OTTO Market: shipments and returns

About this article

This article explains how to configure your shipment and return carrier settings for OTTO Market, and what to include when creating shipments to avoid your shipments getting rejected. 

Table of contents

Introduction

Find your shipment scenario

• Scenario 1: ship and return with the same parcel carrier
• Scenario 2: ship and return with the same freight forwarder
• Scenario 3: ship and return with different carriers
• Scenario 4: ship with parcel carrier, return with freight forwarder

Quick-reference guide

Introduction

OTTO Market always requires track-and-trace codes on shipments when shipping with any carrier.

OTTO Market sometimes requires a shipment method and track-and-trace code for returns, depending on your shipping scenario. The return carrier can differ from the shipment carrier, and you may use different carriers or freight forwarders for returns and shipments. Review the scenarios below to determine your OTTO Market shipping and return requirements.

Find your shipment scenario

Answer these two questions to identify your setup.

1. How do you ship your packages?

• With a parcel carrier (DHL, GLS, or Hermes). Go to Question 2.
• With a freight forwarder. Go to Question 2.

2. How do you handle returns?

Refer to the flowchart below to determine how to configure your OTTO Market carrier settings, depending on your shipment scenario:

Scenario 1: ship and return with the same parcel carrier

When this applies: your packages always include a return label from the same parcel carrier, all the time.

Setup (one-time)

• In Setup, Return shipping carrier, select one of DHL, GLS, or Hermes.

Per shipment

• When creating your shipment, provide a return track-and-trace code from the carrier that you chose in Setup, Return shipping carrier.
• Do not provide a return method with your shipment. The return carrier that you chose in Setup, Return shipping carrier will automatically be sent to OTTO Market as your return carrier.

What goes wrong if you do not follow these guidelines: if you provide a return method per shipment while also having a return carrier set in Setup, OTTO Market rejects the shipment. Set the return carrier in only one place.

Scenario 2: ship and return with the same freight forwarder

When this applies: you ship all packages with a freight forwarder, and your packages always include return instructions without a track-and-trace code from the same freight forwarder, all the time.

Setup (one-time)

• In Setup, Return shipping carrier, select OTHER_FORWARDER.

Per shipment

• When creating your shipment, do not provide a return track-and-trace code.
• Do not provide a return method with your shipment. OTHER_FORWARDER will automatically be sent to OTTO Market as your return carrier.

What goes wrong if you do not follow these guidelines: if you provide a return method per shipment while also having a return carrier set in Setup, OTTO Market rejects the shipment. Set the carrier in only one place.

Scenario 3: ship and return with different carriers

When this applies: you frequently use different carriers as your return carrier, so the return label is different nearly every time.

Setup (one-time)

• Go to Mappings, Carrier mappings. Set up a mapping for every carrier and return carrier that you use.

Per shipment

• Always provide a return method with your shipment.
• Always provide a return track-and-trace code, unless you use OTHER FORWARDER as the return carrier.

What goes wrong if you do not follow these guidelines: if the Support flag has not been enabled, your return method on the shipment is ignored or causes an error. If carrier mappings are incomplete, unmapped carriers cause rejections.

Scenario 4: ship with parcel carrier, return with freight forwarder

When this applies: you ship all packages with a parcel carrier (e.g.: DHL, GLS, or Hermes), but the packages never include a return label from the parcel carrier. Instead, you always include return instructions without a return track-and-trace code from a freight forwarder.

Setup (one-time)

• Go to Mappings, Carrier mappings. Set up a mapping for every carrier that you use. Map your return carrier to OTHER FORWARDER.

Per shipment

• Always provide a return method with your shipment. The return method in your shipment is the return carrier that you have mapped to OTHER FORWARDER in Mappings.
• Do not provide a return track-and-trace code because you are using OTHER FORWARDER as the return carrier.

What goes wrong if you don't follow these guidelines: providing a return track-and-trace code in this scenario causes a shipment rejection. Since you mapped to OTHER_FORWARDER, no track-and-trace code should be sent.

Quick-reference guide