GLOBAL SELLING
How to sell internationally with Amazon Global Selling
Amazon provides selling partners with a variety of tools and services that simplify all aspects of selling internationally.
4 steps to succeed at selling globally
Einführung
Dieses Video zeigt Ihnen die Vorteile der globalen Expansion und erklärt, wie Sie mit Ihrer Expansion über Europa hinaus beginnen können.
1
Decide where and what to sell
Understand the opportunity that selling internationally on Amazon offers your business. Learn where you can sell through Amazon, what is required — including taxes and regulations — and strategic considerations for entering a new marketplace.
How we can help
Learn more about why and how to expand to Amazon stores around the world:
Where you can sell with Amazon
Overview
Amazon operates 16 online marketplaces worldwide (listed by region below). These allow you to grow your business internationally, regardless of where your business is physically established. With Amazon, you can quickly expand your business to other countries, introducing your brand and products to millions of customers in Amazon’s marketplaces.
These marketplaces represent the world’s largest e-commerce opportunities. When you register to sell in one of these Amazon marketplaces, you gain direct access to customers who know and trust the Amazon buying experience. Expanding your sales operations to one or more Amazon marketplaces means that you can benefit from the Amazon brand. And you can do so without shouldering the upfront costs of building business name recognition on your own in a new sales environment.
Language support
When you prepare to enter a new Amazon marketplace, one early consideration you’ll have is whether your business can operate in the local language. Proficiency in the local marketplace language is necessary for providing customer support for a particular marketplace. This is a requirement for selling in an Amazon marketplace, unless you use Fulfilment by Amazon. Local language proficiency is also helpful for conducting country-specific research and understanding how to best position your products. You might need to modify your products or adjust your marketing, designs, or packaging to better meet the needs of your new customers.
However, many selling partners do successfully sell in Amazon marketplaces where they don’t have proficiency in the local language. Amazon provides some services and tools to help ease the challenges posed by language barriers:
Seller Central Language Switcher
The good news is that you don’t have to master Spanish, French, or Japanese to sell in North America, Australia, and Japan. With Seller Central Language Switcher, you can manage your operations in all of these Amazon marketplaces in English, enabling you to quickly get up to speed on your international business by providing you with a familiar interface that you can quickly learn to use.
Amazon North American Marketplaces account
In North America, just like in Europe, we have simplified the management of your business across all of Amazon’s online stores. The Amazon North American Marketplaces account lets you create and manage product listings in any and all of our online stores in the US, Canada, and Mexico. You control what you sell where, and you manage your business from a single selling partner account interface.
When you sign up to sell in one North American marketplace, for example on Amazon.com, your selling partner account is automatically enabled to sell in the other Amazon North American marketplaces — Amazon.com.mx and Amazon.ca. Reach millions of international customers and let Amazon help you grow your international online business. All of your orders will be managed with a single account, meaning that all processes are the same regardless of whether you’re handling an order from Canada or the US.
Customer support in the local language
When you sell in an Amazon marketplace, you are required to provide customer support in the local language of the marketplace. For instance, if you are selling on Amazon.jp or Amazon.com.mx, you’re required to provide customer support in Japanese or Spanish, respectively. You can choose to do it on your own or have Amazon do it when you join Fulfilment by Amazon.
However, many selling partners do successfully sell in Amazon marketplaces where they don’t have proficiency in the local language. Amazon provides some services and tools to help ease the challenges posed by language barriers:
Seller Central Language Switcher
The good news is that you don’t have to master Spanish, French, or Japanese to sell in North America, Australia, and Japan. With Seller Central Language Switcher, you can manage your operations in all of these Amazon marketplaces in English, enabling you to quickly get up to speed on your international business by providing you with a familiar interface that you can quickly learn to use.
Amazon North American Marketplaces account
In North America, just like in Europe, we have simplified the management of your business across all of Amazon’s online stores. The Amazon North American Marketplaces account lets you create and manage product listings in any and all of our online stores in the US, Canada, and Mexico. You control what you sell where, and you manage your business from a single selling partner account interface.
When you sign up to sell in one North American marketplace, for example on Amazon.com, your selling partner account is automatically enabled to sell in the other Amazon North American marketplaces — Amazon.com.mx and Amazon.ca. Reach millions of international customers and let Amazon help you grow your international online business. All of your orders will be managed with a single account, meaning that all processes are the same regardless of whether you’re handling an order from Canada or the US.
Customer support in the local language
When you sell in an Amazon marketplace, you are required to provide customer support in the local language of the marketplace. For instance, if you are selling on Amazon.jp or Amazon.com.mx, you’re required to provide customer support in Japanese or Spanish, respectively. You can choose to do it on your own or have Amazon do it when you join Fulfilment by Amazon.
Taxes and regulations
Be aware of local taxes and regulations when selling in Amazon’s various marketplaces and enlisting third-party resources. We recommend that you consult your tax and regulatory advisors before making decisions about how you will sell in other marketplaces.
Every country has different legal and industry-specific requirements concerning the sale of products to consumers. In your home marketplace, there may be laws that pertain to intellectual property rights, product safety, environmental, and other applicable requirements. The same is true for all marketplaces. You should therefore do thorough research and understand your responsibilities. Some things to consider are tax and customs, intellectual property rights, parallel importation, export controls, marking and labels, environment, health and safety, and product compliance.
Every country has different legal and industry-specific requirements concerning the sale of products to consumers. In your home marketplace, there may be laws that pertain to intellectual property rights, product safety, environmental, and other applicable requirements. The same is true for all marketplaces. You should therefore do thorough research and understand your responsibilities. Some things to consider are tax and customs, intellectual property rights, parallel importation, export controls, marking and labels, environment, health and safety, and product compliance.
