Shipping temperature-sensitive goods requires careful consideration in selecting the right carrier, proper product packaging, and adherence to specific guidelines to avoid damage during transit. Items such as chocolate, yogurt, and probiotics are highly susceptible to minor temperature variations and improper packaging, which can compromise their quality.

Selecting an Appropriate Carrier

When choosing a carrier for shipping temperature-sensitive goods, ensure the company meets the following criteria:

• Equipped to handle temperature-sensitive products
• Knowledgeable about legal rules and regulations regarding temperature-controlled shipments
• Able to provide appropriate packing solutions for maintaining product integrity

Packaging Guidelines

Proper packaging is essential to maintain consistent temperatures during shipping. Follow these guidelines:

• Use appropriate insulation materials to minimize the need for coolant. For example:
  • For hard items that require minimal cooling, insulated foam planks or thermal bubble wrap can be sufficient.
  • For healthcare shipments with specific temperature requirements, opt for thermo-regulated packaging.

Coolant Selection

Choose the right coolant based on the temperature requirements of your goods:

• Dry ice is ideal for freezing temperatures.
• Gel packs maintain temperatures between 32°F and 60°F.

Ensure proper padding and secure placement of coolants within the packaging to prevent direct contact with the product.

Fast Shipping

Minimize transit time to preserve product quality:

• Consider overnight shipping with a maximum transit time of 30 hours.
• Avoid shipping during holidays to prevent extended storage in warehouses.

Providing Tracking Information

Keep customers informed by sending delivery notifications and shipment-tracking details.

Recommendations for Product Packaging

Additional tips for effective packaging of temperature-sensitive goods:

• Prevent leakage by enclosing frozen or liquid items in watertight plastic before placing them in insulated containers.
• Use room-temperature gel packs around perishable goods within insulated containers to maintain consistent temperatures.

By following these guidelines meticulously, you can ensure the safe and timely delivery of temperature-sensitive goods to customers, maintaining product quality and customer satisfaction.

Configuring faster transit times for your products as an international seller is crucial for enhancing customer experience and boosting sales on Amazon. Faster transit times lead to quicker estimated delivery times displayed on product detail pages and during checkout, which in turn increases the likelihood of buyers purchasing your items. Moreover, products with faster delivery times are more likely to win the Buy Box on Amazon, further driving sales.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to set faster transit times than the default, international sellers must meet specific performance requirements based on their order history within the past 30 calendar days:

• Valid Tracking Rate for all categories > 95%
• On-Time Delivery > 97%
• Fulfilled more than 10 orders
• Non-domestic Shipping Location

It's essential to regularly monitor your performance metrics to ensure compliance with these requirements. Failure to maintain a Valid Tracking Rate of > 95% and On-Time Delivery of > 97% may result in the revocation of eligibility to set faster transit times. If eligibility is revoked, any faster transit times set will revert back to the default.

How to Set Faster Transit Times

Once eligible, international sellers can set faster transit times by adjusting the transit time in their Shipping Settings. Here's how to modify transit times:

1. Access Shipping Settings in your Seller Central account.
2. Modify the Transit Time to the desired faster option.
3. Save your changes to update the transit time for your shipping templates.

When eligible, Amazon will automatically update transit times for shipping from specific regions to the United States to new, faster transit times as follows:

These updated transit times are applied to all new shipping templates created after eligibility is established.

Appeal Process

If your eligibility to set faster transit times is revoked due to performance issues, you have the option to appeal. Respond to the Performance Notification in your Account Health dashboard with a detailed plan addressing the identified problems in your delivery performance and the steps taken to resolve them. Common remedies include:

• Using Amazon integrated carriers that provide tracking.
• Consistently uploading tracking information with each shipment confirmation.
• Utilizing Buy Shipping Services to purchase tracked shipping labels.
• Reducing handling time to expedite order processing.
• Opting for faster shipping methods.

