Seller Fulfilled Prime FAQ
Dear Sellers,
After five years of utilizing Amazon FBA, we're contemplating a shift to Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) due to the substantial increase in fulfillment fees. Despite having several meetings with our assigned Amazon Shipping manager he could not answer a few important questions and I was hopping if any SFP sellers can answer:
1. **Holiday Allowance:** Could someone clarify the allowable number of holiday days per year under SFP? Specifically, how many days can we put our account on holiday mode.
2. **Prime Badge Requirements:** To maintain the Prime badge, must sellers offer one-day delivery for all products, with optional two-day delivery? Or can sellers opt to provide either next-day or two-day delivery for all products?
3. **Responsibility for On-Time Delivery:** In cases of delayed delivery, who bears responsibility: the seller or the carrier? We've heard concerns about the reliability of carriers like Royal Mail for next-day delivery, potentially jeopardizing SFP eligibility. Can anyone share experiences with Amazon Shipping for SFP?
We appreciate any insights or experiences shared regarding these questions.
Best regards
Seller Fulfilled Prime FAQ
Dear Sellers,
After five years of utilizing Amazon FBA, we're contemplating a shift to Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) due to the substantial increase in fulfillment fees. Despite having several meetings with our assigned Amazon Shipping manager he could not answer a few important questions and I was hopping if any SFP sellers can answer:
1. **Holiday Allowance:** Could someone clarify the allowable number of holiday days per year under SFP? Specifically, how many days can we put our account on holiday mode.
2. **Prime Badge Requirements:** To maintain the Prime badge, must sellers offer one-day delivery for all products, with optional two-day delivery? Or can sellers opt to provide either next-day or two-day delivery for all products?
3. **Responsibility for On-Time Delivery:** In cases of delayed delivery, who bears responsibility: the seller or the carrier? We've heard concerns about the reliability of carriers like Royal Mail for next-day delivery, potentially jeopardizing SFP eligibility. Can anyone share experiences with Amazon Shipping for SFP?
We appreciate any insights or experiences shared regarding these questions.
Best regards
12 Antworten
Spencer_Amazon
Hello @Seller_V8Q8AAyqZmpo6,
I am Spencer with Amazon.
I am contacting our partner team and see if I can answer your questions.
We will be in touch.
Regards, Spencer
Seller_KM2No8jybV32S
Would love to hear an answer to this one, particularly with respect to where such demands would create situations in small set up's where doing so would violate employment law for holiday entitlement.
It's the most authoritarian and ridiculous demand I've seen, of course if you have holiday mode enabled then I wouldn't expect my listings to be showing but to attempt to impose limits on using holiday mode. Asking for legal action and I'd like to see someone challenge it.
Seller_tRuvBEHDedp4q
1. I do not think there is any restriction on number of holidays per year - but you must put Holiday Mode on at least a couple days before going away to stop any orders coming through
2. You must offer one day delivery on all products you assign the Prime template too. There is no 2 day delivery option. If you want to offer 2 -day on selected products then create your own shipping template and assign it to that product. Then you can offer 2-day as standard with Premium delivery upgrade option of 1 day. However, these products will not get the Prime badge.
3. Although Amazon say they will take responsibility for problems with delivery on orders put through Buy Shipping (which you must use for Prime orders) you will find if too may are delivered late you will lose the Prime badge temporarily. Amazon accept Royal Mail Tracked 24 for Prime orders, but these are not guaranteed next day. If your products and orders allow it you may want to consider using Royal Mail Special Delivery which is a guaranteed next day service. Unfortunately it is a lot more expensive. If you do lose the Prime badge it comes back after a few weeks once stats allow it.
As others have said you must also dispatch and have a collection on a Saturday or Sunday.
Do not forget that your price will be inclusive of the next day delivery. Customers not in Prime will pay the same price as those in Prime - so personally I would consider how many of your customers are in Prime and search for Prime items.
I used to be in SFP - but stopped when they brought in weekend dispatch as I was not able to dispatch at weekend. Instead I reduced my prices (as now not have to include sending Tracked24 within the price) and send my items CRL48 instead with Premium delivery options for 2day (when I send Tracked24) and 1day (when I send Special Delivery). It had zero impact on my sales with customers usually paying the standard price and some upgrading. But a lot will depend on your customer base and the products you sell. You could always switch Shipping template on products (from Prime to your own) to see how it impacts your sales.
Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn
Whilst I can't tell you much about SFP I have gone through the journey of switching from FBA to FBM
Last year I was a 100% FBA seller and in the middle of last year I decided to switch over to FBM. The main driver for this was the removal of S&L and being replaced by Low Price Fees.
Whilst I sell slightly less on FBM my profits are up. I benefit enormously from customers who buy multiple items. On some items I can charge as much as I did on FBA and obtain more profit than I did on FBA.
Returns are less as well on FBM items and I have more control over my inventory being able to easily sell it elsewhere.
I wouldn't actually say you need to go to SFP I think FBM would be acceptable. As others said offer premium shipping as well and if buyers really want your products quicker than they still get them.
Seller_V8Q8AAyqZmpo6
In reply to Direct_Gifts_Ltd
I did contemplate FBM without Seller Fulfilled Prime, and after asking friends and family who pay for Amazon Prime, they all agreed that most Amazon customers including themselves, have a Prime account and are looking for the Prime badge when shopping. They all agreed that when they shop on Amazon, they would rather pay a bit more for a Prime badge listing rather than a cheaper non-Prime listing with a later delivery option, unless they don't have a choice, e.g., the product they want is not in stock or not available with Prime. And I agree with them. Amazon customers pay for Prime, and they want Prime products with next-day delivery.
I'm wondering if other sellers who transitioned from FBA to FBM without SFP have noticed a change in sales, either lower or higher.
If there are any, please share your experience.
