How to Confirm Shipment and Get Paid: Amazon Order Fulfillment Feed Guide
This reference page explains how merchant-fulfilled sellers must submit shipping confirmation feeds to trigger buyer charges and seller payments. It covers required data fields, tracking number requirements, and the 30-day cancellation rule for unconfirmed shipments.
Overview
When you fulfill an order as a merchant-fulfilled Amazon seller, confirming shipment is one of the most critical steps in the process. Amazon requires sellers to submit a shipping confirmation feed with fulfillment details so the buyer can be charged, the seller can be credited, and the customer receives tracking information. Failing to confirm shipment within the required timeframe means losing both the sale and the product.
Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know
- Shipping confirmation triggers payment — Amazon does not charge the buyer or credit your seller account until you submit the fulfillment confirmation feed. No confirmation means no payment.
- 30-day cancellation rule — If Amazon does not receive shipping confirmation within 30 days of the order being placed, the order is automatically canceled and you will not be paid for it.
- Tracking numbers are essential — Sellers are required to provide valid tracking numbers for at least 95% of US shipments across key shipping categories. Always include tracking when using a trackable shipping method.
- Carrier flexibility — Amazon provides a list of standard carrier codes, but if your carrier is not on the list, you can use a free-text carrier name field instead.
- Transparency codes required when enrolled — If your ASIN is enrolled in the Amazon Transparency program, you must include transparency codes for each unit shipped. For multi-unit orders, every individual unit needs its own code.
How the Fulfillment Feed Works
The order fulfillment feed is the mechanism through which your systems communicate shipment details to Amazon. Once you ship an order, you submit the feed containing the fulfillment date, carrier information, shipping method, and tracking number. Amazon then posts this information to the customer's account so they can monitor their shipment status. The feed uses either Amazon's order ID or your own seller-supplied order ID, provided you established the mapping in your initial order acknowledgment feed. This flexibility allows sellers who use their own order management systems to reference their internal identifiers throughout the fulfillment workflow.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
Merchant-fulfilled sellers who fail to confirm shipments properly risk automatic order cancellations and delayed payments. Understanding the fulfillment feed requirements ensures consistent cash flow and protects account health metrics.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon will automatically cancel orders and withhold payment if shipment is not confirmed within 30 days
- Valid tracking numbers must be provided for at least 95% of US shipments
- Sellers can use their own order identifiers by establishing mappings in the acknowledgment feed
- Transparency codes must be included for every unit shipped on enrolled ASINs
Recommended Actions
- →Audit your fulfillment workflow to ensure shipping confirmation feeds are submitted immediately after each shipment is dispatched
- →Monitor your tracking number compliance rate to maintain the 95% threshold for US shipments
- →If using custom order management software, verify that your merchant order ID mappings are properly established in acknowledgment feeds
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