Amazon Vendor: channel guide

About this guide

This is a ChannelEngine guide on the Seattle, Washington-based channel Amazon Vendor. Here you can find information on how to request an Amazon Vendor account, how to configure this channel on ChannelEngine, and what the specific requirements are.

Table of contents

Commercial information

How to request an account

Associated costs

Channel features

Settings and configuration

Channel-specific requirements and exceptions

• Setup
• Categorization
• Mappings
• Pricing

FAQs

About this channel

Amazon Vendor is a 1P channel for brands to sell items in bulk to Amazon. Amazon maintains your brand's purchased inventory while managing all communication with the buyer. The buyer sees that the item is sold by and shipped by Amazon. You manage the content on your 1P product assortment in the Amazon Vendor plugin on ChannelEngine.

You might also qualify to dropship items directly to buyers, which you can additionally support via the same Amazon Vendor plugin on ChannelEngine. For more information on managing drop shipments within your vendor relationship with Amazon, check out Amazon Vendor: drop shipment (Amazon Direct Fulfillment).

To manage recovery operations on your Amazon Vendor invoices, you can also use ChannelEngine's Vendor module. Check out Vendor: recovery management overview.

Finally, ChannelEngine supports the 3P marketplace model with Amazon through a different plugin, "Amazon Seller". For more information on using ChannelEngine to manage your 3P sales to Amazon, check out Amazon: marketplace guide.

Commercial information

How to request an account

To join Amazon's Vendor program, you must first receive an invitation from its team. Typically, invitations are offered to merchants who have established a successful brand, maintained consistently high sales volumes, demonstrated exceptional customer service, and received positive reviews for their product range through the standard Seller Central program.

Get in touch with your contact person at ChannelEngine to explore how to improve your metrics and traffic generation, so you may be considered for the Vendor program. 

Associated costs

The costs of joining the Amazon Vendor program vary per vendor. During the onboarding and contract negotiation processes, vendors and Amazon discuss wholesale prices. Additionally, there may be extra fees charged by Amazon to cover slotting and marketing costs – ranging from 4% to 10%. Besides, Amazon may request further support and marketing fees based on sales performance. 

Channel features

1. No other offer attributes other than cost price and list price are sent to Amazon. Stock updates are not sent to Amazon unless you qualify for the Amazon Direct Fulfillment program.
2. Order operations are supported on both the web interface and via API if you operate under the Amazon Direct Fulfillment model. If you operate under the retail procurement model, order processing is only possible via the Merchant API.
3. It is not possible to create and maintain (grand)parent-child relationships via the Amazon Vendor plugin on ChannelEngine. To create and maintain product variations in your product assortment for Amazon Vendor, manage your (grand)parent-child relationships directly on the Vendor Central platform.

Channel-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 Amazon Vendor Central

1. Log in to the Vendor Central website of the Amazon Vendor sales channel you want to connect with ChannelEngine. E.g.: https://vendorcentral.amazon.de/ for vendors on Amazon DE. 
2. From the top navigation bar, click Integration, EDI integration. 
3. On the Self-service EDI setup page, locate and copy your unique vendor code. 
   

On ChannelEngine

Connection and Authorization

1. In the Setup, Connection, enter your unique vendor code in the Vendor Code field.
2. Go to Authorization and click Authorize.
3. Log in to Amazon Vendor Central to complete the OAuth authentication. 

4. Once you save and refresh the setup page, the API access tokens are automatically entered in the relevant fields on ChannelEngine and appear.

When you are eligible to sell your inventory to different Amazon countries, you set up and configure a separate Amazon Vendor plugin for each country.

Plugin-specific settings

• Programs enabled - select under which program you operate with Amazon Vendor; select one or both: 
  • Retail procurement - you sell inventory in bulk to Amazon Vendor via purchase order agreements. For details on managing purchase orders from Amazon Vendor via ChannelEngine, check out Amazon Vendor: retail procurement.
  • Direct fulfillment - you dropship items directly to buyers via Amazon Direct Fulfillment. For details on using Amazon's retail dropship model, check out Amazon Vendor: drop shipment (Amazon Direct Fulfillment).

