Multi-Channel Fulfillment: Fulfill orders for your sales channels

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) is a third-party logistics solution that enables you to leverage Amazon’s fulfillment network and expertise to pick, pack, and deliver orders from all your ecommerce channels. For more information, go to our program page.

MCF offers two click-to-delivery speeds: Standard and Expedited. The delivery time for each is calculated as the number of business days between order acceptance and delivery to the buyer. While MCF processes and delivers orders seven days a week, Expedited speed orders submitted after 2 p.m. Pacific Time will have an acceptance day of the following business day.

The delivery times in the table below apply to standard-size, sortable items (for example, items about the size of a bread box or smaller), that are received and stored in a fulfillment center; and orders that are delivered within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., without opting out of Amazon Logistics. The shipping and tracking times refer to the time between order submission and shipping and tracking number generation, respectively.

Orders that don’t qualify for the delivery times in the table above require additional time for delivery according to the categories described in the table below. If more than one category applies, the longer of the delivery times will apply.

Delivery times may be longer for the following:

• Inventory that's been shipped from your location but not yet received and added to your inventory at the fulfillment center.
• Inventory that’s being transferred from one fulfillment center to another, which is shown in the Reserved column on FBA Inventory.
• Orders including items without sufficient inventory (as a best practice, we recommend maintaining at least 8 weeks of cover and 100 units that are received and stored in a fulfillment center).
• Orders placed during anticipated high-volume events (for example, Prime Day, Black Friday), national holidays, and unforeseen circumstances outside of Amazon’s control, such as a strike, natural disaster, or severe winter storm.

The following examples illustrate MCF click-to-delivery speeds:

• If a Standard speed order is placed at any time on Monday, delivery is expected on or before Thursday: 3 business days after acceptance day of Monday.
• If an Expedited speed order is placed on Monday before 2 p.m. Pacific Time, delivery is expected on or before Wednesday: 2 business days after acceptance day of Monday.
• If a Standard speed order opting out of Amazon logistics is placed at any time on Monday, delivery is expected on or before Monday of the following week: 5 business days after acceptance day of Monday.
• If an Expedited speed order opting out of Amazon logistics and delivered to Alaska is placed after 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, delivery is expected on or before Wednesday of the following week: 6 business days after acceptance day of Tuesday.
• If a Standard speed order is placed at any time on Friday, delivery is expected on or before Wednesday of the following week: 3 business days after acceptance day of Friday.

Before you can place MCF orders, you have to ensure that you’ve created listings and sent inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers. There are two ways to create listings for MCF:

Create listings in Seller Central

If you are an Amazon seller and use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) there are no additional steps to create listings. When you place an MCF order, it will be fulfilled from the same pool of inventory at Amazon fulfillment centers that is used for your FBA orders. For more information on how to create and manage listings in Seller Central, go to FBA inventory.

Create listings in Supply Chain Portal

If you don’t sell on Amazon, or are an Amazon seller but want to fulfill orders with MCF for products that are not intended to be listed for sale on Amazon.com, you can use Supply Chain Portal (SCP) to create listings. SCP gives you access to inventory visibility, order management, reporting, and tracking for all your MCF orders. There are also fewer restrictions* for creating listings with SCP than Seller Central, which can potentially save you time and allow you to use MCF for a wider selection of your products, for example:

• SCP listings are proprietary to the seller that created them; sellers can use MCF to fulfill products without matching them to existing Amazon store listings
• SCP listings do not have brand restrictions; sellers can use MCF to fulfill products without authorization from brand owners
• SCP listings do not require a product identification code; sellers can use MCF to fulfill products that do not have a registered GTIN or UPC code
• *Dangerous goods (also referred to as hazmat) policies still apply for listings created in SCP

Send inventory to Amazon

The steps and requirements for sending inventory to Amazon for MCF are the same as FBA. Go to Send to Amazon for more information on how to create a shipping plan for inbounding your inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers.

MCF fulfills orders from off-Amazon sales channels, including your own website. You can create MCF orders through our quick order form, bulk order upload, or API integrations. To find the right solution for your business, use the MCF Integration Selection Tool.

The quick order form allows you to place a single MCF order against available FBA inventory by entering your customer's shipping address, items, and delivery speed. To create or cancel multiple orders at once, upload a completed template to the MCF bulk orders form.

To activate a hold order, follow these steps:

1. Go to Manage orders.
2. Select a time frame, or in the search box, enter the MCF order ID and click Search.
3. Click the order ID link in the Order details column.
4. On the MCF order details page, click Ship this order.

To track MCF orders, follow these steps:

1. Go to Manage Orders.
2. Select a time frame, or in the search box, enter the MCF order ID and click Search.
3. Click the order ID link in the Order details column.
4. On the MCF order details page, click the Shipment tab to view the details for the order.

For each delivery, the send date, delivery estimate, tracking number, and carrier information will be available, along with the package contents.

Click the tracking number to view tracking details on Swiship, our tracking website. Swiship provides real-time status updates for packages, which can be shared with buyers. Alternatively, to view the tracking details on your selling account, click the Shipment tab on the MCF order details page and click Shipping event details. For more information, go to How to track your Multi-Channel Fulfillment orders.

