My shipment is active—why is it still not available for sale?A quick guide to Amazon’s full inbound process!

My shipment has been listed, so why is it still unavailable for sale?A guide to the full Amazon inbound process in one article!

August 29, 2023

SOS！My shipment was split across warehouses!What exactly caused this? Can anyone help me figure it out?

I feel like I’ve fallen into a huge trap!After comparing several cross-border logistics carriers, I found that the one I chose not only doesn’t let me track the shipment status, but also isn’t cheap. How can I choose a reliable one?

If you don't understand, just ask!My shipment receiving address shows "multiple destinations". What does this mean?Does it affect me?

Still at a loss when it comes to inbound issues?Here's the good news!To help prevent inbound mistakes from affecting sellers’ peak-season sales in the second half of the year, we’ve compiled common inbound issues across the 3 key stages: shipment preparation, transportation, and warehouse receiving, along with corresponding solutions to help sellers address tough problems at every stage of inbound shipping and better prepare for peak-season sales!

If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you need to send your inventory to Amazon, including creating a shipment, packing your products, and using the carrier of your choice to ship them to the Amazon-designated fulfillment center. During the shipping preparation stage, we’ve compiled 3 common issues and corresponding solutions to help sellers create shipments more easily and save time.

👉 Why was my shipment split?

💡 Solution: 💡

Your shipment may be split for any of the following reasons:

1 Amazon shortens the time needed to receive inventory and make it available for sale by splitting your shipments, so buyers can receive their orders faster and help increase your sales;

2 Your shipment includes large bulky items, products that require special safety measures, products that use Fulfillment by Amazon special services, or certain special-category products (such as Jewelry), which must be handled at specific locations or at fulfillment centers that can properly receive and store them;

If you want to minimize shipment splits as much as possible, you can learn about the fixed placement service from AGL and SEND, or search for “Fulfillment by Amazon Inbound Placement Service” in Seller Central.

👉 What do I need to know?

💡 Solution 💡

When your shipments are split across destinations in the shipment plan, you can’t delete only some shipments from the shipment plan after you approve it. If you want to delete a shipment, you must delete all shipments in that plan before you start shipping any shipment in that plan.

1 If you delete some shipments from your shipment plan, or if Amazon does not receive all shipments in that plan within 30 days after the first shipment in an approved multi-destination plan is delivered to an Amazon fulfillment center, your shipments do not meet the shipment policy requirements, and Amazon will notify you promptly.

*Except when one or more of your shipments are delayed because of unilateral action or negligence by an Amazon-partnered carrier.

If, after Amazon sends an initial notice, you continue to ship shipments that do not comply with Amazon’s shipment policy, it may affect your ability to send other shipments to Amazon.

Copy the following link into your browser for more details about this shipment policy:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GLMEBQLNBY97ANYY

👉 Why was the shipment split?

💡 Solution 💡

This is Box-Level Inventory Placement for small parcel shipments.

For eligible inventory, Amazon uses box-level information to simplify the process of sending inventory to fulfillment centers, so your products can be stored closer to buyers. Amazon will work with the carrier to process your shipment, and your shipment labels will show different fulfillment centers so the partnered carrier can handle them by box group, simplifying the product transportation process.

As a result, you can create and track shipments as usual, without shipping shipments to multiple destinations, with no impact on your carrier operations and costs.

Copy the following link into your browser to learn more about Box-Level Inventory Placement:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GWK3VTXZ9W5LHMEN

💡 Solution 💡

For the following more common shipment creation error messages, Amazon recommends:

① This item is stranded Amazon inventory and cannot be added to the shipment

This means there are no active offers for this item. Please click the “Fix stranded inventory” link at the end of the error message, then go back to the Create Shipment page, click the pencil icon, and click Save in the lower-right corner. Sometimes this error message is resolved only after you refresh the page.

② This item must be removed from the shipment because there are currently no fulfillment centers in the destination country/region that can receive this item

a. In “Manage All Inventory,” click the SKU for the corresponding ASIN to view the product’s dimensions/weight and check whether they are unusual. If anything is abnormal, please make the changes and create the shipment again;
b. Please confirm whether this is a Fulfillment by Amazon prohibited product;
c. If neither of these situations apply, please contact Seller Support.