Advanced settings

• Language for listing errors - select the language in which you want to read listing errors that Amazon returns to you.

Categorization

Categories on Amazon Vendor differ from those on Amazon Seller. However, categorization on Amazon Vendor is straightforward, and all categories are listed in the language of the country you have connected with ChannelEngine., e.g.: German for vendors on Amazon Vendor DE. 
 

Mappings

Content

All products (required)

• Brand name – the official brand of the product (e.g., Nike, Sony, Private Label brand name).
• Country of origin – the country where the product was manufactured or produced (e.g., China, USA, Germany).
• Dangerous goods regulations – indicates which hazardous/dangerous goods regulation applies (e.g., IATA, ADR, IMDG, Not Regulated).
• Key product features: bullet point 1 - bullet points with the product's main features and benefits, displayed next to the product image. You can include up to ten points. The following requirements apply:
  • Use sentence case for each bullet point. E.g.: Portable, weather-proof 22 W solar panel.
  • Use a semicolon ( ; ) to separate bullet points.
  • Do not use all capital letters or abbreviations.
  • Do not include material composition, care instructions, or country of origin.
• Title: item name - the product's name. The following requirements apply:
  • Character length - 200 at most.
  • Structure - [brand] [item type name] [color] [model number]. E.g.: Cello Wooden Chair Brown B12345.
  • Use numerals instead of spelling out numbers.

All products (optional)

• Child parent SKU relationship – do not map this attribute on ChannelEngine. Rather, manage your parent-child relationships for product variations on Amazon Vendor Central. 
• Colour – the color of the product. (e.g.: Black, Navy Blue, Rose Gold). 
• Compliance media: content type, language, source location – select from the dropdown the type of compliance document/image (e.g., Test Report, DoC, Safety Attestation), enter the language that the compliance document was written in, and provide the URL or file location where the compliance document/image is hosted. 
• Cost price: value, currency – these attributes reflect the price that you want Amazon to pay for this product. When you first create a product in our plugin, map this value once in ChannelEngine to match the price you negotiated directly with Amazon Vendor Central. 

