noon: marketplace guide

About this guide

This is a ChannelEngine guide on the Saudi Arabia-based marketplace noon. Here, you can find information on how to request a noon account, how to configure this marketplace on ChannelEngine, and what the specific requirements are.

Table of contents

Commercial information

How to request an account

Associated costs

Marketplace features

Settings and configuration

Marketplace-specific requirements and exceptions

• Setup
• Mappings
• Pricing
• Listed products

Additional information

FAQs

Commercial information

* Under the cross-border selling model, it is possible to sell from India, Turkey, and the United States.

How to request an account

To start selling on noon, set up a seller account on its website. The following requirements apply:

• VAT registration. Non-resident VAT registration is required for the cross-border selling model, and resident VAT registration is required for local sellers.
• Trade license or commercial registration.
• A valid bank account.
• Bank details provided as either a canceled check/bank statement or a letter with the bank’s letterhead.
• Registered seller account on noon.

Associated costs

noon does not charge setup or monthly fees. However, it does charge a commission fee – which ranges from 4% to 27%, depending on the product category.

Marketplace features

1. Access to these features requires the noon v2 plugin from ChannelEngine.
2. noon allows buyers to cancel orders up to the time they are delivered. Orders with the status In progress can be canceled by noon.
3. Marketplace returns with the API status Received are imported from noon into ChannelEngine. Check out the Returns section below for details on how to manage marketplace returns from noon. 
4. noon supports two- and three-level product structures, i.e.: (grand)parent-child relationships. 
5. Multiple fulfillment models are supported. For details on first-mile/last-mile/direct delivery/cross-border shipping models, check out the Additional information section below. 

Marketplace-specific requirements and exceptions

Settings and configuration

Setting up each channel on ChannelEngine follows the same flow, though not every channel includes the steps listed below.

1. Go through the Setup.
2. Create a Product selection.
3. Complete the Categorization.
4. Set up the Mappings: content, offers, and carriers.
5. Configure the Pricing: rules and currency conversion.
6. Fill in the Stock settings.
7. Finish the Activation.
8. Check the Listed products overview.

Setup

On noon 

Authentication for new sellers 

1. Sign in to your noon partners account.
2. Go to User & Access, Project users.
3. Create a new service account by clicking +Add new, Service account.
4. Enter your username and email, and select the GSP service account credentials checkbox.
5. Click Save. Copy the generated credentials.

Authentication for existing sellers 

If you are an existing seller on noon, refresh your authentication credentials. 

1. Create a new API user in the noon partner space. Follow the instructions provided by noon in its article Authentication Credentials - Commercial APIs.
2. Download the new credentials file.
3. If you have issues with the above steps, contact the noon Support team.

Multi-warehouse setup

Orders flow through two partner frameworks:

• Fulfilled by Partner (FBP)
• Fulfilled by Partner Integration (FBPI)

To ensure that your orders are correctly imported to ChannelEngine:

1. Validate which framework you use: FBP or FBPI.
2. Update your order routing to the correct warehouse code, FBP or FBPI. You can only route stock to one kind of warehouse.

Example: seller uses Fulfilled by Partner Integration (FBPI)

FBPI operates independently from FBP. Therefore, orders flowing through FBPI will only appear in the Orders Dashboard in the Fulfilled by Partner Integration section in Seller Lab.

If you use FBPI, apply the following configuration steps to your warehouses in Seller Lab:

• Ensure that only FBPI warehouses are active.
• Deactivate any other warehouse of type FBP.
• Assign all stock to the correct FBPI warehouse code.

On ChannelEngine

1. Go to the Setup step of your noon channel.
2. Enter your credentials in the Connection section:
   • Seller name - your seller account name, which must exactly match the name of the seller account on noon.
   • Seller credentials - your seller credentials in the JSON format.
   • Partner ID - your unique partner ID.
   • GCP account username - your GCP account username, formatted as 'name@p123456.idp.noon.partners'.
   • Warehouse code - your warehouse code, received from noon, used for stock management.
3. Click Save.

Mappings

Content

All products (required)

• Brand - the product's brand or the manufacturer.
• Color family - the product's color family, which is the color that matches the manufacturer's color most closely. E.g.: blue, green, gray.
• Image URL 1 - the product's main image. The requirements are:
  • High-resolution image showcasing the product's design and features.
  • Set on the parent level.
  • File format - JPEG or JGP.
  • Aspect ratio - 0.73.
• PBarcode 1 - the product’s unique identifier or barcode.
• Product title - the product's title in English, providing a clear description of the product's nature and contents. E.g.: Oversized Printed Shirt.
• Size map - the product's standard size supported by noon, set on the child level.
• Size unit - the unit of measurement used in combination with Size map.
• Size variation -  the product's size, set on the child level. If the product is not a size variation, i.e.: the product is standalone, enter 'One size'.