By appealing and demonstrating proactive measures to improve delivery performance, international sellers can regain eligibility to set faster transit times and enhance their selling capabilities on Amazon.

Default transit time plays a significant role in setting delivery expectations for sellers on Amazon. When creating new shipping templates, Amazon automatically populates default transit times based on the region and shipping destination. It's essential for sellers to understand and, if necessary, modify these transit times to meet their shipping capabilities and provide accurate delivery estimates to customers.

Default Transit Time for Domestic Sellers

For sellers shipping within the United States, Amazon sets default transit times based on the destination region:

For each region, sellers have the option to select from available transit time options that best align with their shipping capabilities and carrier services.

Default Transit Time for International Sellers

International sellers shipping from countries outside their home marketplace also have default transit times established by Amazon. The default shipping times to the United States vary based on the origin country:

• Canada: 7-14 days
• Japan: 10-20 days
• Korea: 10-20 days
• United Kingdom: 10-20 days
• Rest of Asia: 14-28 days
• Rest of Europe: 14-28 days
• Middle East: 14-28 days
• Africa: 14-28 days
• South America: 14-28 days

International sellers can choose from a range of available transit times to meet their shipping needs and ensure accurate delivery estimates for customers.

Modifying Default Transit Time

To adjust default transit times according to your shipping capabilities, follow these steps:

1. Visit Shipping Settings on Seller Central.
2. Under the Shipping Templates tab, select the template you want to edit.
3. Click Edit Template and navigate to the desired Shipping Option, Regions, and Rates.
4. Modify the default transit time by selecting from the available options.
5. Save your changes to update the transit time for the selected shipping template.

By customizing default transit times, sellers can provide more accurate delivery estimates and enhance the overall customer experience when shopping on Amazon.

Transit Time (formerly known as Shipping Time) is a crucial component of the delivery time calculation displayed to customers on Amazon offer listings and checkout pages. It represents the duration between when you hand the order over to your carrier and when it's delivered to the buyer's address.

The total delivery time is calculated as follows:

Total Delivery Time = Handling Time + Transit Time (+ any holidays)

Amazon calculates both handling time and transit time in business days to provide accurate delivery estimates to customers.

Modifying Transit Time

If you have opted to manually define transit times instead of using Shipping Setting Automation, you can modify transit times by following these steps:

1. Go to Shipping Settings.
2. Under the Shipping Templates tab, select the shipping template that you want to edit.
3. Click Edit Template on the right side of the screen.
4. Select the Shipping option, Regions, and Rates that you want to configure.
5. Modify the transit time by selecting the drop-down menu under the Transit Time excluding handling time column.
6. Repeat the above steps for as many Shipping options and Regions as needed.
7. Click Save to apply your changes.

Note: Standard shipping requires you to be able to ship everywhere in the continental U.S. Learn more about Amazon's shipping requirements.

Transit Time Requirements

To view the default transit times, refer to Amazon's Default transit times documentation.

1. What is the difference between Same-day handling time and Same-day delivery?

Same-day handling time applies specifically to Domestic Standard and Expedited delivery options. It ensures that orders are picked, packed, shipped, and confirmed on the same day they are received, subject to order cut-off times. In contrast, Same-day delivery is a premium shipping option where orders are delivered to customers on the same day they are placed.

2. What are my options to update Same-day handling time?

You can update Same-day handling time through SKU-level handling time settings or by adjusting the default handling time:

• SKU-level Handling Time: Update handling time for specific SKUs by navigating to Inventory > Manage All Inventory in Seller Central, selecting the SKU, and editing the Offer to set the Handling Time to 0 (same day).
• Default Handling Time: Change the account-wide default handling time by going to Settings > Shipping settings > General shipping settings and selecting "Same day (0 day)" as the default handling time.

To update handling time via feed file uploads, you can use Inventory Loader, Price and Quantity file, or Listing Loader.