• EPR product packaging, weight, materials  - details on the materials used in packaging, to comply with packaging EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) in the EU.
• Percentage of recycled content of granular material - required for packaging EPR if providing details on granular materials used in the product packaging. 
• External product ID – GTIN, such as UPC, EAN. 
• External product ID type – type of GTIN (UPC, EAN, GTIN-14, ISBN, etc.). 
• Generic keyword – search terms/keywords for backend search (not visible to customers).
• GHS chemical H code, classification - hazard statement codes for chemicals (e.g.: H225, H301) and GHS hazard class (e.g.: Flammable, Toxic).
• GPSR manufacturer reference: manufacturer’s email or electronic address – contact email or website for the manufacturer (required under EU GPSR). 
• GPSR safety attestation – confirmation that the product complies with GPSR safety requirements (Yes/No). 
• Hazmat information – general hazardous materials information for the product. 
• Hazmat information: hazmat aspect – select UN Regulatory ID, if applicable. 
• Is package level orderable – indicates if this trade item (case pack/master carton) can be ordered by Amazon (Yes/No). 
• Is this product subject to buyer age restrictions – age restriction flag (Yes/No).
• Item weight - the product's weight, excluding the packaging. Indicate only the numeric value.
• Item weight: unit – unit of weight (e.g.: grams, ounces, pounds). 
• Items per inner pack – number of sellable units inside an inner pack (if applicable). 
• Key product features: bullet point 2–9 – up to 8 additional bullet points highlighting the most important features/benefits of the product.
• Language – language of product content (title, bullets, description). 
• Language type – specifies if the language is for Title, Bullets, Description, etc. 
• Launch date: product site launch date – date the product can go live on Amazon sites, using the format YYYYMMDD. 
• List price: list price with tax – recommended retail price including tax/VAT (used as reference).
• Main product image locator: main image URL – the URL of the product's primary image, hosted on your own Amazon AWS account. The following requirements apply:
  • Background - white (RGB color values: 255, 255, 255).
  • Resolution - 500 px to 10,000 px on the longest side.
  • File format - JPG, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, or non-animated GIF.
  • Clear, unpixelated, no jagged edges.
  • No logos, borders, color blocks, watermarks, or other graphics covering the product or in the background.
  • No country-specific images; all images must apply to a given ASIN across an entire region. Therefore, any text overlays must relate to the entire region in which the ASIN is sold.
  • To use country-specific images, maintain your images directly on Vendor Central. Keep the Main product image locator attribute unmapped. Any mapped values overwrite the images stored on Vendor Central. 
• Manufacturer – legal name of the manufacturer. 
• Manufacturer part number (MPN) – manufacturer’s unique part number. 
• Merchant suggested ASIN – the product's ASIN, if it is already listed on Amazon. Together with the External product ID, this allows you to connect with the existing products on Amazon. 
• Model number – model name or number (e.g., iPhone 15 Pro, SKX007). 
• Number of items – quantity of items in a multipack (e.g., 6 for a 6-pack). 
• Other product image locator 1–8 – URLs for additional lifestyle/in-use images (up to 9 images total, including main). 
• Package contains SKU: SKU identifier, quantity – the SKU of each unit, case, or pallet, and quantity in Package level.
• Package dimensions - dimensions and unit of the sellable unit or case (package level).
• Package level – select the type of unit at GTIN level (e.g.: Case, Pallet, Unit).
• Package weight - weight and unit of the sellable unit or case (package level).
• Pattern – pattern of the product (e.g.: Striped, Floral, Solid). 
• Product description – long-form description.
• Responsible person's email or electronic address (EU DSA/GPSR) – email or electronic contact of the EU Responsible Person. 
• Safety data sheet (SDS/MSDS) URL – direct link to the safety data sheet for hazardous products. 
• Ships globally – whether Amazon can ship this product internationally (Yes/No). 
• Size name – size of the item (e.g.: Small, 10 UK, 32 oz). 
• Skip offer – indicates if Amazon should skip creating a purchase order for this SKU (Yes/No). 
• Style name – style of the item (e.g.: Modern, Vintage, Slim Fit).
• Swatch product image locator: swatch image URL - the thumbnail of a color swatch. The thumbnail is visible on the product's parent page and showcases the color sample.

Category-specific (required)

• Are batteries required? - set it to 'Yes' if the product requires batteries, or is a battery itself. 
• Brand name - the product's brand or manufacturer. Specify the brand name exactly as it appears in the brand registry application.
• Country of origin - the product's country of origin.
• Dangerous goods regulations (supplier_declared_dg_hz_regulation/value) - select a value based on whether the product is classified as a dangerous good, or contains hazardous substances or waste products – requiring regulated transport, storage, or disposal.
• Recommended browse node - when creating a new product, select from the list in which section or node of Amazon the product appears. 

Category-specific (optional)

• GHS classification: GHS class - the GHS class of the product, if it is classified under the UN globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals (GHS). E.g.: explosive.
• Hazardous material regulation (hazmat/aspect) - the aspect or supervisory authority used for the information on hazardous products. E.g.: Vereinten Nationen (United Nations).

• Hazardous material regulation: hazardous substance (hazmat/value) - the UN number of the product, if it contains hazardous substances according to the UN list of dangerous goods regulation. E.g.: UN 1993 (for flammable liquids).

  NB: it is important to provide values for both attributes related to hazardous material regulation (hazmat/aspect) and (hazmat/value) at the same time. Otherwise, you receive an error from Amazon during content export.
• Safety data sheet URL (safety data sheet URL/value) - the product's safety data sheet (SDS or MSDS), which is important for products with safety and compliance requirements. Provide the safety data sheet if your product is subject to UN dangerous goods regulation.

Offer

There is no offer mapping on Amazon Vendor. All products are sold directly to Amazon based on the mapped value of the Cost price attribute.