All products (optional)

• Error fix - identifies whether the previous export error was resolved. Set the value to '1' if you want to re-export the content after resolving an error. If the content has not changed, set the value to '0'. The value must be set on the parent level.
• Base material - the material used for the product's foundation or core.
• Closure fastener - the mechanism used to secure and fasten the product.
• Color name - the product's color shade.
• Compatible with - the type of device compatible with the product. E.g.: tablet.
• Department - the product's target gender.
• Dress style full body wear - the distinctive design or characteristic of a dress.
• Feature bullet 1-12 - the product's highlights, which are displayed on the product page as bullet points. E.g.: wash according to the instructions on the care label.
• Fit - the silhouette or style of clothing.
• Grouping axes - the product's aspect used to group parent products. E.g.: colour_name. Use for product variations.
• Grouping key -  the product's grandparent code, used to group parent products together. The attribute is used in combination with Grouping axes. Use for product variations. 
• Image URL 1-7- the product's additional images. For the image requirements, check Image URL 1.
• Item pack quantity - the number of items included in the product, if it is a set.
• Long description - the product's comprehensive description. The requirements are:
  • In-depth information, including technical details and usage instructions.
  • Supported HTML tags - br, ol, ul, li, p, h3-h6, strong, em.
• Material - the product's fabric.
• Model name - the product's model name.
• Model number - the product's SKU, which is usually the Merchant product number on ChannelEngine.
• Occasion - the recommended occasion or setting for the product.
• Pattern - the pattern of clothing.
• Product title Ar. - the product's title in Arabic.
• Shape - the product's shape.
• Skirt style lower body wear - the type of skirt.
• Style or part name - the product's part or style name, if any.
• Style or part number - the product's part or style number, if any.
• Watch face dial type - the watch dial type.

Offer

Required

• Export to - the countries you want to export your products to. Ensure that the selected countries have corresponding Price and HS code values.
• Shipping type [country] - the type of shipping for that country, which can be cross-border or local.

Optional

• Actual weight in kg - the product's weight in kg.
• Dimensions height in cm - the product's height in cm.
• Dimensions length in cm - the product's length in cm.
• Dimensions width in cm - the product's width in cm.
• Discount percentage [country] cross-border - the product's discount for that country, under the cross-border selling model. Enter a decimal value between 0 and 0.99. E.g.: 0.25 represents a 25% discount.
• HS code [country] - the product's customs tariff number for that country.
• Price [country] local - the product's price for that country, under the local selling model. Submit this price in the local currency of the country, excluding any applicable sales tax.
• Price [country] cross-border - the product's price for that country, under the cross-border selling model. Submit this price in USD, excluding any applicable sales tax.
• MSRP [country] local - the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Map this price to support strikethrough pricing on the channel.
• Volumetric weight - the overall size of the package in volumetric kg, not in cm. This is used to calculate prices and margins for products sold on noon. The formula to calculate the volumetric weight is [package length in cm]×[package width in cm]×[package height in cm]÷5,000. 

Pricing

In Mappings, Offer mappings, the following offer attribute may appear on this channel, if this channel uses pricing v2:

• Allow promotion below min price - set it to ‘true’ to allow the promotion price to drop below your product's minimum price. 

In Mappings, Fee group mappings, map the marketplace fee group ID of the product.

On noon, both the Price and MSRP [country] local attributes must be mapped for the discount to display on the marketplace. The difference between the two values is shown as a percentage discount on the listing. 

Example

• Price [country] local - '2799.00'
• MSRP [country] local - '1849.00'
• Discount displayed on noon - 33% Off

noon requires prices to be submitted in either:

• USD for the cross-border selling model
• Local currency for the local selling model

Prices should exclude any applicable sales tax. After you submit a price, noon may adjust it to include shipping costs, import fees, and sales tax. This means the price you enter on ChannelEngine differs from the final selling price displayed on noon.

Listed products

If you have problems with products not appearing on noon (especially if you are trying to add products that do not exist yet), check the Listed products page for more information.

You can either filter on Channel status (Invalid for all products that ChannelEngine has not exported, such as products with an empty EAN) or use the Validation and feedback tab to see all known validation/feedback errors for specific products.

Products that are being created on noon have the Under review status on the Listed products page, while those that did not pass noon's validation have the Not published status.

Additional information

First-mile delivery by merchant

You can ship products to noon's warehouse and select your preferred carrier for these shipments.

On noon

1. In your Seller Lab account, go to Fulfilled by partner (integration), Warehouse.
2. Select the warehouse you use to fulfill orders.
3. Click the warehouse, then click Edit in the Order fulfillment & handover types section.
4. Select the type of fulfillment from the dropdown – Drop-off.
5. Choose a drop-off point.

On ChannelEngine

1. When creating a shipment via the Merchant API, add a shipping method (i.e.: name of the carrier) and a tracking code, which should match the barcode you attach to the parcel.
2. ChannelEngine exports shipment details to noon after the creation of the shipment.
3. Attach the barcode to the parcel and deliver it to noon's warehouse via your preferred carrier.
4. noon scans the barcode and forwards your parcel to its final destination.