③ This manufacturer's barcode is already associated with another ASIN. Please confirm whether you entered the correct product code (ISBN, UPC, EAN, JAN)

The main reason for this error is that the seller used a duplicate UPC, which prevents this item from being received as commingled inventory (manufacturer barcode). Recommendation:
● Sellers should always use the correct UPC, EAN, ISBN, ASIN, or JAN codes when listing products, and avoid using duplicate codes;
● You can resolve this issue by creating a new SKU to re-add the product and using Amazon barcode labeling for inbounding.

④ One or more required prep categories have not been entered for this product

Please confirm your prep category selection. If you have already selected the prep category but still encounter the error above, try clicking Save in the bottom-right corner. Sometimes the issue is resolved only after you refresh the page.

⑤ The Inbound Compliance Summary shows that there is a problem with this item. To restore inbounding for this product, please resolve this issue

Please review and resolve any unresolved issues on the Shipment Performance page, then click Save again on the error message screen. Sometimes this error persists even after all issues have been resolved; it is recommended to refresh the page or create a new STA workflow to continue.

⑥ The product does not meet the inbound requirements because: PRODUCT_ENROLLED_IN_REMOTE_FULFILLMENT (Canada/Mexico Marketplace)

This happens because the seller’s ASIN uses both local fulfillment and Remote Fulfillment. Sellers need to use the ASIN Status Report to remove the ASIN from the Remote Fulfillment Program.

💡 Solution 💡

Under the new storage capacity policy, if a seller’s inventory exceeds their storage capacity limit, they won’t be able to create new shipments, and their account may be charged an inventory storage overage fee.

In this case, if the seller wants to increase storage space for inbound products and believes these products will be popular with buyers, they can improve their peak-season sales performance by requesting additional storage space.

For shipment transportation, sellers can choose different methods, such as sea, land, or air, to send goods to Amazon fulfillment centers. We’d like to remind sellers that appointments are required in advance for both air and ocean shipments to fulfillment centers. However, many sellers are still “completely confused” about how to choose a carrier and who to contact if they run into problems. Don't worry, let's find out with Xiaobian ↓

💡 Solution 💡

1 As Amazon’s own logistics service, Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) has provided sellers with stable, efficient, and convenient cross-border logistics services for many years, offering many seller-favorite benefits such as warehouse lock-in in Europe and the US, and priority inbound placement. In the future, it will further extend both upstream and downstream along the logistics chain to provide sellers with a one-stop cross-border logistics service and experience.

2 Not only that, Amazon SEND, Amazon’s cross-border partnered carrier program, has now officially opened to sellers in China, the world’s first integrated third-party cross-border first-mile logistics solution launched by Amazon, which will provide one-stop cross-border first-mile logistics services for cross-border e-commerce sellers. Cross-border e-commerce sellers can use this service directly in Seller Central, with third-party carriers providing a stable, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective end-to-end cross-border first-mile logistics experience.

💡 Solution 💡

Amazon recommends that you use carriers that provide shipment tracking information, because these carriers provide real-time status updates to Amazon. These updates can help minimize receiving delays and help you avoid going out of stock.

1 If the carrier you use does not provide tracking information and your Seller Central account has a missing tracking information defect, you can submit a dispute to show that the carrier did not provide tracking information, and the defect will be removed from your account.

2 If you use the Partnered Carrier program or Amazon Global Logistics Service, you do not need to enter carrier or tracking information. Amazon will generate this information for you.

Copy the link below to learn more about the “carrier and tracking information requirements”:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/GVZWBSSV464ZRWNJ

💡 Solution 💡

Based on the different shipping methods for shipments in different Marketplaces, Amazon provides the following 2 recommendations:

1 Small Package Delivery (SPD) shipments
Amazon does not arrange pickup for Small Package Delivery (SPD). We recommend that you contact the carrier directly through the carrier’s website, such as the UPS website, to ask questions or request a rescheduled pickup. You may need to provide the shipment’s tracking number.

2 Less than truckload or full truckload shipments (LTL/TL)
① If your request to schedule a pickup has been confirmed, you will receive an email stating that the Bill of Lading (BOL) for the shipment has been prepared, and you can find the partner carrier's contact details in this email.
② If you haven't received the email or are unable to reach the carrier, you can contact the Amazon Seller Support team.

