, the process also includes collecting and packaging items in the warehouse, labeling the boxes intended for purchasers and placing the box in quarantine for pick-up.

After that, Amazon contacts the carrier for the pick-up and loads these boxes in trucks.

Look, here’s the deal: Preparing products for shipment isn’t a complicated process at all. The only problem falls at the availability of resources and products at the warehouses.

What Is the Normal Amazon “Preparing for Shipment” Time?

It’s a million-dollar question, isn’t it?

How fast is the biggest retail franchise in the world?

To answer that question, we’ll give you a simple example: Amazon recorded its fastest Prime Now delivery on Christmas-eve 2016, taking approximately 13 minutes to deliver. Just imagine it!!

But let’s not build castles in the air.

Under normal circumstances, Amazon’s standard delivery only takes from 2-5 business days while Amazon Prime takes 1-3 business days. That’s still pretty fast.

Apart from that, Amazon also offers free shipping that usually takes 5-8 business days.

What Is the Normal Amazon “Preparing for Shipment” Time?

OK, we know you’re dying to find out how long it will take to get your desired products ready for shipment?

Before we answer that question, let us clarify: Amazon has two kinds of products on its marketplace; those that are fulfilled with “Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)” services and those that are privately fulfilled.

Needless to say, the products with FBA services are prepared inside the Amazon warehouses and processed instantly under most conditions if the stock is available.

And here’s the best thing about it: For Amazon Prime members, if the order is placed early enough, you can get the product later in the day.

The companies offering private fulfillment services, on the other hand, have their own ways of processing. And believe it or not, they even take a week to do so.

It’s certainly not cool!!

What is the Difference Between ‘Preparing for Shipment’ Status VS ‘Shipping Now’?

If your order status changes from “Preparing for Shipment” to “Shipping Now”, it’s cause for celebration since that means your order has been shipped out to you. 

There are a couple of important things to note at this stage. 

First of all, it means that your package has left the Amazon facility at this stage. That means that your order cannot be canceled or modified now. If you choose to pay by card, this is also the stage where your card will get charged. 

Secondly, you’ll be provided an updated estimated arrival time for your delivery. You can look it up to know when your package will arrive at your door. You’ll also be provided a tracking number that you can use to look up your package’s current location. 

Please note that if you wish to make any changes to your order or cancel it, any of such queries will now go under the “refund” category rather than the “return” category. 

Why Are Amazon Orders Taking So Long?

So, by now, you must be wondering why it is taking so long for Amazon FBA to deliver your orders?

Well, there can be several cases when this happens.

For starters, your desired product can be out of stock.

The website mentions that your order is preparing for a shipment while at the same time it is still stuck at manufacturing.

Other than that, Amazon optimizes their systems to minimize their delivery expenses.

Simply put, when the delivery cost is minimal, Amazon ships your order. That’s why it takes longer days to deliver standard and free shipments.

How to Contact Amazon for Your Order?

The best way to find out if there is any problem with your order is to contact Amazon.

Bear with us while we take you through the process.

First of all, sign in to your buyer account and then navigate to the bottom of the page. Click on Help under the Let Us Help You section.

After that, click on Where’s My Stuff? And you’re good to go.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is the Difference Between Preparing for Shipment and Not Yet Shipped?

Along with the “Preparing for Shipment” status on your orders, you may have noticed other labels like “Not Yet Shipped” that may confuse you.

Well, both these terms are technically different from each other.

“Not Yet Shipped” means Amazon has not yet started preparing, packaging or labeling your order.

Preparing for Shipment, on the other hand, means that your order is in the process of packaging, labeling or waiting to be sent on the next available shipment.

What Is the Difference Between Preparing for Shipment and Shipped?

Ever wondered what the difference is between “Preparing for Shipment” and “Shipped”?
Well, we have a pretty obvious answer for you.

Your order is still in the warehouse in the process of fulfillment while preparing your shipment. Amazon allows you to change or cancel your order while the order is still in the facility.

However, once it’s shipped and left the facility, you don’t have the power to cancel or modify your order.

What happens after preparing for shipment?

After all these time-consuming fulfillment processes, what is the next step?

Well, it’s party time! Your product is on its way.

The status of your order on the website will turn “Shipping Now.” That means that the carrier has picked up your product and is in transit to you.

Now, you just have to wait. How long? It depends on what kind of delivery service you are using.

Am I charged for my order while Amazon is preparing for Shipment?

This question must be lingering on your mind for quite some time. Stop worrying! We have got the answers right here.

We are stating a rule of thumb for you:

Amazon will not charge you for your products until your order leaves the fulfillment center.

What we mean by this is while preparing for shipment, your order is still inside your warehouse, and your card has not been charged yet.

Let us shoot an arrow in the sky: After placing your order on Amazon, your credit card bill may indicate as charged for the item.

In reality, the bank reserves the amount from your credit card for authorization. The primary
target is to smooth up the process and deliver your order as early as possible.

Can You Cancel an Order on Amazon if It Says Preparing for Shipment?

We understand your frustrations with a delayed order stuck on “Preparing for Shipment”. At this point, canceling it seems to be the only way to escape misery.

The answer to the question? Yes, you can.

As long as your order hasn’t entered the shipping process, Amazon allows you to cancel your order.

How to cancel your order on Amazon?

So, you ready to cancel your order? We’ll walk you through the whole process.

Go to Your Orders.

Click Cancel Items.

Select the check box next to each item you wish to remove from the order.

Click Cancel checked items when finished.

How do you get your money back after canceling your order?

After cancellation, you must be curious about what will happen to your money.

As we mentioned earlier, Amazon does not charge you for your products until your order has left the fulfillment center.

But hang on a minute, what about the amount reserved from your credit card?

Don’t panic. That “charged” amount will be transferred back to your account after the cancellation of the order.

Paid by Gift Card?

It’s a no brainer.

The policies related to a gift card are very similar to the money charged from a credit card. The amount for canceled order will be returned to your gift card balance.

Conclusion

So what’s the moral of this article?

Amazon has a lot to cover before they dispatch your orders for shipment. I mean, they have to maintain the quality, right?

It is okay for them to take time to process your products.

Let us make it clear right here: If you feel like it’s not worth waiting for so long, you can always cancel while the product is still in the warehouse. Amazon will not charge you for your order.

Now it’s your turn. It’s your money at stake here. If you still have any unanswered questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Make use of amazon policies and increase sales by following our blog.