Overview

Amazon now requires sellers using non-partnered carriers to provide delivery windows expressed as full calendar weeks when creating inbound shipments through the Send to Amazon workflow. This change, which took effect on March 18, 2025, is designed to help fulfillment centers plan for incoming inventory more efficiently. Sellers who provide accurate delivery windows can expect faster processing and priority receiving, while those who miss their windows may face appointment delays and slower check-in times.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Delivery windows are now standardized to one calendar week — All delivery windows for both domestic and cross-border shipments run seven days, from Monday through Sunday, replacing any previous variable-length options.
• Non-partnered carrier shipments require a delivery window — If you ship via your own carrier (small parcel or LTL), you must select a delivery window during shipment creation in the Send to Amazon workflow.
• Partnered carrier shipments work differently — If you use an Amazon Partnered Carrier, you only need to provide a ship date (small parcel) or a freight-ready date (LTL), and the carrier handles delivery window scheduling automatically.
• Priority processing for on-time arrivals — Shipments that arrive within their scheduled delivery window receive priority receiving at fulfillment centers, getting your products into buyable inventory faster.
• Discounted delivery windows may be available — Some delivery windows qualify for reduced inbound placement costs, identified by a special discount badge displayed next to the estimated total inbound cost.

How Delivery Windows Work

A delivery window is the specific calendar week during which your shipment is expected to arrive at Amazon's fulfillment center. Each window spans a full seven-day period, starting on Monday and ending on Sunday. When you create a shipment through the Send to Amazon workflow, you select your preferred delivery window in step two of the process. Amazon then uses this information to generate inbound placement options — the fulfillment centers your inventory will be routed to. By default, your inventory may be split across multiple fulfillment centers, and each resulting shipment within the plan will have its own delivery window that you can review on the shipment detail card.