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Last updated on March 21st, 2023
Written by Ken Zhou
Although shipping is among the main revenue streams on Amazon, it comes with some challenges - for some, it is even likened to competing in a race.
Suppose you're looking to use Amazon to fulfill customer orders. In that case, your inventory must be transported to an FBA warehouse, whether performing retail arbitrage, wholesaling a manufacturer's product, private labeling your product, or shipping by air or sea.
Here's a quick and comprehensive guide on how to create a shipping template on Amazon:
In this article, you'll learn the ins and outs of the Amazon shipping template to become better equipped with the information you need to use it yourself.
As a seller on Amazon, necessary information is required to complete the shipping template to get your products where they need to go. For each template, you need to provide standard shipping. Standard shipping is required in regions with two-day delivery.
According to Amazon Seller Central, if you’re shipping for domestic transactions, you must consider the following considerations.
When shipping internationally, you must accept all address types in your settings.
Before creating a shipping template on Amazon, you must ensure that you set your listing to Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).
Create your shipping template on Amazon by navigating to 'Seller Central,' and then to 'Inventory Management.'
If you're only shipping a single SKU, locate it in the inventory list, click edit on the right, and select Send/Replenish inventory from the drop-down menu.
If you're shipping multiple SKUs in the same shipment, tick the boxes on the left-hand side to select them. Then, from the drop-down menu, select Send/Replenish Inventory.
The first step to completing your Amazon shipping template is to select a shipping plan. Amazon presents two options: (1) create a new one or (2) add to an existing shipping plan.
Complete the fields indicating a shipping address when you select your plan.
The address will be used to identify two things (1) where to return the undeliverable items and (2) the fulfillment facilities you’ll send the product to.
Some e-commerce sellers use their home addresses and warehouse locations to complete this part of the form.
Now, it's time to add products to your shipping plan. Whether you're delivering single or case-packed items, this section of the shipping plan template will require specific product details to describe what it is you're selling to both Amazon and your customers. Amazon Seller Central calls it the six-step shipment creation process:
To start the shipment process, you'll have the option to choose how you want your products packed: Individual or Case-Packed.
The final part of setting up your Amazon shipping plan is to set your standard shipping rates.
Customers in the continental United States might pay different shipping rates than those in Alaska, Hawaii, and non-state territories. Therefore, to compete with other merchants, it is usually a good idea to provide free shipping to the continental United States. However, because shipping in the continental United States is more expensive, some opt-in to charging for the extra distance and reclaiming at least some of your shipping expenses.
As an Amazon seller, you are given the option to select between a fixed charge per order and a cost per item or pound. The options are highly customizable here.
With the variety of products constantly being shipped to Amazon's warehouses, shipping plans need to consider the product's weight. The freight-shipping template is intended for large, bulky commodities sent through less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, such as TVs, furniture, and household appliances. Because these deliveries require an appointment with the customer, the freight shipment template offers advantages that make it easier to sell large and heavy products on Amazon.
Amazon sellers should note that the freight-shipping template gives you two options for organizing client delivery; (1) Arranged Freight Delivery and (2) Scheduled Delivery.
With Arranged Freight Delivery, Amazon sellers or the carrier must contact the buyer to schedule a delivery appointment. In this appointment, buyers, during checkout, are informed that they will be contacted to schedule the delivery date. Arranged Freight Delivery is the standard shipping option that is always allowed for items listed on the freight shipment template.
With Scheduled Delivery, the buyers can see the possible delivery dates and slots. In addition, Amazon sellers can navigate to Seller Central to specify when they are available to deliver. Unlike Arranged Freight, Scheduled Delivery is optional, and Amazon sellers can enable items listed on the freight shipment template. However, the shipping template for large and heavy products is only available via invitation.
In certain cases, you may need to return to your shipping plan in order to make some changes and revise your responses. In those events, follow these steps:
Step 1: Click Shipping Settings from the Settings menu.
Step 2: Select a template from the list of templates on the Shipping Templates tab.
Step 3: From the drop-down option to the right of the Edit Template button,
*Select Revision History to view all logged changes to this shipping template.
Shipping plans allow you to guarantee a level of service to your customers, as you can deliver their products efficiently. Shipping plans are key to the success of any e-commerce business. With a couple of hours of work upfront, you'll be able to provide a streamlined process for fulfilling your customer orders through Amazon FBA.
At Seller Interactive, we provide a wide range of services and continue to grow dynamically, catering to the evolving world of e-commerce as well as the Amazon Marketplace. We help businesses succeed by supporting them to grow through various services and resources. So if you're ready to take your brand to the next level, book a call with us, and we'll set you up with a thorough consultation to help you get started with the next phase of your business.
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