Crafting a marketplace strategy
Overview
Deciding where and what to sell in another country’s marketplace can be similar to making these decisions for your home marketplace. However, when selling internationally, there are a few additional points to consider.
One way to evaluate an international marketplace entry strategy is to use the “four Ps” marketing framework: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotions. Let’s review each of these in terms of selling internationally on Amazon.
One way to evaluate an international marketplace entry strategy is to use the “four Ps” marketing framework: Product, Price, Placement, and Promotions. Let’s review each of these in terms of selling internationally on Amazon.
Product: Choosing what to sell
When you select an Amazon marketplace in which to sell, you’ll need to understand whether your product is appropriate for your destination country. First and foremost, make sure you comply with all laws in each country. In addition, different product standards apply in different countries. For example, mobile devices operating on 110–220 V that use two-prong electrical chargers may not be appropriate for European marketplaces but could be appropriate for Japan. Similarly, duvets that are very popular in the UK may not sell well in the US as the standard mattress sizes differ in the two countries.
When selling internationally through Amazon for the first time, a natural approach is to think about your best-selling products in your home marketplace. From your previous experience and from data in sales reports, which products sell well? It’s also important to ask yourself why you think these particular products do well. Will these same reasons hold true for the marketplace you are entering, or are there other factors driving customer demand there, such as culture, climate, and demographics, including average age and income? Also consider how differences in marketplaces can benefit you. For instance, do you have seasonal inventory that you don’t know what to do with after the season has passed in one marketplace? You can easily extend your selling season by selling abroad, where the product may find a new audience.
Tip: List broadly across multiple products rather than concentrating on just one or two products. Why? A broader selection of products means higher customer exposure to your listings overall. This breadth can help you quickly gauge which products may be successful in a particular marketplace.
You can start slowly if you’re not yet ready to commit selling a lot of your inventory in another Amazon marketplace. However, you should offer a wide range of products. If your sales increase, you can adjust your prices or remove listings to mitigate stock-out risk, just like in your home marketplace. If you want even less of a commitment, you can start by fulfilling orders yourself rather than sending inventory to another country. Remember, selling in another marketplace doesn’t mean you lose control over your listings.
In deciding which products to sell in an Amazon marketplace, you have another key source of information available to you: Observations about the marketplace. This sort of marketplace research should be very familiar to you from activities you likely conduct when selling in your home marketplace. Knowledge of the local language is particularly helpful here. If you are trying to research a marketplace in a language unfamiliar to you, you may be able to use free online translator tools to make your content more accessible. However, you should be careful of relying too heavily on such tools.
In your target marketplace, review the Best Selling partners, New Arrivals, and Featured Brand selections for your product categories. Read customer reviews to understand your competition’s strengths and weaknesses.
During this product research phase, you may find it helpful to broaden your search to e-commerce marketplaces beyond Amazon. You can use a search engine to find relevant e-commerce sites by country. Trade publications and online seller communities in each country can also provide a rich source of information as you prepare to list products in their locales.
Tip: Keep in mind that potential customers of a particular marketplace may not necessarily reside in the target country. Some customers in each marketplace may reside in a nearby country, prefer to shop in a particular language, seek products only available in a particular marketplace, or choose to purchase out-of-country for other reasons. For example, an Amazon.com customer may reside in Mexico.
When selling internationally through Amazon for the first time, a natural approach is to think about your best-selling products in your home marketplace. From your previous experience and from data in sales reports, which products sell well? It’s also important to ask yourself why you think these particular products do well. Will these same reasons hold true for the marketplace you are entering, or are there other factors driving customer demand there, such as culture, climate, and demographics, including average age and income? Also consider how differences in marketplaces can benefit you. For instance, do you have seasonal inventory that you don’t know what to do with after the season has passed in one marketplace? You can easily extend your selling season by selling abroad, where the product may find a new audience.
Tip: List broadly across multiple products rather than concentrating on just one or two products. Why? A broader selection of products means higher customer exposure to your listings overall. This breadth can help you quickly gauge which products may be successful in a particular marketplace.
You can start slowly if you’re not yet ready to commit selling a lot of your inventory in another Amazon marketplace. However, you should offer a wide range of products. If your sales increase, you can adjust your prices or remove listings to mitigate stock-out risk, just like in your home marketplace. If you want even less of a commitment, you can start by fulfilling orders yourself rather than sending inventory to another country. Remember, selling in another marketplace doesn’t mean you lose control over your listings.
In deciding which products to sell in an Amazon marketplace, you have another key source of information available to you: Observations about the marketplace. This sort of marketplace research should be very familiar to you from activities you likely conduct when selling in your home marketplace. Knowledge of the local language is particularly helpful here. If you are trying to research a marketplace in a language unfamiliar to you, you may be able to use free online translator tools to make your content more accessible. However, you should be careful of relying too heavily on such tools.
In your target marketplace, review the Best Selling partners, New Arrivals, and Featured Brand selections for your product categories. Read customer reviews to understand your competition’s strengths and weaknesses.
During this product research phase, you may find it helpful to broaden your search to e-commerce marketplaces beyond Amazon. You can use a search engine to find relevant e-commerce sites by country. Trade publications and online seller communities in each country can also provide a rich source of information as you prepare to list products in their locales.
Tip: Keep in mind that potential customers of a particular marketplace may not necessarily reside in the target country. Some customers in each marketplace may reside in a nearby country, prefer to shop in a particular language, seek products only available in a particular marketplace, or choose to purchase out-of-country for other reasons. For example, an Amazon.com customer may reside in Mexico.
Price: Setting and adjusting your price
The following are potential new costs to consider when selling outside your home marketplace: These additional costs may change your profitability calculation:
- Shipping costs if you ship directly to international customers
- International return shipping costs if you are fulfilling orders yourself
- Shipping costs to send your inventory to fulfilment centres abroad when you are using Fulfilment by Amazon.
