Amazon Now Requires Delivery Windows for All FBA Shipments
Amazon now requires all FBA shipments to include a delivery window — 7 days for domestic, 14 days for cross-border. Sellers using non-partnered carriers must enter this manually; partnered carrier users are unaffected.
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Overview
Amazon completed rollout of mandatory delivery-window requirement for FBA shipments. Sellers must provide estimated arrival date range when creating shipments to speed up receiving and processing times. Domestic shipments require seven-day window, cross-border shipments require 14-day window, with partnered carriers exempt from manual entry.
Key Points
- Mandatory delivery windows — Every FBA shipment requires date range during which shipment expected to arrive at fulfillment center
- Seven-day window for domestic — Shipments within home country must provide delivery window spanning seven days
- 14-day window for cross-border — International shipments require broader 14-day delivery window for longer transit times
- Non-partnered carriers manual input — Sellers using non-partnered carriers for small-parcel or LTL must manually enter delivery window during creation
- Partnered carriers exempt — Amazon-partnered carrier program automatically communicates expected arrival dates without additional action
Why This Change
- Improved receiving speed — Advance visibility into shipment arrivals helps Amazon plan dock appointments, staffing, and processing for faster inventory availability
- Better inventory planning — Sooner inventory is checked in and available, sooner customers can purchase during peak seasons, launches, or restocks
- Predictable arrival patterns — Amazon optimizes inbound operations around delivery windows to reduce long check-in times
Seller Impact
- Provide accurate estimates — Work with carriers to understand realistic transit times and factor in potential delays (weather, capacity, customs for international)
- Reflect actual arrival dates — Ensure delivery window reflects expected arrival date rather than shipment creation date in Seller Central
- — Non-partnered carrier users must provide delivery window to proceed with shipment creation (no opt-out available)
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
This directly affects how sellers create FBA shipments. Accurate delivery windows can speed up inventory check-in times, getting products available for sale faster. Sellers using non-partnered carriers need to update their shipment creation process immediately.
Key Takeaways
- All FBA shipments now require a delivery window: 7 days for domestic, 14 days for cross-border
- Sellers using non-partnered carriers must manually provide the delivery window in Seller Central
- Amazon-partnered carrier users are automatically covered and need to take no action
- The goal is faster receiving and processing at fulfillment centers, reducing time to in-stock
Recommended Actions
- →If you use non-partnered carriers, update your shipment creation workflow to include accurate delivery windows
- →Review historical transit times for your shipping lanes to provide realistic arrival estimates
- →Consider switching to Amazon-partnered carriers to eliminate the manual delivery window step
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