Contents:
1/What is seller-self delivery?
2/In what situations is self-delivery suitable?
3/What are the advantages of self-delivery?
4/Self-shipping seller performance 5/What are the common shipping methods for self-delivery?
6/How do self-shipping sellers process returns for international orders?
7/Must be set up before delivery begins 8/Amazon's Solution for Sellers to Self-Ship

1. Amazon has temporarily extended the time it takes to process returned items and refund buyers to 14 days (calendar days) from when returning items received by sellers between May 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 (the “Extended Period”). After May 31, 2020, the time required to process returns will revert to 2 days (calendar days).

2. For products returned on Amazon's “prepaid return label”, the seller's reimbursement claim period will be temporarily extended to 90 days (calendar days) during the extension period. During this time, you can file a SAFE-T claim for refunds issued in the previous 90 days. After May 31, 2020, the filing period for SAFE-T claims will revert to 60 days.

3. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seller business, in order to protect sellers' accounts and ensure that supply chain and delivery issues do not affect seller account conditions, Amazon has now suspended sales account operations due to high late shipment rates, cancellation rates, and order defect rates. This measure will continue until May 15. For details, please refer to Seller Central News. But during this special time, it's especially important to make a reliable commitment to buyers. We appreciate every effort you put into successfully shipping the order.

For any seller doing cross-border e-commerce on Amazon, logistics is a topic you must not talk about!Generally speaking, sellers can have two delivery options. One is for Amazon to ship your order, that is, use Amazon Logistics (FBA) to enjoy the one-stop logistics delivery service provided by Amazon; the other is seller-self-delivery (FBM/MFN), where the seller is responsible for issues such as product transportation, customs clearance, and storage.

1. Amazon has temporarily extended the time it takes to process returned items and refund buyers to 14 days (calendar days) from when returning items received by sellers between May 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 (the “Extension Period”). After May 31, 2020, the time required to process returns will revert to 2 days (calendar days).

Seller self-delivery, abbreviation FBM or MFN, the corresponding full name is Fulfilment by Merchant or Merchant Fulfilment Network, refers to the method by which sellers complete delivery themselves. Orders that sellers using this method can sell on Amazon:
Ship directly from China and deliver products to overseas consumers: After receiving the buyer's order, you can use a logistics carrier to transport the product across borders from China to overseas buyers.
Ship from overseas and deliver products to local consumers: You can also first transport products overseas, store them in an overseas warehouse (build your own warehouse or rent a third-party warehouse), and deliver directly from overseas to local consumers after receiving the buyer's order. Regardless of the above methods, a series of processes, from inventory management, product packaging, cross-border transportation, import and export customs, to customer service, return and exchange management, are controlled by the seller themselves. The following flowchart is for reference:

2. I want to control the inventory myself and allocate it flexibly
If you want to store your inventory in a warehouse you manage for easy and flexible allocation, or if you don't want to pay for overseas storage, etc., then you can consider self-delivery.

Compared to FBA, the advantages of sellers' self-delivery mainly focus on the three aspects of investment cost, coverage, and flexibility:
• Decide how much to stock up on your own, and control your own costs.
• You can ship directly from China to deliver products to overseas consumers without paying overseas storage fees.
• You can freely choose different third-party logistics carriers and delivery methods according to your business model and delivery needs to cover a wider range of sales regions around the world.
• Product selection is not limited by FBA product policies, so you can choose products more flexibly to help get more sales.
It is worth mentioning that Amazon has also launched a “Buy Shipping” service (Buy Shipping) for sellers' self-delivery orders. Sellers who self-ship through “buy and ship” can enjoy policy protections such as “negative buyer feedback policies”, “Amazon Marketplace transaction guarantee claims”, and “valid tracking rate compliance”, which help maintain seller performance.

Whether it's FBA or FBM/MFN, Amazon has certain requirements for sellers in order to guarantee the consumer's shopping experience. If you want to use self-delivery, ensure that your relevant seller performance is compliant and strive to maintain good performance, continuously improve the customer experience, and improve your chances of winning the buy box.
[COVID-19 Policy Adjustment Reminder] Considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seller business, in order to protect sellers' accounts and ensure that supply chain and delivery issues do not affect seller account conditions, Amazon has now suspended sales account operations due to high late shipment rates, cancellation rates, and order defect rates. This measure will continue until May 15. For details, please refer to Seller Central News. But during this special time, it's especially important to make a reliable commitment to buyers. We appreciate every effort you put into successfully shipping the order.