- Customer support costs, if you are providing these services yourself in a local language or hiring a third-party provider to do so.
- Conversion fees, if you receive payments in your local currency
- Translation costs for listings in another language.
- Taxes and duties.
As you can see, many of the variable costs change based on whether you decide to fulfil orders yourself or use Fulfilment by Amazon.
Placement: Optimising your distribution channels
In addition to growing your international business on Amazon, you can also consider growing your international business outside of Amazon. The following other Amazon services may be useful to you in developing such an international strategy:
Multi-Channel Fulfilment: If you already use Fulfilment by Amazon to fulfil Amazon customer orders, you can manage online sales from other channels using the same inventory pool. Use Multi-Channel Fulfilment — a feature within Fulfilment by Amazon — to fulfil orders that come from sales channels other than Amazon, including your own website, third-party platforms, and even catalogue or in-store sales.
Product Ads: Amazon Product Ads is an advertising service designed to provide Amazon customers with seamless access to products available on external websites. As an advertiser, you simply upload your catalogue and set your cost-per-click and your budget. Amazon will then display your ads to Amazon.de customers when they search for your product or related products. Customers who are interested in buying your product can click through to your website and purchase the product directly from you.
Multi-Channel Fulfilment: If you already use Fulfilment by Amazon to fulfil Amazon customer orders, you can manage online sales from other channels using the same inventory pool. Use Multi-Channel Fulfilment — a feature within Fulfilment by Amazon — to fulfil orders that come from sales channels other than Amazon, including your own website, third-party platforms, and even catalogue or in-store sales.
Product Ads: Amazon Product Ads is an advertising service designed to provide Amazon customers with seamless access to products available on external websites. As an advertiser, you simply upload your catalogue and set your cost-per-click and your budget. Amazon will then display your ads to Amazon.de customers when they search for your product or related products. Customers who are interested in buying your product can click through to your website and purchase the product directly from you.
Promotions: Making your listings more attractive
As in your home marketplace, Amazon provides tools that enable you to advertise and run promotions for your products. These promotional tools may include free delivery, discounts, buy one get one free, and external benefits. The promotions available vary by marketplace.
Another way to expose your offers to a wider range of potential buyers is through Amazon Sponsored Products. This is a cost-per-click advertising service that helps you promote the products you sell on Amazon.com through targeted ads.
Another way to expose your offers to a wider range of potential buyers is through Amazon Sponsored Products. This is a cost-per-click advertising service that helps you promote the products you sell on Amazon.com through targeted ads.
2
Register and list your products
Use Amazon tools to manage selling partner accounts globally and manage your listings across marketplaces. Translate your listings if necessary. Your products are now available for sale.
Build International Listings
Build International Listings (BIL) helps you sell globally by adding listings and synchronising prices across multiple marketplaces. BIL enables you to quickly add multiple listings to other marketplaces. Based on rules that you set, BIL manages pricing for listings across multiple marketplaces for you through automated updates.
Setting up your Amazon account
Overview
You will need to set up your Amazon selling account for the online marketplace where you want to sell your products. Even if you already sell in one Amazon marketplace, you will need to create a new selling partner account in another marketplace. For example, if you sell your products in the UK or in the US and want to sell in Japan, you will need to create a new Amazon selling partner account for Amazon.co.jp.
The exception to this is if you already sell in a North American marketplace, such as Amazon.com, and want to sell in another Amazon North American marketplace, such as Amazon.ca. In this case, you can do so from your current selling partner account because Amazon offers a Unified Account for North American marketplaces.
In some countries, Amazon has online registration processes in the local language — for example Spanish for Amazon.com.mx. If you do not speak these languages and are interested in selling in any of these marketplaces, register to sell on Amazon.com in English and then create listings across the Mexican marketplace with the Unified Account.
If you’re already selling on Amazon, expand internationally. If you’re new to Amazon, choose where you’d like to get started:
The exception to this is if you already sell in a North American marketplace, such as Amazon.com, and want to sell in another Amazon North American marketplace, such as Amazon.ca. In this case, you can do so from your current selling partner account because Amazon offers a Unified Account for North American marketplaces.
In some countries, Amazon has online registration processes in the local language — for example Spanish for Amazon.com.mx. If you do not speak these languages and are interested in selling in any of these marketplaces, register to sell on Amazon.com in English and then create listings across the Mexican marketplace with the Unified Account.
If you’re already selling on Amazon, expand internationally. If you’re new to Amazon, choose where you’d like to get started:
Already selling on Amazon in Europe?
New to Amazon?
North America registration requirements
When you register to sell in the US on Amazon.com, you will need to provide a valid credit card, phone number, and tax information. Furthermore, for taxes, you will be required to complete a detailed online questionnaire that will determine whether you will need to complete a W-9 form (as a US taxpayer) or a W-8BEN (as a non-US taxpayer). When you register to sell in Canada or Mexico, on Amazon.ca or Amazon.mx, you will need to provide a valid credit card, phone number, and tax information.
North America Unified Account. In North America, we have simplified the process of managing your business across the marketplaces of the US, Canada, and Mexico. The North America Unified Account lets you create and manage product listings in the US, Canada, and Mexico. You control what you sell and where you sell using a single selling partner account.
When you sign up to sell on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or Amazon.com.mx, your selling partner account is automatically enabled to sell in both marketplaces. You can switch between marketplaces using the Marketplace Switcher in Seller Central. This allows you to list products and manage orders in each marketplace.
As a Pro Seller, you will only pay subscription fees corresponding to the marketplace where you first registered to sell. For example, if you signed up to sell on Amazon.com, you pay the subscription fees for that marketplace. If you decide to sell on Amazon.ca, you will not pay additional subscription fees. However, for all per-item sales, you will pay the fees applicable to the marketplace in which the item was sold.
