Managing Amazon Vendor Order Shipments

Amazon Vendor orders may be packed at any time, regardless of whether routing has been requested or received. However, due to the narrow shipping window and the time required to pack large orders, it's best to request routing as early as possible and begin packing while awaiting routing instructions.

You can pack orders directly or follow the warehouse fulfillment flow by first creating a pick list to pick products from your warehouse shelves.

Providing Expiration Dates

Amazon requires that perishable products include an expiration date that specifies the inventory shelf life. Products marked as perishable on Vendor Central must include an expiration date on the ASN. Entering expiration dates in Goflow involves two steps:

• Mark Products as Perishable – Identify which products require expiration dates. To mark a product as perishable, follow these steps:

  1. From the left sidebar, go to Catalog › Products and open the product.
  2. On the main section, click the pencil icon to edit.
  3. Check the box Is Perishable, and save your changes.

  To mark multiple products as perishable, use a CSV file to update product fields in bulk.

• Enter Expiration Dates – Provide the expiration dates for inventory included in the shipment.

  When picking products from a pick list, Goflow prompts the picker to enter an expiration date for each unit picked. To apply the same date to all units, use the top date selector.

  If skipping the picking flow and packing the order directly, Goflow will prompt the packer to enter an expiration date for each unit packed. As with picking, you can use the top date selector to apply the same date to all units.

Packing Amazon Vendor Orders

Follow the standard order packing process to pack products into boxes and create multi-box shipments. If orders are packed outside of Goflow, import external shipments.

Printing Carton Labels

Goflow generates carton labels designed to Amazon specifications. Labels are automatically printed when an order is packed. To reprint labels, click the document icon inside the order.

To avoid Amazon chargebacks, ensure the carton label is clearly printed, easy to read, and properly affixed to the box.

Each carton label contains a unique SSCC number. If an order is unpacked and repacked, you must print new carton labels to ensure the electronic SSCC matches the number printed on the label.

Printing Pallet Labels

For palletized LTL shipments, add pallets to the shipment. You can add pallets during the packing process or upload pallet information after the order has been packed into boxes.

Pallet labels are automatically printed when pallets are added. To reprint them, click the document icon within the order.

Shipping Amazon Vendor Orders

All Amazon Vendor orders are initially designated as LTL when imported to Goflow. When Amazon generates EDI routing instructions, Goflow automatically updates the carrier and shipping method to match Amazon's instructions. The carrier type is either LTL or Small Parcel.

Creating LTL Shipments

To create an LTL shipment, ensure the following details were added to the order:

• Pallets – Add pallets to the shipment and print pallet labels
• SCAC – Confirm that the SCAC is correct. The Standard Carrier Alpha Code identifies the trucking company and is automatically set with routing instructions.
• BOL – Enter the Bill of Lading number by scrolling to the Details section of the order and clicking the Add button.
• Seal Number – For Full Truckload shipments, enter the seal number to ensure security and compliance.

Once all details are in place, update the order status to Shipped and enter a unique PRO number in the Tracking Number field.

To print the Bill of Lading, click the document icon within the order.

Creating Small Parcel Shipments

To create a small parcel shipment, make sure the following details were added to the order:

• Carrier – For USA shipments, UPS or OnTrac is automatically selected by applying routing instructions.
• Method – The small parcel carrier shipping method.
• Third-Party Shipping – Confirm that Amazon’s third-party account number is correctly set on the order.

If the order is already packed, you can now generate shipping labels. Update the order status to Shipped and check the Create Labels box. If the order has not yet been packed, shipping labels will be generated during the packing process.

Sending Advanced Shipment Notices

After an order is shipped, Goflow automatically sends an Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN) to Amazon. The ASN helps ensure smooth receiving at the fulfillment center by providing Amazon with key shipment details, including:

• PO – The purchase order number
• Packaging – The number of boxes and the pallet configuration
• SSCC – The unique license plate number assigned to each pallet or carton
• Contents – The SKUs and quantities packed in each box
• Expiration – Expiration dates for perishable products
• Tracking – Small parcel tracking numbers or the LTL PRO number

When an order is unshipped and then reshipped, Goflow will automatically resend the ASN to Amazon with the updated shipment details. In this case, you’ll need to print a new set of carton labels.

Avoid unshipping and reshipping orders, as this invalidates the existing SSCC labels. If you need to correct a tracking number or LTL PRO, please contact Goflow Support for assistance.

Handling ASN Errors

When Amazon rejects a shipment they send an email to the EDI contact on file with details about the error. Below are some of the common issues:

• Closed PO – The purchase order was canceled and Amazon is no longer expecting a shipment.
• Invalid Warehouse Code – The warehouse code is incorrect. Update the warehouse mapping.
• Wrong FC – Amazon has changed the destination fulfillment center.
• PRO Not Unique – The PRO or tracking number is either incorrect or already used for another shipment.
• ARN Not Unique – The ARN number is either incorrect or already used for another shipment.
• Date Required – One or more items are perishable products that require an expiration date.

Contact Goflow Support for help resolving ASN errors.

Monitor ASN errors in Operational Analytics. Filter by document type Advanced Shipment Notification and state Error.

Sending Invoices to Amazon

After an order is shipped, Goflow automatically sends an invoice to Amazon with the following details:

• Invoice Number – The invoice number is generated by Goflow. Manage invoice prefix settings in the Amazon Vendor store.
• Invoice Date – The date the order is shipped.
• Invoice Amount – The total order amount in Goflow.
• Remittance Address – Your accounts receivable address. The remittance address must match the address Amazon has on file. Manage remittance address settings in the Amazon Vendor store in Goflow.
• Invoice Terms – The payment terms per your Amazon contract, e.g., 2% 30, Net 60. To update the terms contact Goflow Support.

To disable automatic invoicing and manage invoices manually in Vendor Central, contact Goflow Support.

EDI Parallel Testing

New vendor accounts must complete an EDI parallel testing phase before Amazon accepts live invoices through EDI. During this phase, the first few invoices submitted are treated as test invoices by Amazon and are not processed for payment.

Amazon reviews the test invoices and, once validated, sends a confirmation email to the EDI contact on file indicating that testing was successful and the account is now approved for production invoicing. Once you receive this confirmation, contact Goflow Support. We’ll help you resend any invoices that Amazon treated as test submissions.

Amazon Vendor Canada Invoices

For Amazon Vendor Cadada accounts, invoices include the following additional details:

• Currency – The invoice currency matches the order currency in Goflow, and is either CAD or USD, depending on your Amazon contract.
• Tax ID – The Canadian tax ID associated with your Goflow store. To update the tax ID, contact Goflow Support.
• Tax Amount – A variable tax amount based on the fulfillment center province.

When shipping from a warehouse within Canada, tax is always added to the invoice. When shipping from a US warehouse, tax is applied only if the vendor is responsible for duties. Contact Goflow Support to manage this setting.

Amazon Vendor Europe Invoices

For Amazon Vendor Europe accounts, invoices include the following additional details:

• Currency – The invoice currency matches the order currency in Goflow and is either USD, GBP, or EUR, depending on your Amazon contract.
• VAT Number – The country tax ID associated with your Goflow store. To update it, contact Goflow Support.
• Tax Amount – A flat 20% VAT is applied to the invoice.