Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF)

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) is a 3PL that enables the use of Amazon's fulfillment network to pick, pack, and ship customer orders from non-Amazon channels (e.g. Shopify, WooCommerce). Orders can be packaged either in Amazon-branded packaging or unbranded (blank box) packaging. It is also possible to block Amazon logistics, delivering these orders only with non-Amazon carriers. This feature is available for all Cin7 Core users connected to the Fulfillment by Amazon integration. 9

NOTE: Inbound shipments are currently managed via your Amazon Seller Central, not via Cin7 Core.

Prerequisites

This feature is available for Cin7 Core users connected to the Fulfillment by Amazon integration.
You will need an Amazon account with Seller Central access to sign up and use MCF. Once it is enabled, you will see the option to create MCF orders in your Amazon Seller Central.
You must be in one of these countries to use Amazon MCF.
You must be in the US to block Amazon logistics.

Configure default MCF settings for sale channels

Default packaging and logistics providers for each sales channel are configured from the Fulfillment by Amazon settings. Go to Integrations → Fulfillment by Amazon, select your marketplace, and then the Setup tab.

In the Amazon MCF settings section, you can select the default box branding (unbranded or Amazon) and logistics provider (Amazon or non-Amazon) for each sales channel. Default options can be edited during shipping. By default, unbranded packaging and Amazon logistics are selected.

Some platforms and sales channels have policies regarding the use of Amazon packaging or logistics for deliveries, please check the policies of any affected channels carefully.

Unbranded packaging (blank box)

When a business uses Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment, the order can be fulfilled by Amazon yet sent out with unbranded packaging. This means the packing slip, shipping labels, and packaging materials - including boxes, tape, jiffy mailers, and polybags - do not contain any Amazon branding.

The unbranded packaging, or blank box, feature is available in numerous countries including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, and Italy. Please see Amazon's documentation for a full list of supported countries. Currently, Cin7 Core is limiting this feature to US sellers as this is still an area of active development.

Utilizing unbranded packaging for your off-Amazon orders offers a number of benefits including a consistent brand experience, compliance with eCommerce marketplace guidelines, and a smooth integration of multiple sales channels and timely fulfillment.

Ensure blank box packaging for a sales channel with the following steps:

Go to Integrations → Fulfillment by Amazon, select your marketplace, and then the Setup tab.
Scroll to Amazon MCF settings.
Find the sales channel you wish to use unbranded packaging for.
Select Unbranded packaging for the box branding for that sales channel.

Inventory must be located in a blank box fulfillment center to use this option. Inbound shipments are currently managed via your Amazon Seller Central, not via Cin7 Core.

Amazon-branded packaging

Unbranded packaging is the default shipment option for MCF orders, however, in cases when ensuring this could result in longer shipping and delivery times, Amazon-branded packaging will be used instead. Selecting this option for your deliveries means that your orders may be delivered with a mixture of Amazon-branded and unbranded packaging.

Block Amazon logistics

Amazon MCF has the option to block orders from shipped by Amazon Logistics. This allows Multi-Channel Fulfillment to be used with sales channels such as eBay and Walmart, which prohibit the use of Amazon Logistics. Other national carriers such as UPS will be used instead for these orders.

Block Amazon logistics for a sales channel with the following steps:

Go to Integrations → Fulfillment by Amazon, select your marketplace, and then the Setup tab.
Scroll to Amazon MCF settings.
Find the sales channel you wish to block Amazon logistics for.
Select Non-Amazon carrier for the logistics provider for that sales channel.

Note: Amazon levies a 5% surcharge on orders which use non-Amazon logistics providers. Selecting this option also increases the risk that orders go unfulfilled or are delivered later when other carriers are not immediately available.

Select packaging and logistics during shipping

When processing a sale, you will need to create an external fulfillment order.

Go to Sale → New → Sale.
Enter the customer details, add items to the sale order and click Authorize.
Make sure the sale location or pick location/s are your external fulfillment location.
In the pack tab, external fulfillment items and items from your own inventory will be placed in different boxes. You can also select more than one box for your external fulfillment order if required. The external fulfillment service may also decide to change the number of boxes.
On the ship tab, you can choose to copy the order from your pack information, or manually Add a line for external fulfillment.
Select your shipping option from the list, confirm or edit the box branding and logistics provider, and click Authorize. A fulfillment order is then created with a link.

Note: Auto-ship is disabled for sale orders with products picked from an external location. Please see Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) - Create a fulfillment order for more information on FBA settings.

View inventory eligible for blank box

Amazon MCF has some restrictions on eligibility for blank box fulfillment. Packages must not exceed 20lbs / 9 kg and 18" x 14" x 8" / 45cm x 35cm 20cm. This may differ from country to country, please check the Amazon MCF documentation for your local restrictions.

You may view which items in your inventory are eligible for blank box fulfillment from the Catalog page of this integration (Integration → FBA → Catalog), along with the inventory quantity of each item available for blank box fulfillment.

Sync blank box inventory information

Blank box eligibility and inventory quantities are synced at the same time as Fulfillment by Amazon stock levels. This means that manual sync will take place when Sync stock levels is selected on the Catalog page, while automatic sync frequency is controlled from your FBA Setup page, where you can select the auto-sync frequency and start time.

Import sales from sales channels and send to Amazon MCF

Most of our clients wish to import sales to Cin7 Core from one or more sales channels, then pass those sales automatically to Amazon MCF for fulfillment. See detailed instructions for this workflow here.