In order to sell across the US, Canada, and Mexico, you will need to create listings on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca., and Amazon.com.mx. Please note that creating listings in the first marketplace in which you register (e.g. Amazon.com) and beginning to sell does not automatically populate listings in the other marketplaces (e.g. Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.mx). If you want to sell in all three marketplaces, you will need to create listings in each marketplace.
Finally, when setting up a North American Unified Account, you’ll need to provide a bank account in one of the countries supported by Amazon. Currently, Amazon supports US, Canadian, and Mexican bank accounts, as well as bank accounts in Eurozone countries.
North America Unified Account. In North America, we have simplified the process of managing your business across the marketplaces of the US, Canada, and Mexico. The North America Unified Account lets you create and manage product listings in the US, Canada, and Mexico. You control what you sell and where you sell using a single selling partner account.
When you sign up to sell on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or Amazon.com.mx, your selling partner account is automatically enabled to sell in both marketplaces. You can switch between marketplaces using the Marketplace Switcher in Seller Central. This allows you to list products and manage orders in each marketplace.
As a Pro Seller, you will only pay subscription fees corresponding to the marketplace where you first registered to sell. For example, if you signed up to sell on Amazon.com, you pay the subscription fees for that marketplace. If you decide to sell on Amazon.ca, you will not pay additional subscription fees. However, for all per-item sales, you will pay the fees applicable to the marketplace in which the item was sold.
In order to sell across the US, Canada, and Mexico, you will need to create listings on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca., and Amazon.com.mx. Please note that creating listings in the first marketplace in which you register (e.g. Amazon.com) and beginning to sell does not automatically populate listings in the other marketplaces (e.g. Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.mx). If you want to sell in all three marketplaces, you will need to create listings in each marketplace.
Finally, when setting up a North American Unified Account, you’ll need to provide a bank account in one of the countries supported by Amazon. Currently, Amazon supports US, Canadian, and Mexican bank accounts, as well as bank accounts in Eurozone countries.
Japan registration requirements
Amazon.co.jp offers online registration in English and Japanese. Once you have set up your account, you can choose to manage your account in Seller Central in Japanese or English. Learn more about expanding to Japan.
Payments
Bank account in the target country
If you prefer to have a high level of control over your bank accounts, you can open an account in the country where you want to sell. This is typically a more complex process, as you may need to create a legal subsidiary headquartered in that country. You should consult your legal, tax, and banking advisors.
Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers
If you’d prefer not to open an account in the country of another Amazon marketplace, you have the option of using Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers (ACCS). With ACCS, you can be paid directly in your local bank account in local currency, provided that you have a bank account in a country supported by Amazon. Regardless of the country in which you reside, you may only receive payment to a bank account in a country and currency supported by ACCS.
How ACCS works
When you enter bank account details, you must accept the ACCS terms and conditions to receive payments to that bank account. Each withdrawal is automatically transferred to your local account in the national currency. If you switch to another bank, you must accept the ACCS terms and conditions again when you enter your new bank account details.
The table below shows the currencies supported by ACCS for each marketplace account.
How ACCS works
When you enter bank account details, you must accept the ACCS terms and conditions to receive payments to that bank account. Each withdrawal is automatically transferred to your local account in the national currency. If you switch to another bank, you must accept the ACCS terms and conditions again when you enter your new bank account details.
The table below shows the currencies supported by ACCS for each marketplace account.
Category
.com
.ca
.co.jp
.com.mx
EUR Euro
✓
✓
✓
✓
GBP Great British Pound
✓
✓
✓
✓
USD United States Dollar
Default
✓
✓
✓
AUD Australian Dollar
✓
✓
✓
✓
NZD New Zealand Dollar
✓
✓
✓
✓
INR Indian Rupee
✓
✓
✓
✓
HKD Hong Kong Dollar
✓
✓
✓
✓
CAD Canadian Dollar
✓
Default
✓
✓
BGN Bulgarian Lev
✓
✓
✓
✓
CZK Czech Koruna
✓
✓
✓
✓
HRK Croatian Kuna
✓
✓
✓
✓
DKK Danish Krone
✓
✓
✓
✓
HUF Hungarian Forint
✓
✓
✓
✓
NOK Norwegian Krone
✓
✓
✓
✓
PLN Polish Zloty
✓
✓
✓
✓
RON Romanian Leu
✓
✓
✓
✓
CHF Swiss Franc
✓
✓
✓
✓
SGD Singapore Dollar
✓
✓
✓
✓
PHP Philippines Peso
✓
✓
✓
✓
Note: If your bank is not based in one of the countries supported by Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers, it will not be able to disburse payments to your bank account. You will need to open a bank account in one of the countries supported by Amazon — either a bank account in one of the countries where Amazon has a marketplace or a bank account in a country supported by ACCS.
Visit Seller Central Help to read the Amazon Currency Converter for Selling Partners FAQ
Visit Seller Central Help to read the Amazon Currency Converter for Selling Partners FAQ
Product Listing
Overview
Once you’ve created a selling partner account in a new target marketplace, the next step is to create product listings in your new marketplace. Product listing requirements may vary depending on the marketplace. For this reason, be sure to refer to the guidelines in each marketplace’s Help pages. Listings on Amazon’s marketplaces consist of the following components:
- Product ID: A global identification number, such as UPC, EAN, or ISBN.
- Product title: A brief description of the product.
- Bullet points and product description: Bullet points are used to briefly list the most important product features and are intended to arouse customer interest. The product description provides detailed information about the product. Use third-party providers.