Under normal circumstances, Amazon's performance index requirements for self-shipping sellers are as follows:
● The Order Defect Rate (ODR) is less than 1%. Types of order defects include negative feedback, undeclined Amazon Marketplace Transaction Guarantee claims, and credit card chargebacks. Failure to meet the metrics may result in account suspension.
● The cancellation rate (CR) is less than 2.5%, including all orders cancelled by the seller, except for orders that the buyer requested cancellation using the order cancellation option in their Amazon account. Failure to meet the metrics may result in account suspension.
● The late shipment rate (LSR) is less than 4%. Amazon requires sellers to complete delivery within 10 or 30 days to confirm order delivery beyond the specified time, which is considered late. Failure to meet the metrics may result in account suspension.
● The effective tracking rate (VTR) is higher than 95%. Sellers are required to provide order logistics tracking information according to the requirements of Amazon sites, so that buyers can understand the delivery status of the order based on the tracking number. A VTR higher than 95% can help you get better ratings and sales. When your products are sold on US sites, failure to meet the metrics may result in account suspension.
● The on-time delivery rate (OTDR) is greater than 97%, which is the percentage of all shipments that are being tracked within the estimated delivery time. For buyers, receiving goods on time can greatly improve shopping satisfaction. The on-time delivery rate (OTDR) is higher than 97%, which helps bring buyers a better shopping experience, thereby helping to get better sales.
● The return dissatisfaction rate (RDR) of less than 10% is the percentage of all negative return requests compared to the total number of return requests, and is used to measure how satisfied buyers are with their return experience. Situations that can lead to a negative return experience include negative customer feedback, delayed responses (no response to returns within 48 hours), false returns declined, etc.

Self-delivery methods commonly used by sellers include postal parcels, international express delivery, dedicated line logistics, and overseas warehouse delivery. You can choose the most suitable shipping method based on various factors such as the variety of products sold (type, weight, size, safety, etc.), the buyer's delivery requirements, delivery costs, and off-peak seasons.

● Postal package: refers to the lower price delivery method introduced by logistics companies for light and light express delivery, which has large restrictions on the weight and size of the package.
• Advantages: low price, easy delivery, accessible to most parts of the world;
• Disadvantages: Time is slow, package weight is limited, tracking is difficult, and the package loss rate is high.

● International express delivery: refers to express delivery and logistics operations carried out between two or more countries (or regions). Usually, after the courier arrives at the destination country, it needs to be transferred again in the destination country before it can finally be delivered to the buyer. Commonly used logistics carriers include DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc.
• Advantages: Fast and stable delivery, traceable delivery;
• Disadvantages: The price is more expensive than other alternatives. There are certain requirements and restrictions on the product itself, and special types of charged products are basically undeliverable. In addition, an invoice and the recipient's assistance in customs clearance and tax payment are also required.

● Dedicated logistics: refers to a logistics line channel to a specific country. Common modes of transportation on international special lines include sea, air, and rail. Generally, what we mean by UK special line, US line, German line, etc. refer to international special line.
• Advantages: Centralize large quantities of goods and send them uniformly to the destination country, thereby reducing costs. The price is lower than international express delivery, but the speed is faster than international parcels, and the package loss rate is relatively low;
• Disadvantages: Domestic pickup is limited, and prices are higher than postal parcels.

● Overseas warehouse: refers to exporting and transporting products in bulk to the warehouse in the destination country, and directly from the overseas warehouse after receiving the buyer's order.
• Advantages: Fast transit time. Since the place of delivery is in the destination country, competitiveness with foreign sellers has been improved, and buyers can have a better shopping experience. Moreover, there are no category restrictions, the timeliness is fast, and it can also be replenished through various methods such as air and sea transportation;
• Deficiency: Products sold are stored in overseas warehouses, making it difficult for sellers to accurately manage and regulate products and inventory. If products are slow to sell, there is a risk of inventory backlogs and increased storage costs. Overseas warehouse costs include shipping costs, storage costs, delivery costs, VAT, etc., so costs may be higher. In addition, the operation and management capabilities and prices of overseas warehouses vary. If you are interested in overseas warehouses, we recommend that you consider various aspects of your business and choose carefully.