After the products are shipped to an Amazon fulfillment center, Amazon will store and manage them for you. During the warehouse receiving stage, we’ve provided the right actions to take based on your shipment status to help you get your inventory into the fulfillment center smoothly and avoid the risk of “rejection”!

💡 Solution 💡

Amazon will process your inbound shipments as soon as possible. You can view the processing progress of your shipment on the "Shipment Summary"-"Shipment Activity" page in Seller Central. Below are explanations of several common shipment statuses, along with recommended actions you can take to help speed up the inbound process for your shipments:

1 Shipment created (Shipment created)

Your shipment has been created, and this status includes two steps: “Ready to Ship” and “Shipped.”
Note: Amazon has removed the [Mark as Shipped] button,
● If you use the Partnered Carrier program, your shipment status will be updated to "Shipped" after the carrier picks it up;
● If you are using a non-partnered carrier, the status of your shipment will automatically be updated to “Shipped” after you enter valid tracking information.

👇 Recommended actions 👇

① Make sure your products comply with Amazon’s packaging, prep, or shipping requirements. For more information, go to Packaging and Prep Requirements, Shipping and Routing Requirements, and Small Package Delivery shipments to Amazon;
② Provide accurate information on the contents of the box;
③ Ship according to the shipment plan, including sending the specified quantity of each product in the plan to the designated Amazon fulfillment center;
④ Promptly enter the carrier name, shipping method, tracking information, and delivery window.
Copy the links below to learn more:
Packaging and prep requirements: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/G200141500
Shipping and Routing Requirements: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200141510
Small Package Delivery to Amazon:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200280260

2 In transit/Delivered

In transit: once Amazon has received information from the carrier that your shipment is in transit, your shipment will enter the “In transit” status. If you’re not using a Partnered Carrier, your shipment status will show as In transit when your carrier coordinates a delivery appointment with the fulfillment center.
Delivered: Amazon has received information from the carrier indicating that your shipment is awaiting delivery or has been delivered to the fulfillment center yard, but the fulfillment center has not yet registered it. Sometimes, a shipment that has been delivered to the fulfillment center does not appear as “delivered”, which may be because the information between the carrier and the fulfillment center is not synchronized.

*Important: Once a shipment has been delivered to the fulfillment center by the carrier, it may take up to 10 days for the shipment to reach “checked in” status, and during peak times it may take longer.

👇 Recommended actions 👇

Confirm with your carrier that all items in the shipment have been delivered to the designated Amazon fulfillment center, and you can request proof of delivery from the carrier.
● For express shipments, you can check the shipment delivery status on the carrier's website (such as the UPS website) using the tracking number;
● For less than truckload or truckload shipments, you can ask the carrier to provide a bill of lading (BOL) showing the number of boxes and the total weight of the shipment, screenshots of delivery appointments, etc. This information helps confirm whether the pickup and delivery of the entire shipment meet expectations.

3 Checked in/Receiving

Checked in: the trailer carrying your shipment has moved from the yard to the dock door and is ready to be unloaded. Checked-in inventory has not yet completed the receiving process.

*Important: For Small Package Delivery shipments, it may take 2 days to change from the “Checked in” status to the “Receiving” status. For LTL and full truckload shipments, it can take up to 9 days. It may take longer during peak times.

Receiving: when Amazon scans your first shipment ID label, your shipment will enter the receiving state. Received items are available for sale, but because items may be sent to other fulfillment centers closer to buyers, received items may show a future delivery time.

👇 Recommended actions 👇

While the shipment is being received, you can see the estimated time it will take to complete receipt and details of the shipment being transferred to another fulfillment center under “Receiving” on the shipment activity page. On or after this date, if there is any issue with your shipment, you can request an investigation.
In the upper-right corner of the shipment activity page, under “Shipment Overview,” you can also track the shipment receiving progress. The number of “Sellable (found)” products means these products have been counted through the standard receiving process and are available for sale; the number of “Prime-eligible” products means these products have reached the final fulfillment center and are stored in Prime locations, meeting Prime promise requirements.
*Please note that Seller Support can't manually speed up the shipment receiving process, so please wait patiently.

4 Closed shipment (Shipment closed)

Amazon has either confirmed receipt of all items in the shipment based on the shipped quantity, or your shipment has been open for more than 90 days since it was created, whichever comes first.