- Product images: Clear photographs of the product that show as much detail as possible. Images should be at least 500 x 500 pixels in size, but 1000 x 1000 pixels is recommended if you want all of the details of your product to be visible. Some categories may have different image size requirements. Please refer to the guidelines in Seller Central for details.
- Search terms: Keywords that someone looking for your product might enter in the search box. You can specify multiple search terms.
Note: The quality of your listing will affect how often your item appears on searches and thus the likelihood that your product is purchased. That’s why it’s important to invest time and effort in producing high-quality listings to improve your sales potential.
Listing your products
If you have a small inventory (fewer than 100 products), it may be easier to use the Add-A-Product listing tool to list each product one at a time. Alternatively, for selling partners with Professional accounts and larger inventories, you can create an inventory file and load the inventory all at once with volume listing tools.
Listings need to be in the local language of the Amazon marketplace where you intend to sell. For example, to sell on or Amazon.jp, your product listings need to be in Japanese. If you don’t know the language of the Amazon marketplace where you want to sell, there are many online resources that can help selling partners professionally translate their listings. Here are a few suppliers that other selling partners have found useful:
Listings need to be in the local language of the Amazon marketplace where you intend to sell. For example, to sell on or Amazon.jp, your product listings need to be in Japanese. If you don’t know the language of the Amazon marketplace where you want to sell, there are many online resources that can help selling partners professionally translate their listings. Here are a few suppliers that other selling partners have found useful:
Build International Listings
The Build International Listings tool saves you time when managing listings and lets you create and update listings at the same time across multiple Amazon marketplaces with your Unified Account. Once you’ve launched and created listings in your primary “source” marketplace, you can then select these listings and identify a target marketplace in which you currently have no offers. Build International Listings performs the following automatic functions:
The Build International Listings tool saves you time when managing listings and lets you create and update listings at the same time across multiple Amazon marketplaces with your Unified Account. Once you’ve launched and created listings in your primary “source” marketplace, you can then select these listings and identify a target marketplace in which you currently have no offers. Build International Listings performs the following automatic functions:
- It creates listings in multiple target marketplaces based on products you already sell in the source marketplace.
- Whenever you add or delete a listing, it also updates this in the target marketplaces.
- It adjusts prices in your target marketplaces based on changes you make to the source marketplace prices, according to pricing rules you set.
- It adjusts prices in the target marketplaces to reflect exchange rate fluctuations with the source marketplace currency.
3
Fulfilment
Amazon fulfilment services help you promptly get products to customers around the world. Understand what’s involved in fulfilment and shipping to customers in different countries, including costs, times, and requirements. Learn more about Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) international solutions, or handle it yourself.
Fulfilment by Seller
Direct shipping to international customers
If your inventory is located in a different country than the marketplace where your customers placed their orders, you need to ship the product internationally to your customer. The process for this is as follows:
- The selling partner chooses a carrier that can ship internationally.
- The selling partner ships the product and is thus the exporter of record.
Important: To ensure a good customer experience and manage your customer reviews and selling partner performance ratings, it is important that you do not expose customers to delays due to customs or unexpected charges associated with additional duties and taxes on their products. It is important that the selling partner take care of such matters when shipping the product. - The carrier acts as the broker by default, according to the terms and conditions on the freight bill. The carrier will collect duties from the buyer upon delivery of the goods.
It is also important to manage customer expectations. Let your customers know which country you’re shipping their orders from. Specifically, your selling partner profile needs to accurately state the country you are shipping from and you should tell your customers when exactly you shipped an order. You are responsible for meeting the stated delivery date for all orders you receive.
International shipping
International shipping costs
International shipping costs vary based on a range of factors, for example:
International shipping costs vary based on a range of factors, for example:
- Package dimensions and weight
- Delivery time
- Sender address (where you are shipping from) and destination address (where you are shipping to). For international shipping, shipping costs can be significantly higher.
- Transperfect Translations
In addition to the above charges, you should be aware of duties and taxes that will need to be paid. Amazon is not responsible for any duties and taxes associated with Fulfilment by Amazon inventory. Any shipments arriving at an Amazon fulfilment centre with customs duty charges outstanding will be returned to the sender.
International shipping times
Fulfilling an order internationally takes longer than fulfilling an order domestically. Shipping times are reflected in the offer detail and may make your offer less attractive than similar domestic products.
International shipping times
Fulfilling an order internationally takes longer than fulfilling an order domestically. Shipping times are reflected in the offer detail and may make your offer less attractive than similar domestic products.
Other resources
There are also many online resources that can help selling partners determine delivery costs and will make shipping easier. Here are a few suppliers that other selling partners have found useful, organised by region: Visit their websites directly to calculate the approximate shipping fees that you can expect when fulfilling orders for the Amazon marketplaces you would like to list in:
Fulfilment by Amazon
Overview
Selling partner location
FBA fulfilment centre location
Importation required?
Outside the US
US
Yes, products need to be imported into the US
Outside Canada
Canada
Yes, products need to be imported into Canada.
Outside Europe
European marketplace countries: UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain
Yes, products need to be imported into the country where the FBA fulfilment centre is located.
In Europe
EU marketplaces countries: UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain
No, goods do not need to be imported within the EU. If the selling partner uses Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), they can use FBA international programmes.
Outside Japan
Japan
Yes, products need to be imported into Japan.
Outside Mexico
Mexico
Yes, products need to be imported into Mexico.
An alternative way to fulfil your international orders is to use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) in the country corresponding to the Amazon marketplace where you are listing your products. Using FBA will require importing your products to another country for storage in an Amazon fulfilment centre to sell them to customers in that marketplace. The one exception to this case is if you already sell in one of Amazon’s European marketplaces and fulfil with FBA in that marketplace. In that case, you can fulfil your orders from other EU marketplaces using your current FBA account through the Pan-European FBA, the European Fulfilment Network or Multi-Country Inventory.