Temporary changes to the refund policy for seller-fulfilled orders: For returns received by self-shipping sellers between May 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 (the “Extended Period”), Amazon has temporarily extended the time to process the returned item and refund the customer to 14 days (calendar days). After May 31, 2020, the time required to process returns will revert to 2 days (calendar days).

Returns are often tied to the buyer's shopping experience. There are currently three return methods for international orders:

Return method 1: Refund, no return
The seller offers a full refund and does not require the buyer to return the item.
1. From the “Orders” drop-down menu, click “Manage Returns”.
2. Select the return you want to refund, then click 'Issue Refund'.
3. Select “Customer Returns” as the reason for the refund and issue a full refund.
4. When closing the return request, select “Refund without return” as the reason, then leave a message to the buyer.

Return method 2: Provide a “customer domestic return” option
The seller provides a local return address in the buyer's country/region, and a valid address you are authorized to use; this address cannot be an Amazon fulfillment center, local supermarket, or residential address.
1. From the Settings drop-down menu, click Account Information.
2. On the Seller Account Information page, go to the “Shipping and Return Information” section and click “Return Information”. On the “Return Settings” screen, click “Return Address Settings”.
3. Select an existing local address as your default return address, or enter a new default return address. Note: This must be a valid address that you have permission to use.
4. Click “Submit”.

If you provide a “customer domestic return,” you can also provide a return via a “prepaid return label”:
When you authorise a customer’s return request, Amazon sends the customer a return label with an address. By default, the return label is not prepaid. However, if you choose to prepay for return shipping, you can upload a custom prepaid return label. If you offer this return method to sellers in the US, you must use Amazon's prepaid return label. For professional sellers in the US and all sellers enrolled in the “Prepaid Return Label” program, Amazon will automatically approve returns that comply with Amazon's return policy, and will send you a separate manual review request for return requests that do not fall within or are not subject to the requirements of this policy. Amazon will provide the buyer with a prepaid return shipping label on your behalf through the Buy Ship service.

Return method 3: Provide a prepaid international return shipping label
Provide your own prepaid return mailing label for the return request you receive. We recommend that you include the tracking number in the international signature on your prepaid international return shipping label.
1. From the “Orders” drop-down menu, click “Manage Returns”.
2. For the return request you want to approve, click “Authorize Request”.
3. In the “Return Mailing Labels” section, select “I will provide a prepaid mailing label for this request”.
4. Upload the return label, select the carrier you are using, and enter the tracking number (if any).
5. Set the return label cost to 0.00 to ensure that buyers are not charged for return shipping.
Alternatively, you can go to the Buyer-Seller Messaging section of your Seller Central account and email the pre-paid return label to the buyer.

However, you must be aware that when processing the return process for international sales orders using the three return methods described above, you also need to pay attention to the following:
1. For international returns, sellers should always be responsible for return shipping costs, even if the buyer is at fault. If you offer a local return option in the destination country, you don't need to refund the original shipping cost for the buyer's faulty return. For returns where the seller is at fault, you must still refund the original shipping costs.
2. For international returns, you are responsible for complying with all import and export obligations and paying all applicable duties and customs fees.
For more details on “How to return international orders”, please refer to the Seller Central Help page

Now that we know the basics of self-shipping, let's take another look at the settings you must make in Seller Central before you start self-shipping:

1. Check if seller performance meets self-delivery requirements
Before self-shipping, you need to be careful to check whether the seller's performance metrics meet the requirements to win the “buy box,” and once again remind yourself of the important performance mentioned above:
• Order Defect Rate (ODR) of less than 1%
• Cancellation rate (CR) less than 2.5%
• Late Shipment Rate (LSR) of less than 4%

2. Delivery time settings
As a seller, being able to deliver products within the time customers expect is a critical step. MFN delivery times may take longer than FBA delivery times. Therefore, in order to ensure a good shopping experience for buyers and avoid negative feedback, Amazon recommends that you complete shipping-related settings before officially starting sales, which can not only help you manage delivery time, but also improve your delivery efficiency and avoid repeated operations.
Total delivery time [1] = lead time [2] +transit time (also known as delivery time) [3] + any holidays

Note: Amazon calculates lead time and transit time based on number of working days
[1] Total Delivery Time (Total Delivery Time) is the time between when the buyer places an order and when the order is delivered, that is, the estimated delivery time.
[2] Handling Time (Handling Time) refers to the estimated time required from the time the buyer places an order until the seller hands over the order to the logistics carrier.
[3] Transit time (also known as delivery time, transit time) is the estimated time required for the seller to hand over the order to the logistics carrier to deliver the order to the buyer.