Tracking numbers generated by our system expire after 90 days. If a tracking number has expired, the tracking details may not be available on Swiship.

To request an order cancellation, follow these steps:

1. Go to Manage Orders.
2. Select a time frame, or in the search box, enter the MCF order ID and click Search.
3. Click the order ID link in the Order details column.
4. On the MCF order details page, click Cancel this order, if available.

Cancel this order may not appear in certain cases. For example, it may not appear if the order was already packed, or if a tracking number was generated and the order was sent. In these cases, the order can't be canceled.

You aren't charged for MCF orders that are successfully canceled before being sent for delivery. If some items in an order have been sent, or have returned to Amazon before reaching the buyer, fees for those items will apply. MCF doesn’t offer the option to intercept an order after it’s been sent.

Once an MCF order has been submitted, the order details can’t be changed, including the products, quantity, recipient name, and delivery address. Before you place an order, make sure that you confirm with the buyer that the address provided is accurate. Amazon is not responsible for any delivery failures that result from incorrect information submitted during order creation. Such orders are ineligible for reimbursement.

MCF charges fulfillment fees for domestic orders and export orders. Download our complete rate card (available in English only).

Fulfillment fees for MCF orders will be charged to your account balance at the time the order is shipped. Your seller account may have a negative balance if the fees you owe exceed your sales on Amazon. MCF sellers with negative account balances may have their credit cards charged up to once per day. If a payment fails, MCF shipping services may be suspended until payment is successfully received. To ensure sellers have sufficient funds to fulfill financial obligations, we may impose transaction limits on some sellers based on cumulative value of fees accrued during a settlement period which may result in pausing MCF shipping services until payment is successfully received. We will not be liable for any delays or interruptions in order fulfillment as a result of MCF shipping services getting suspended. For more information, go to MCF Billing FAQ.

The MCF fast badges feature allows you to display real-time delivery dates on the product detail pages of your ecommerce website, which can help you increase conversion and sales by showcasing MCF’s fast delivery speeds to shoppers early on in their journey.

The MCF fast badges feature is available for sellers who use the MCF app for Shopify, WebBee, NeverSettle, or the MCF API, or using Google product listings.

Discover how to enable MCF fast badges on your ecommerce site or contact Selling Partner Support for help.

MCF orders are automatically shipped in unbranded packaging, at no additional cost to you. The packaging materials that we use–including boxes, tape, and poly bags–do not contain any Amazon branding.

Unbranded packing is the default option for MCF orders, except in cases when it may result in longer shipping and delivery times, such as orders with bulk units. To ensure that all your orders are shipped in unbranded packaging, select Only ship with blank boxes under the Add items section of the quick order form. Note that MCF’s unbranded packaging feature does not support items that exceed 56 inches for the longest side or are heavier than 49.9 lb.

You can block your MCF orders from being delivered by Amazon Logistics, which will result in a 5% surcharge on those orders. When you block Amazon Logistics, only third-party carriers will ship your order. For more information, go to Fulfillment fees for Multi-Channel Fulfillment orders.

You can block Amazon Logistics at the account level in your Multi-Channel Fulfillment settings. For individual orders, you can block this shipping method through MCF API or by selecting Block Amazon Logistics as a carrier for this order on the order creation page.

If you block this delivery method through your MCF settings, by default none of your MCF orders will be delivered by Amazon Logistics. Changing your Amazon Logistics preference for individual orders will override your MCF settings preference for those orders only.

You’re eligible for reimbursements on your MCF orders if we determine that they’ve been lost or damaged. You have up to 90 days after the latest delivery date, or the estimated delivery date from the carrier, to submit your claim for any lost or damaged items on your MCF orders. Check the status of your existing reimbursements on the Reimbursements report or the Payments dashboard.

You are ineligible for reimbursements if any of the following apply:

• You use MCF as a way to remove items from a fulfillment center. Instead, create a removal order. For more information, go to Remove inventory (overview).
• You use MCF as a way to fulfill any order placed on the Amazon website, including self-fulfilled orders, FBA orders, or any related shipments. Instead, use FBA. For more information, go to Get started with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).

MCF fulfillment fees and items in orders that are marked as delivered by the carrier aren't eligible for reimbursement.

How we calculate reimbursement value

If we determine that your reimbursement claim is valid, we’ll reimburse your account with a corresponding number of units of the same FNSKU, added into your inventory, or credit your account with a cash reimbursement for the units.

For any cash reimbursements, we will determine the estimated proceeds of sale. This amount is the estimated sale price of the item for which you’re being reimbursed minus referral fees and FBA fulfillment fees, as explained in the next section.

We compare several price indicators to determine an estimated sale price for the item:

• The median price at which you’ve sold the item on Amazon over the past 18 months
• The median price at which other sellers have sold the same item on Amazon over the past 18 months
• The current list price that you’ve set for the same item on Amazon or the mean list price if you have multiple listings for the same item
• The current list price for the same item from other sellers on Amazon

If we don't have enough information to calculate the estimated sale price of a unit using these price indicators, we’ll base the estimate on the price of a comparable product. We may ask you for additional information or documentation to help us determine that value.