Direct shipping to international customers
If your inventory is located in a different country to the fulfilment centre, you need to export your products from the source country and import them into the target country. You will act as the exporter of record in the source country and the importer of record in the destination country, and must comply with all laws and regulations of the source and target countries. You may be subject to import taxes, customs duties, and fees levied by the target country. Amazon is not responsible for any duties and taxes associated with Fulfilment by Amazon inventory. Any shipments arriving at an Amazon fulfilment centre with customs duty charges outstanding will be returned to the sender. The process for this is as follows:
- You create listings in Seller Central.
- You prepare a commercial invoice indicating that you are the importer of record.
- You choose a customs broker (this service may be offered by your carrier).
- The products are shipped from the factory or warehouse to the port.
- The products are cleared at customs for export.
- You hand over the products to a carrier, who will transport them to the destination port.
- The products are transported to the destination port and unloaded there.
- The products are cleared through customs for import.
- The products are handed over to the carrier for transport to the fulfilment centre.
For more details on rules and regulations for incoming inventory to an Amazon fulfilment centre, including requirements for floor-loaded LTL/FTL shipments, please visit the following Amazon help page.
Importing and exporting inventory
Overview
When you expand your business to an Amazon marketplace outside your home country and fulfil with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) or a third-party fulfilment provider, you’ll need to understand your obligations in the import/export process. Although you may want to handle some or all of these import/export steps yourself, it can be easier to hire a logistics provider, such as a customs broker or a freight forwarder, to handle the process for you. These providers have the expertise and the time to make sure your inventory moves from one place to another in a timely and secure manner.
Tip: If you use FBA in a marketplace outside your home country and you wish to use the services of a logistics provider, the best practice is to contact one as soon as you sign up for FBA. The process for completing the necessary paperwork can take some time, and you do not want the process to delay getting your products to your customers.
If you want to use the services of a customs broker or freight forwarder to move your inventory from one country to another, you must engage them directly. You must also directly make the arrangements for establishing the importer or exporter of record. Amazon cannot act in this capacity or make these arrangements for you.
Before you engage a customs broker or freight forwarder to help you move your inventory from one country to a fulfilment centre in another country, you will need to decide who will take on certain responsibilities:
Tip: If you use FBA in a marketplace outside your home country and you wish to use the services of a logistics provider, the best practice is to contact one as soon as you sign up for FBA. The process for completing the necessary paperwork can take some time, and you do not want the process to delay getting your products to your customers.
If you want to use the services of a customs broker or freight forwarder to move your inventory from one country to another, you must engage them directly. You must also directly make the arrangements for establishing the importer or exporter of record. Amazon cannot act in this capacity or make these arrangements for you.
Before you engage a customs broker or freight forwarder to help you move your inventory from one country to a fulfilment centre in another country, you will need to decide who will take on certain responsibilities:
- Exporter of record (EOR): As a rule, the shipper is the exporter of record. Amazon does not act in this capacity. You may be able to reach an agreement with your customs broker or freight forwarder for them to act as the exporter of record.
- Importer of record (IOR): The importer of record is responsible for ensuring that the shipment is successfully imported into the target country. Their responsibilities include filling out the documents required by law and paying the calculated import duties and taxes. It is important to note that neither Amazon nor the fulfilment centres will act as the importer of record for any shipment of FBA inventory. Any FBA inventory shipment for which Amazon is registered as the importer will be rejected and returned at the sender’s expense, without exception.
Non-resident importers of record
In some countries, a non-resident (foreign) importer of record can arrange the import of goods. For details on how to become a non-resident importer of record, contact your customs broker or carrier.
Important note: It is your responsibility to comply with all import and export laws and regulations. You are also responsible for ensuring that the imported goods and products comply with applicable laws and regulations. You may not import prohibited or restricted items without having obtained the necessary permits/authorisations. For example, the import of certain agricultural and botanical materials, food, alcohol, plants and seeds, fish and animal products, or medicines into the US may be prohibited or subject to restrictions.
In some countries, a non-resident (foreign) importer of record can arrange the import of goods. For details on how to become a non-resident importer of record, contact your customs broker or carrier.
Important note: It is your responsibility to comply with all import and export laws and regulations. You are also responsible for ensuring that the imported goods and products comply with applicable laws and regulations. You may not import prohibited or restricted items without having obtained the necessary permits/authorisations. For example, the import of certain agricultural and botanical materials, food, alcohol, plants and seeds, fish and animal products, or medicines into the US may be prohibited or subject to restrictions.
Arranging shipment with a customs broker or freight forwarder
Please be aware that a carrier of your choice that will ship your products into the US will have their own procedures in place. However, they may require you to complete the following:
- Power of attorney: By signing a power of attorney, you give a customs broker or freight forwarder permission to handle the customs clearance of your goods on your behalf.
- Importer of record registration: Register as an importer of record with the customs authorities in the country to which you wish to import your goods. Neither Amazon nor the fulfilment centres will act as importer of record for any shipment of FBA inventory. This applies to shipments of any size and value, regardless of origin and product. Any FBA shipment for which Amazon is registered as the importer of record will be rejected and returned at the sender’s expense, without exception.
- Terms and conditions: The customs broker should explain their terms to you so that you understand who is responsible for the goods at each stage of the shipping process.
- Duties, taxes, and shipping costs: Amazon is not responsible for and will not collect any duties, taxes, or shipping charges associated with FBA shipments. All shipments must be Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). Any shipment arriving at an Amazon fulfilment centre with collect charges, including any duties, taxes, or shipping costs, will be refused without further concession.
In order to obtain your estimated cost of shipment before you have the exact address of a particular fulfilment centre you will be shipping to in the US, we recommend that you quote the below examples (one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast) to your carrier to obtain a quote.