You can provide Amazon with the MSRP based on the mapped value of the List price attribute. It is up to Amazon, however, to follow your price suggestion or sell the product at its own price to the end customer. 

It is not possible to communicate stock levels to Amazon for products sold via the Retail Procurement program. If there is not enough stock to fulfill Amazon's order, a cancelation is created.

Carrier

There is no carrier mapping on Amazon Vendor.

Pricing

ChannelEngine exports two prices to Amazon Vendor, based on the value of the following mapped attributes:

• List price - the recommended retail price, including VAT/sales tax.
• Cost price - the price Amazon pays to you for the purchased products. 

Amazon Vendor requires prices to be submitted in the respective currency of the country. If you do not have pricing attributes in that currency, you need to set a currency conversion.

FAQs

What is the difference between Amazon Vendor and Amazon Seller?
The Amazon Vendor program is designed for direct suppliers – including first-party distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers – who sell their products in bulk to Amazon. In its turn, Amazon resells these products on the marketplace.

Approved vendors log in and manage their accounts via Amazon Vendor Central, as opposed to Seller Central. If you are a merchant interested in selling your products directly to consumers (B2C) under your business name, refer to the Amazon: marketplace guide instead. 

For more information on the differences between the two platforms, check out our blog post Amazon Seller Central vs Amazon Vendor Central.

Why is the 'Cost price' attribute rejected by Amazon?
Amazon might reject the Cost price attribute if the provided value exceeds the amount configured on Amazon Vendor Central. To adjust the attribute's value, submit a cost change request on Amazon Vendor Central. Note that Amazon can still deny your submission.

What does the error "The value for the 'attribute_name' attribute cannot be edited. Set the value to 'value_name', and submit the data again" mean?
This error indicates that you are not allowed to overwrite the existing value for this attribute. This happens when you have already set the value for this attribute on Amazon Vendor Central.

To resolve the error and export the content successfully, you can either:

• Adjust your attribute value to match the one on Vendor Central, as suggested by the error message.
• Contact Amazon Vendor's Support team to adjust the attribute's value.

Why is my product shown as 'Available' if its stock is currently 0 (zero)?
On Amazon Vendor, it is not possible to set the availability of recently created products via ChannelEngine (i.e.: products that did not exist on Amazon). To change the status of such a product, go to Vendor Central. ChannelEngine does not send stock updates on your Amazon Vendor products to Amazon. 

I have mapped all of my required attributes in the Amazon Vendor plugin, but I still receive errors when the data is exported to Amazon. What should I do?
Amazon has a complex ruleset for creating and updating products. Whereas an attribute is labeled as Optional on ChannelEngine, it may become conditionally required based on another mapped attribute. Once you do your initial mapping for Amazon, Amazon may surprise you with more conditionally required attributes to map. 

The best way to resolve these errors and catch all of your required attributes is to open your Amazon Vendor Mappings step in one browser window and, to view all of the export errors, open your Listed products step in a second browser window. Read each error and field name in one window, and revise the related mapping in the other window until you reach the end of your error list.

If you still receive an error that a given attribute is invalid for a certain category, contact the ChannelEngine Support team to request a category import from Amazon. Amazon makes frequent changes to its product framework, which requires manual updates to your plugin from time to time. 

I have mapped my attributes correctly, and my data is also correctly set up on Amazon Vendor Central. Why is my product data still not updated on Amazon?
Amazon does not always accept changes requested via API or even via Amazon Vendor Central. For example, Amazon often blocks updates to "identity" attributes such as color and brand. If an ASIN has already been on the market for a while and is generating revenue, to protect the favorable selling conditions. Amazon prefers to prevent automated updates to these identity attributes. Regardless, Amazon ultimately decides which content is displayed on the product detail page.

Still, Amazon has a prioritization system in place. If a product is already sold on Amazon by a retailer, and a vendor creates a listing for the same product, usually the Vendor’s content is given a higher priority and is likely to make it onto the product detail page.