Steps to Update SKU-specific 0-day (Same-day) Handling Time via Feed File:

1. Using Inventory Loader: Download the Inventory Loader file from the Inventory file templates section, fill in the required fields for each SKU, save the file in text-tab-delimited format, and upload it through Catalog > Add products via upload.
2. Using Price and Quantity File: Download the Price & Quantity file, fill in the required fields for each SKU, save the file in text-tab-delimited format, and upload it through Catalog > Add products via upload.
3. Using Listing Loader: Download the Listing Loader file, fill in the required fields for each SKU, save the file in text-tab-delimited format, and upload it through Catalog > Add products via upload.

3. How does this feature apply to Prime orders?

Prime orders with Standard delivery are typically shipped the next day after receiving an order. Enabling Same-day default handling time for seller-fulfilled Prime orders requires shipping orders on the same day for all shipping methods associated with Prime orders.

4. Is Same-day handling time applicable to scheduled delivery?

No, Same-day handling time does not apply to scheduled delivery options. However, it can be utilized for arranged delivery options. For more information on arranged delivery, refer to Freight-shipping templates for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments.

5. Do I need to ship every order the same day I receive it?

All orders received before the order cut-off time must be shipped and confirmed on the same day to avoid late shipments. Orders received after the cut-off time should be shipped and confirmed by the following day after the order was received.

Note: The default cut-off time is 2 p.m. local time, but you can customize this time in your Shipping settings.

6. Does Same-day handling time apply to all of my products?

The application of Same-day handling time depends on how it is configured:

• Default Account Handling Time: When set as the default handling time, it applies to all ASINs without a specific handling time configuration.
• ASIN-specific Handling Time: Configuring a handling time for specific ASINs will override the default handling time for those products.
• Shipping Template Setting: Enabling Same-day handling time on shipping templates applies it only to assigned ASINs that do not have an ASIN-specific handling time.

Same-day handling time is a crucial feature for sellers on Amazon, allowing them to promise customers faster delivery timelines by ensuring products are picked, packed, and shipped on the same day as the order is received. This feature helps enhance customer satisfaction and contributes to increased sales. Let's delve deeper into how you can utilize and manage same-day handling effectively.

Setting Same-day Handling Time

To implement same-day handling time, you have two options:

1. Account Level Default Handling Time: You can switch your account's default handling time to same-day by following these steps:
• Sign in to Seller Central and navigate to the Shipping Settings page.
• Go to the General Shipping Settings tab.
• Scroll down to Default Handling Time and click Edit.
• Select "Same-day (0 Day)" and click Save.
• Optionally, set your order handling capacity to manage the volume of orders efficiently.
2. Shipping Template Specific Handling Time: If you meet specific performance requirements, you can enable same-day handling on individual shipping templates:
• In Seller Central, go to Settings and select Shipping Settings.
• Create a new shipping template or edit an existing one.
• Navigate to the Handling Time settings in the General Shipping Settings tab.
• Check the box to enable "Same-day handling time" for eligible shipping options.
• Assign SKUs that can be shipped the same day to this shipping template.

Performance Requirements for Same-day Handling

To qualify for same-day handling time on shipping templates, sellers must meet the following performance criteria on a trailing 30-day basis:

• An on-time delivery rate of at least 97% across all shipments.
• A late shipment rate of less than 4% across all shipments.

Order Cut-off Time

For products with same-day handling time enabled, the order cut-off time is set to the local time based on the time zone of your default shipping address. You can adjust this cut-off time in the General Shipping Settings tab of the Shipping Settings page.

Managing Same-day Handling Settings

To enable or disable same-day handling on shipping templates:

• Access the Shipping Settings in Seller Central.
• Create or edit a shipping template.
• Navigate to the Handling Time settings.
• Check or uncheck the box to enable or disable "Same-day handling time" for applicable shipping options.

It's important to note that even if same-day handling time is disabled for standard and expedited shipping, sellers are still required to ship orders the same day for premium shipping options such as same-day, next-day, and two-day delivery.