Example 1
Example 2
Breinigsville, PA 18031
Phoenix, AZ 85043
Please ensure your contact information is included on the shipping documentation in case there are questions regarding your shipment.
In case you struggle to find a carrier that fits your needs, we recommend you use our Service Provider Network, which contains third-party providers that are experienced in handling Amazon shipments worldwide.
In case you struggle to find a carrier that fits your needs, we recommend you use our Service Provider Network, which contains third-party providers that are experienced in handling Amazon shipments worldwide.
Ultimate consignee
Although Amazon does not act as an importer of record, Amazon can be listed as the ultimate consignee in shipping documents, provided it is preceded by “c/o”.
If you list Amazon as the ultimate consignee, before shipping any inventory your customs broker must contact sellerimports@amazon.com to obtain the EIN or VAT number for customs clearance.
If you list Amazon as the ultimate consignee, before shipping any inventory your customs broker must contact sellerimports@amazon.com to obtain the EIN or VAT number for customs clearance.
Commercial invoice
When your goods are ready to be shipped from the manufacturer or distributor, the shipper fills out the commercial invoice. In order to avoid delays clearing customs, it is critical that the commercial invoice be accurate. The following information should be included on the commercial invoice:
- Invoice date
- The names of the buyer and selling partner, including addresses (Amazon should not be shown as the buyer or the selling partner on the commercial invoice).
- The name and complete address of the selling partner or manufacturer.
- The shipper’s contact name, company name, address, and VAT ID number.
- The delivery address. Here, enter “c/o” and then the name and address of the Amazon fulfilment centre where you are shipping the goods.
- Importer of record. This field must contain the shipper’s name, if it is the same as the owner of the goods. Do not leave this information blank as otherwise the shipment will be refused and returned.
- Mode of shipment.
- Detailed description of goods being invoiced, including:
- Harmonised system customs codes, if known
- Number of units
- Value of units
- Total value of each product. For samples or products with no commercial value, a nominal or fair-market value must be stated for customs clearance.
- The currency of the transaction.
- The terms of sale. Note that shipments must be Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). The shipper or Fulfilment by Amazon selling partner should pay all applicable duties and taxes and is responsible for clearing customs before delivery to the Amazon fulfilment centre. You are not authorised to import goods in the name of Amazon or to show Amazon as the declarant or importer of record on the customs entry documentation.
- Tracking number. For shipments to Amazon fulfilment centres, provide the Fulfilment by Amazon tracking number. You will receive this when you create the shipment in your Amazon selling partner account. The tracking number can also be an air waybill number if you ship the goods with a company such as FedEx or UPS.
- Any certifications.
- Name of the carrier transporting the goods.
- Freight payment terms.
- Reason for export.
Shipping best practices
Shipments sent to Amazon’s fulfilment centres are subject to certain requirements. These can relate to the size of the pallet and the type of vehicle that can deliver to the fulfilment centre. The How to Ship Inventory to Amazon guidelines provide the information you need for preparing your shipment to an Amazon fulfilment centre. Paying attention to these requirements and best practices will help avoid delays in getting your inventory to the fulfilment centre and, ultimately, to your customers.
Note: The size of pallets differs across US, UK, and European marketplaces.
Whenever possible, arrange for your shipments to be loaded onto pallets before they arrive at the fulfilment centre. Amazon’s fulfilment centres will accept floor-loaded shipments, but only if you request it in advance when you set up your shipment to the fulfilment centre. Additional charges may apply if the floor-loaded shipment requires extensive handling.
Make sure that your shipments comply with Amazon’s policies regarding inbound shipments. If Amazon refuses to accept your shipments, you are responsible for removing the shipment from the fulfilment centre. For shipments that are less than a half pallet or comprise loose cartons, each of which weighs less than 15 kilograms, you may find it better to ship your products through a courier service. The carrier you choose may depend on the destination country, as the services provided by each courier will vary. If you do choose to ship your inventory to a fulfilment centre via a courier service, you should check with the carrier to verify that it can clear your goods through customs based on the commercial invoice you provide. If the carrier is unable to clear customs, you may need to hire a customs broker.
Logistics companies/customs brokers: There are many online resources that can help selling partners determine rates and that can make shipping easier. Other selling partners have had good experiences with the following companies. Visit their websites directly to calculate the approximate shipping fees that you can expect when fulfilling orders for the Amazon marketplaces you would like to list in:
First Choice Shipping: www.firstchoiceship.com
Samuel Shapiro: www.shapiro.com
FedEx: www.fedex.com
Regional Express: www.regionalexpress.co.uk
We suggest that you contact your freight forwarder or courier as soon as possible before shipping any inventory to find out their expected fees and requirements.
Note: The size of pallets differs across US, UK, and European marketplaces.
Whenever possible, arrange for your shipments to be loaded onto pallets before they arrive at the fulfilment centre. Amazon’s fulfilment centres will accept floor-loaded shipments, but only if you request it in advance when you set up your shipment to the fulfilment centre. Additional charges may apply if the floor-loaded shipment requires extensive handling.
Make sure that your shipments comply with Amazon’s policies regarding inbound shipments. If Amazon refuses to accept your shipments, you are responsible for removing the shipment from the fulfilment centre. For shipments that are less than a half pallet or comprise loose cartons, each of which weighs less than 15 kilograms, you may find it better to ship your products through a courier service. The carrier you choose may depend on the destination country, as the services provided by each courier will vary. If you do choose to ship your inventory to a fulfilment centre via a courier service, you should check with the carrier to verify that it can clear your goods through customs based on the commercial invoice you provide. If the carrier is unable to clear customs, you may need to hire a customs broker.