Note: If you sell on multiple sites, then you'll need to log in to Seller Central for each site to set up. The maximum transit time that can be set varies from site to site; please refer to “Seller Central > Settings > Shipping Settings” for details. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transit time for cross-border logistics has been delayed to varying degrees, so it is recommended that you set it according to your own actual situation.

Choose your delivery time wisely
“Expedited Delivery” and “Premium Delivery” can help improve the customer experience by providing customers with fast delivery options. “Expedited Delivery” means that buyers can choose the express delivery service (name in Seller Central: US “Expedited Shipping”, Europe “Express Delivery”). The default transit time for local expedited delivery in the destination country is 2-6 working days, while international expedited delivery is generally 3-7 working days. Expedited shipping usually applies to the model where you ship through an overseas warehouse; if you're shipping from China, try not to choose this option to avoid affecting your account performance.
“Priority Delivery” includes “Next Day Delivery” and “Two-Day Delivery.” If you want to offer a “next day” or “two-day delivery” option, you must have been selling on Amazon for more than 90 days and have met or exceeded the following requirements in the last 30 days:
1) The valid tracking rate is 99%
2) On-time delivery rate is not less than 97%
3) Seller cancellation rate is less than 0.5%

Please log in to Seller Central and refer to the help pages described below for more information.
* Expedited shipping * Priority delivery

3. Shipping settings
Due to the impact of the epidemic, cross-border logistics transportation freight rates have changed greatly. If your shipping rates are no longer applicable, you can set delivery times for different delivery regions in “Seller Central > Settings > Shipping Settings” and adjust the shipping rate settings in a timely manner.

4. Product packaging considerations
Currently, there are varying degrees of delays in cross-border logistics transportation. Prolonged shipping may cause damage to your products. In order to avoid damage to the product during transportation, it is recommended that you prepare a sturdy package with high side pressure strength and high breakage resistance in advance, and ensure that there are as few gaps in the box as possible. If you're only shipping a small number of small items, we recommend padding cushioning material to help absorb shock and protect the item.
Recommended filling materials: bubble film/ bubble paper, paper (such as kraft paper), inflatable cushion, polyethylene foam board, etc.

Products that are fragile and easily deformed (such as light bulbs/crafts/plastic toys, etc.) can be repackaged using the cushioning materials described above.
Once the box is packed, you can shake it gently. If the contents of the box do not move when shaking, then the packaging of this box is correct; if the contents of the box are moved, then you need to complete your packaging.

In addition to self-shipping through a third-party logistics carrier they are familiar with, sellers can also consider purchasing a delivery service from Amazon and the Seller Self-Fulfilment Prime Program. If you don't have a familiar logistics carrier, you can also find resources through the Service Provider Network.

Amazon “Buy Shipping” service (Buy Shipping): Buy Shipping is Amazon's online fulfillment service for sellers' self-fulfilling orders. Sellers can ship directly from China to overseas consumers in the US, Canada, and Europe through Amazon's “Buy and Ship” service using China Post and Yanwen Logistics. If your products are stored in the US, UK, and Germany, you can also use a local logistics carrier to ship directly from the local area to the consumer. Self-shipping through Buy Delivery helps maintain seller performance.

Seller Self-Delivery Prime (SFP) Program: Self-delivery sellers on European sites and Japanese sites that meet the requirements can join Seller Self-Fulfilled Prime, so that your self-delivered products can also obtain the Prime logo, help increase product exposure, increase sales, and enjoy 7*24 professional customer service provided by Amazon.
For more information, please refer to the Seller Central Help page

Compared to Amazon Logistics (FBA) one-stop service, seller-self delivery (FBM/MFN) requires you to pay attention to all aspects to ensure a good shopping experience for buyers. In the special period of the epidemic, I hope this article provides a basic introduction to sellers' self-delivery and will be helpful to you. The new Seller Self-Delivery Course is launched on Amazon Seller University. Welcome to Seller University to learn more free content.