👇 Recommended action 👇

You can’t ship more items for a completed shipment, but if an appointment for this shipment has already been confirmed with the fulfillment center, Amazon can continue to receive it. Amazon strongly recommends that you ship all items in your shipment to Amazon as soon as possible after creating the shipment.

👉 When can a shipment request an investigation?

💡 Solution 💡

When your shipment enters the “Checked In” or “Receiving” status, you can view the date when the shipment becomes eligible for investigation on the “Shipment Activity Page” or “Item Information Page”. You can search for “Reconcile your shipment” in Seller Central, or copy the link below to go to the “Missing inbound FBA inventory” tool and enter the shipment ID to check whether your shipment is eligible for investigation.

Copy the following link into your browser to learn more about the "FBA inventory missing from inbound shipment" tool:
https:// sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G201214140

If your shipment doesn’t meet the requirements for Reconcile your shipment, it could be for one of the following reasons:

① Shipments are still being processed at the fulfillment center.
② The shipment has not been delivered to the fulfillment center.
③ All items in the shipment have been received, or the shipment discrepancy query has been completed.

👉 How do I request an investigation?

💡 Solution 💡

For items in the shipment that qualify for further investigation, you need to go to “Shipments”–“Item Information page”. The specific steps are as follows:

1 Review discrepancies and request an investigation

Check the “Status” column for each product. You must first select an option for each product that is in “Action required” status before you can preview and submit an investigation request. You can also select “Show discrepancies only” in the upper-left corner.
We recommend that you first confirm with your warehouse shipping staff, carrier, or others whether any items were under-shipped or over-shipped. After that, select the appropriate option from the "Action required" status drop-down menu (such as "Investigate Missing Items")

2 Upload files

Review the file requirements at the bottom of the page, and upload any files that may help Amazon process the investigation request as quickly as possible. The following documents must be included with the investigation request submitted to Amazon:

① Proof of Ownership of Inventory: Acceptable documents include invoices from suppliers, receipts from other sellers, or signed packing slips (if you are the manufacturer), among others.

② proof of delivery:
● For express shipments, you can look up and print proof of delivery on the carrier’s website using the tracking number;
● For less than truckload or full truckload shipments, please provide a bill of lading showing the number of boxes and the total weight of the shipment at the time of carrier pickup. The document must include a signature or stamp that can confirm the fulfillment center received the shipment, to confirm that the fulfillment center received the shipment. Also, please provide a screenshot of the delivery appointment that shows the appointment number.

Copy the following link to your browser to learn more about the shipment discrepancy:
https://www.sellercentral.amazon.dev/help/hub/reference/G201214140

After submitting a research request, Amazon will confirm the quantity received, and make every effort to reconcile missing and unexpected items in the shipment. This type of shipment discrepancy investigation will not affect your current inventory.

👇Please note👇

To help Amazon process investigation requests as quickly as possible, Amazon offers the following four recommendations:

① Before requesting an investigation, first use the tool above to check whether your shipment is eligible for investigation. Even if you submit a request for shipments that are not eligible for investigation, they will most likely not be investigated.
② For shipments that are eligible for investigation, please follow the steps above to request an investigation in “Shipment Summary”–“Item Information Page.” If you contact Seller Support directly, it is likely that Seller Support will also direct you back to the “Item Information Page” to submit an application, which helps Amazon gather the required information and conduct investigations more efficiently;
③ Prepare all documents required for the investigation before submitting your request, and submit them all at once to reduce the time spent on repeated communication when additional information is needed.
④ You must submit a claim no later than within 9 months of the exact date the shipment was delivered to Amazon's fulfillment center (6 months in Europe), and claims submitted outside this time frame are not eligible for reimbursement.

For inbound and shipment issues, you can use the “FBA Shipment Issues” tool to quickly find related issues and solutions for inbound and shipments. Just search for “manage shipment” in Seller Central, and the tool will appear on the right side of the page. You can then look up the corresponding solution based on the issue you’re experiencing.

💡 Example 💡

I'd like detailed instructions on one of the specific steps to create a new shipment using STA:

💡 Example 💡

I got an error while creating the shipment:

💡 For example 💡

① I want to edit the shipment information by changing the shipment status from “Shipped” to “Processing”:

② I want to check the status of a shipment and whether there are any inbound issues:

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