Logistics companies/customs brokers: There are many online resources that can help selling partners determine rates and that can make shipping easier. Other selling partners have had good experiences with the following companies. Visit their websites directly to calculate the approximate shipping fees that you can expect when fulfilling orders for the Amazon marketplaces you would like to list in:
First Choice Shipping: www.firstchoiceship.com
Samuel Shapiro: www.shapiro.com
FedEx: www.fedex.com
Regional Express: www.regionalexpress.co.uk
We suggest that you contact your freight forwarder or courier as soon as possible before shipping any inventory to find out their expected fees and requirements.
Return of imported goods
Amazon is unable to return inventory stored in Amazon’s fulfilment centres to an address outside of the original import country. Furthermore, Fulfilment by Amazon does not support pick-up options at Amazon fulfilment centres for selling partners. If you wish to have Fulfilment by Amazon inventory returned to you, you can learn more about the process here.
4
Manage your business
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Customer support
Overview
When you expand your business to an Amazon marketplace outside your home country and fulfil with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) or a third-party fulfilment provider, you’ll need to understand your obligations in the import/export process. Although you may want to handle some or all of these import/export steps yourself, it can be easier to hire a logistics provider, such as a customs broker or a freight forwarder, to handle the process for you. These providers have the expertise and the time to make sure your inventory moves from one place to another in a timely and secure manner.
Create a selling partner account in an Amazon marketplace by clicking on one or more of the links below:
Create a selling partner account in an Amazon marketplace by clicking on one or more of the links below:
Customer support for fulfilment by selling partner
Local language customer support: When you choose to fulfil customer orders yourself, it’s not just the picking, packing, and shipping to customers that you’ll need to handle. Amazon also requires that you handle customer support. This can be particularly challenging if you are selling in an Amazon marketplace where you don’t know the language.
You may be tempted to use automated computer translators to respond to email inquiries from international customers. However, there is a risk that this may result in unsatisfactory translations. This can lead to customer dissatisfaction, which in turn can have a negative impact on your selling partner performance ratings. A better option, if you do not have in-house customer service capabilities in the local language, is to use third-party service providers to handle your customer support.
Timely responses: Customers expect prompt, helpful service when they have questions or concerns about your products. To maintain a healthy selling partner scorecard, you should have customer service specialists who understand your products, who know where the customer’s product is and when it will be delivered, and who will be able to respond quickly (within 24 hours) to customer email contacts in the local language. This may be challenging when selling your products in marketplaces that are in different time zones from your place of business, as the time differences will shorten the time frame in which you can respond to customers during your regular business hours.
Various online resources can help you to provide customer service. Here are a few suppliers that other selling partners have found useful, organised by region:
North America: Seller Engine
Europe: InterCultural Elements
Japan: Jumbo
You may be tempted to use automated computer translators to respond to email inquiries from international customers. However, there is a risk that this may result in unsatisfactory translations. This can lead to customer dissatisfaction, which in turn can have a negative impact on your selling partner performance ratings. A better option, if you do not have in-house customer service capabilities in the local language, is to use third-party service providers to handle your customer support.
Timely responses: Customers expect prompt, helpful service when they have questions or concerns about your products. To maintain a healthy selling partner scorecard, you should have customer service specialists who understand your products, who know where the customer’s product is and when it will be delivered, and who will be able to respond quickly (within 24 hours) to customer email contacts in the local language. This may be challenging when selling your products in marketplaces that are in different time zones from your place of business, as the time differences will shorten the time frame in which you can respond to customers during your regular business hours.
Various online resources can help you to provide customer service. Here are a few suppliers that other selling partners have found useful, organised by region:
North America: Seller Engine
Europe: InterCultural Elements
Japan: Jumbo
Customer support for Fulfilment by Amazon
When you use Fulfilment by Amazon, Amazon will provide 24-hour customer support on your behalf in the local language of the relevant marketplace. For many selling partners, this feature of Fulfilment by Amazon is critical to selling in international marketplaces successfully. With local language customer support already included in Fulfilment by Amazon, you can provide your customers with Amazon’s world-class customer service, and you can focus on growing and managing your business.
Customer returns
Overview
When you use Fulfilment by Amazon, Amazon will provide 24-hour customer support on your behalf in the local language of the relevant marketplace. For many selling partners, this feature of Fulfilment by Amazon is critical to selling in international marketplaces successfully. With local language customer support already included in Fulfilment by Amazon, you can provide your customers with Amazon’s world-class customer service, and you can focus on growing and managing your business.
Customer returns for fulfilment by selling partner
When listing in an international marketplace and fulfilling items on your own, you must either provide customers with a local return address within the country of their Amazon marketplace website or offer them free shipment for returns. This is a requirement for selling on Amazon’s marketplaces.
When considering how your customers will return items that they purchase from you, please keep the following options in mind:
When considering how your customers will return items that they purchase from you, please keep the following options in mind:
- Using Fulfilment by Amazon: When you choose Fulfilment by Amazon, Amazon will handle local returns on your behalf for Fulfilment by Amazon orders in that marketplace. This means that you don’t have to worry about providing a local return address.
- Implementing restocking fees and offering partial refunds: In certain situations, it might be appropriate to charge the customer a restocking fee or offer a partial refund on the product being returned. Restocking fees or partial refunds must comply with Amazon’s policies on returns.
- Engaging a third-party International Returns Provider: We have created a list of returns providers that can accept returns in your customers’ countries. Depending on your sales volume and unit price, international returns providers may offer solutions that reduce the costs you incur when customers in other countries return your products. For example, some providers will consolidate returns and ship them back to you or ship them to another customer.
Customer returns for Fulfilment by Amazon
When you choose Fulfilment by Amazon, Amazon will handle international returns on your behalf. This means that you don’t have to worry about providing a local return address or changing your pricing to incorporate international returns shipping.
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