Why we use referral and FBA fulfillment fees to calculate MCF reimbursements

Referral fees are not charged for MCF orders. When we estimate the proceeds of a sale, we start with an estimated sale price. Because MCF orders occur outside of the Amazon website, we don’t have a record of the sale price. Therefore, we determine the estimated sale price based on your FBA sales, and we use the fees that are applicable to FBA sales to determine a fair estimation of the proceeds of sale.

If your order isn’t delivered within seven days after the promised delivery date or estimated delivery date, you can claim a lost reimbursement with Selling Partner Support. Orders that are marked as delivered by the carrier aren’t eligible for reimbursement.

Your claim must include all of the following:

• Order ID
• Proof of the original non-Amazon order, such as a screenshot of your Shopify order, including all affected ASINs and corresponding quantities, the buyer’s name and address as well as the sales price
• Proof of refund or replacement provided to the buyer, including the buyer’s name and address
• Tracking IDs for the affected shipments, if the order contained multiple shipments

If any items in your order are wrong, missing, or damaged in transit to the buyer, you can file for reimbursement by contacting Selling Partner Support. To receive a reimbursement, you must provide photographic proof of the damaged item, wrong item, or missing items in the package.

When you submit a reimbursement claim for an order that contains damaged, wrong, or missing items, you must provide all five of the following:

• Order IDs, ASINs, or FNSKUs of the damaged, wrong, or missing items, and quantities of each affected item
• Proof of the original non-Amazon order, such as a screenshot of your Shopify order. The order must include all ASINs and corresponding quantities, as well as the buyer's name and address.
• Proof of refund or replacement provided to the buyer, including the buyer's name and address
• Images of the shipping box or envelope and all shipping labels
• The following information, depending on the issue:
  • For damaged items
    • A description of the damage
    • Images of the whole item, including clear images of the UPC, ASIN, or FNSKU barcode label
    • Images of the damage described
    • For electronics, such as TVs and printers, images of the serial and model numbers
  • For wrong items
    • A description of the difference
    • Images of the incorrectly received item showing the UPC, ASIN, or FNSKU barcode label, or the LPN sticker, or both, and the described difference
    • Images of the model number and serial number, if available
  • For missing items
    • Images of the inside of the shipping box or envelope showing the received items, if one unit of multiple units that were shipped in the package is missing
    • Images of the empty shipping box, if only one item was shipped in the box
    • Images of empty product packaging, if a product box was received without one or more of the internal contents

To initiate a return to Amazon, follow these steps:

1. Go to Manage orders.
2. Select a time frame, or in the search box, enter the MCF order ID and click Search.
3. Click the order ID link in the Order details column.
4. On the Multi-Channel Fulfillment Order Details page, click Return.
5. Select the return quantity for the item or items that the buyer wants to return.
6. Indicate the return reason for the item or items.

The return merchandise authorization form will then be generated. The form contains the following two sections:

• Return mailing label: A label that contains the address of the fulfillment center that will be receiving and processing the return. Ask the buyer to place the label on their return package.
  Note: Postage is not provided on the return mailing label. You or the buyer are responsible for buying and producing the return label.
• Return authorization slip: A form that contains a barcode and item description for the products being returned. The slip must be included inside the return package alongside the items.

When a return is received at a fulfillment center, our associates check the item’s condition. If it’s in a sellable condition, we add it back to your Amazon inventory. If it’s unsellable, you must follow our removal procedure to receive the defective product. For more information, go to Required removals.

It may take up to seven days to process the return and put the item back into your inventory once it’s delivered to a fulfillment center.

After you have initiated a return, click Return status on the MCF order details page for information on the return. You can also view this information on the FBA Customer Returns report. Select the appropriate time frame in the Event date drop-down menu. The report will show whether we’ve received the return and the disposition of the item.

In some cases, an item may be returned to a fulfillment center by the carrier. There are various reasons why this might occur, such as when an item was damaged during transit, an item was undeliverable due to an incorrect address, or the buyer refused delivery. In these cases, it may take up to seven days from the last tracking update to add the returned units back to your inventory. Orders that are returned by the carrier aren’t eligible for reimbursement.

To use this tool, follow these steps:

1. Access the tool.
2. Complete the two required fields by selecting the option that matches your business.
3. If desired, add more information in the optional fields to help the tool to identify the integration that’s the best fit for your business.
4. Click Show results at the bottom right corner of the page. The recommended integrations for your business will show up on a list.
5. Click Learn more in each recommendation to get details and start integrating your off-Amazon sales channels with MCF.

You can change the name and text on your packing slip for MCF orders by going to FBA settings, then navigate to Multi-Channel Fulfillment settings to edit the following:

• Packing slip–merchant name: Enter your business name or your website name that should appear on the packing slip with your order.
• Packing slip–text: Enter the text that you want to place on the packing slip with your order. We recommend that you include information about your return policy or contact information for service requests. For example: Thank you for ordering from [website name]. We appreciate your order. For customer returns, go to [https://yourwebsite.com/returns].

• Multi-Channel Fulfillment settings
• New beta features for Multi-Channel Fulfillment