Last-mile delivery by noon

You can use last-mile delivery by noon (a.k.a. direct ship) so that noon handles the delivery of your package to the buyer. It is also possible to process orders via the cross-border selling model (noon shipping). Use an Air Waybill number or a shipping label, where necessary, when making use of last-mile delivery. 

To retrieve the Air Waybill number and shipping label:

On noon

1. In your Seller Lab account, go to Fulfilled by partner, Warehouse.
2. Select the warehouse you use to fulfill orders.
3. Click the warehouse, then click Edit in the Order fulfillment & handover types section.
4. Select the type of fulfillment from the dropdown – Pick-up.

On ChannelEngine

1. Under Advanced settings, enable the Save shipping label to PDF for AWB flow setting. If you create your own shipping labels, skip this step.
2. When creating a shipment via POST v2/shipments, set a shipping method:
   1. To 'Noon' if you want ChannelEngine to provide an Air Waybill (AWB) number. In this case, leave the tracking code field empty.
   2. To your seller name if you provide an AWB number yourself. Enter the AWB number in the tracking code field.
3. ChannelEngine exports shipment details to noon after the shipment is created.
4. Attach the AWB number to the package so noon can recognize and process it. If you still need to retrieve it from ChannelEngine, refer to the next paragraph.

If ChannelEngine generates an AWB number:

1. The AWB number is stored as a shipment field AirWaybillNo on ChannelEngine.
2. To retrieve the AWB number via the Merchant API, call the GET /v2/orders/{merchantShipmentNo}/airwaybillno endpoint.
3. To retrieve the shipping label via the Merchant API, call the GET /v2/orders/{merchantShipmentNo}/shippinglabel endpoint. By default, the response is a PDF file. To receive a shipping label in the ZPL format instead, set the Accept header to zpl.  Accept: application/zpl

noon Direct Delivery

If you participate in noon's direct delivery program, you must send a delivery state to noon and include a proof of delivery document. To update a shipment status to Delivered, merchants must send a Proof of Delivery with their shipments to Noon. To send a Proof of Delivery:

1. Create your shipment via the Merchant API.
2. Upload your Proof of Delivery via the Merchant API or the web interface.
3. Update your shipment with Status ‘Delivered’ via the Merchant API.

Creating a manifest on noon

After you create shipments on ChannelEngine, you must hand them over to noon. You can either schedule a pickup or drop the items off at the nearest noon hub.

Before the handover, you must generate a manifest that lists all the shipments. To create a shipment manifest:

1. Sign in to your noon partners account.
2. From the left-hand side menu, go to noon, Fulfilled by partner (integration), Direct ship.
3. Select your web integration warehouse.
4. On the Pending tab, click Manifestation.
5. Click Create manifest in the top right corner.
6. Select the destination warehouse and enter the number of shipments you are handing over.
7. Click Save changes.

Once the manifest is created:

1. Click Print QR Code.
2. In the pop-up, review the manifest details and print the QR code.
3. Present the printed QR code when handing over the items to noon.

Returns

Marketplace returns with the API status Received are imported into ChannelEngine. The Received status indicates that noon has received and accepted the return at its warehouse. Marketplace returns are subject to the following conditions:

• As a merchant, you cannot approve or reject marketplace returns – noon decides the return status independently. However, you can dispute returns in your noon Seller Lab account. 
• If a product is not delivered to the customer after three delivery attempts, noon marks it as undelivered and returns it to its warehouse. On ChannelEngine, a marketplace return is created with a comment indicating that the product was undelivered. 

To process marketplace returns, first retrieve them via API in Received status and then acknowledge them. Acknowledgement allows you to add your own MerchantReturnNo (your internal return number). Adding your merchant return number is important so you can reference the same return in later API calls and in your internal processes, e.g.: refund/repair/exchange. 

To retrieve and acknowledge marketplace returns via the Merchant API:

1. Retrieve all unacknowledged returns with the status Received by using the /v2/returns endpoint with filters, e.g.: GET /v2/returns?statuses=RECEIVED&isAcknowledged=false.   
2. Then acknowledge the returns with POST /v2/returns/merchant/acknowledge.

For more guidance on processing marketplace returns, check out Merchant API: returns.

FAQs

How often does each task run on noon?
noon follows the schedule below:

Why is no additional customer data, such as emails or addresses, included in the order extra data?
noon only provides basic information about buyers. This is because noon handles the last-mile delivery, and detailed order information is not required by the merchant. Therefore, the customer's address and email are not included in the order extra data.

I cannot see the products' prices on the Partner catalog page on noon? How can I make sure the prices are correct?
noon does not display prices on the Partner catalog page. However, you can export the prices in CSV. For that, in your noon partners account, go to Exports, Add export. In the Category dropdown, select Pricing, and under Sub-category, select Global price. A CSV document containing the prices is generated for download.

Can I see when a package was delivered to the buyer by noon?
Yes, once noon has shipped the package, you can find the estimated delivery time in the Delivered at field under the shipment details on ChannelEngine.