International Safe Transit Association, ista, is a well-known international non-profit organization and commits to reduce product damage during transportation and optimize the use of packaging materials through effective package design.

ista and its members jointly establish specific package and transportation testing standards applicable to e-commerce logistics—ista 6 series are testing standards for membership companies, such as: Amazon (AMAZON.com-Over Boxing, AMAZON.com-SIOC), FedEx (6-FEDEX- A, 6-FEDEX-B) and Sam's Club (6-SAMSCLUB).

For the present, Amazon Packaging Test is hot topic in the market and the standard, which is established by Amazon and ista according to logistics package consideration, includes 2 specifications: ista 6-Amazon.com-OB (Over Boxing) and ista 6-Amazon.com-SIOC ( Ships in Own Container). (See Figure 1):
<Figure 1: ista 6-Amazon.com-OB & ista 6-Amazon.com-SIOC>

In package type, Amazon defined 3 kinds of package types(Tier 1~Tier 3): (See Figure 2),
  • Tier 1:Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP)
  • Tier 2:Ships in Own Container (SIOC)
  • Tier 3:Prep-Free Packaging (PFP)
 
 
<Figure 2: Amazon package type>

According to package type, transit tests includes Over Boxing and SIOC (Type A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H) in totally 9 types (See Figures 3)
 <Figures 3: ista 6-Amazon.com testing type>

Amazon requires all products, which sell on its platform except exempted products, must complete this Package Program, and compliance test reports have to be issued and provided by a third-party laboratory which accredited by ista in accordance with the Amazon report template.

Since package transportation testing could help e-commerce companies and suppliers to ensure product quality, reduce the probability of product damage, optimize packaging material design and costs, and reduce after-sales processing costs, this is one of the key issue of related industries as well.

DEKRA iST is a professional third-party laboratory officially recognized by ista, and can offer Amazon Package Program Certification services to clients, who would like to sell products to worldwide via Amazon platform.


<ISTA 6 Amazon Application Form>