Amazon: Seller Flex

About this article

This article explains how to manage Amazon Seller Flex on ChannelEngine, including setup, stock synchronization, order handling, shipments, shipping labels, returns, and cancelations.

Table of contents

Introduction

Supported features

Setup

• Stock location mapping
• Offer mappings

Stock

Orders

Shipments

Returns

Cancelations

Introduction

As a seller on Amazon, you may benefit from participating in the Amazon Seller Flex program. 

• Amazon Seller Flex is a Prime-authorized fulfillment program that allows you to ship orders directly from your own warehouse, using Amazon's transportation network for last-mile delivery. 

Unlike standard FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant), Amazon collects the parcels from your warehouse and handles last-mile delivery to the end customer. In this sense, Seller Flex operates similarly to FBA, except that your inventory stays in your own warehouse rather than at an Amazon fulfillment center.

In Europe, Seller Flex is primarily designed for heavy and bulky goods. In other regions, such as the UAE and KSA, it can be used for a broader range of products.

If you participate in this program, you can use the Amazon Seller channel on ChannelEngine to manage your Seller Flex order lifecycle, including shipments, stock synchronization, and shipping label retrieval. For a full overview of ChannelEngine's Amazon Seller plugin, check out Amazon: marketplace guide.

Supported features

• Stock
• Orders
• Cancelations (merchant)
• Shipments
• Shipping labels
• Returns 

Setup

Enabling Seller Flex requires a few additional configuration steps compared to Easy Ship. For details on Amazon Easy Ship, check out Amazon: Easy Ship.

Stock location mapping

Amazon assigns one or more location IDs to your warehouse(s). These are typically 4-character codes (e.g.: ABCD). Share these location IDs with ChannelEngine and indicate which ChannelEngine stock location each one maps to. ChannelEngine uses this mapping to send the correct stock levels per warehouse to Amazon.

Refer to your ChannelEngine stock locations at Products, Stock locations from the sidebar.

Offer mappings

You control which products are fulfilled via Seller Flex at Mappings, Offer mappings on the Amazon Seller channel. To enable a product for Seller Flex, map the following attributes:

• Fulfillment: fulfillment override - set to FBA.
• SellerFlex enabled - set to Yes.

In addition, the following attributes are required for all Seller Flex products and must be mapped:

• item_package_dimensions (height, width, length, and unit)
• item_package_weight (value and unit)
• batteries_required/value (if not already mapped)
• supplier_declared_dg_hz_regulation/value (if not already mapped)

Stock

When Seller Flex is enabled on your Amazon Seller channel, ChannelEngine sends stock levels to Amazon based on the warehouse-to-location-ID mapping provided by you during setup. Each location ID corresponds to one ChannelEngine stock location, and stock is reported per location.

Orders

Amazon may also split a single consumer order into multiple shipments based on the package dimensions provided. Each shipment (i.e.: each box) is imported into ChannelEngine as a separate order. You need to process each of these orders individually.

Addresses

Seller Flex orders contain dummy shipping addresses. The real delivery address is printed on the shipping label itself, which is generated by Amazon.

Order extra data

When ChannelEngine imports a Seller Flex order from Amazon, it includes extra data fields alongside the standard Amazon order data. The key fields are:

Order extra data

Shipments

You can create a Seller Flex shipment via ChannelEngine or via the Merchant API. Once a shipment is created, Amazon generates a shipping label, which you can also download via either method.

Create a shipment

Via ChannelEngine

1. Go to the order you want to ship on ChannelEngine and click Create shipment. The order must be a Seller Flex order, and Seller Flex must be enabled on your plugin.
2. Provide the quantity shipped, along with the package dimensions (unit, height, width, and length) and the weight.
3. In Shipment method, select the appropriate carrier from the list and save the shipment.
4. Click Add. ChannelEngine sends your shipment to Amazon in real time.

Via the Merchant API

1. Call POST /v2/carriers/{merchantOrderNo} to retrieve the list of available carriers. Provide the package dimensions (height, width, length), package weight, and shipment lines (quantities per merchant product number). The response contains the eligible carriers and their rates. Carrier availability is influenced by the package dimensions, the timing of the request, and your address.
2. Note the carrier code from the response for use in the next step.
3. Call POST /v2/shipments/channelmethod to create the shipment. Add the carrier code as Method in the request body and leave Return method empty.
4. The shipment is created on ChannelEngine and exported to Amazon in real time.

Download shipping labels

When ChannelEngine exports your shipment, Amazon begins generating the shipping label. The label is typically available within minutes.

Via ChannelEngine

1. Once the label is ready, go to the Documents section of the order, or navigate to Orders › Documents and filter by Type - Shipping label.
2. Download the label. The real delivery address is embedded in the label itself.
3. The shipment is marked as Shipped and the status is updated on Amazon.

Via the Merchant API

1. Call GET /v2/orders/{merchantShipmentNo}/shippinglabel to download the shipping label directly, using the ChannelEngine shipment ID as the path parameter.
2. The response is a downloadable file in the label format configured in Amazon Seller Central (PNG, PDF, or ZPL).
3. The shipment is marked as Shipped, and the status is updated on Amazon.

Returns

Returns for Seller Flex orders are supported.

Cancelations

If you cannot fulfill one or more order lines within a Seller Flex order, send a cancelation of the full order to Amazon.

FAQs

My products are missing the Seller Flex status, but ChannelEngine shows successful content and offer updates with zero errors. What is wrong?
This usually means the Seller Flex warehouse has been created on Amazon but is currently inactive on Amazon's side. Ask Amazon to check whether the warehouse is active.