Overview

Amazon has upgraded the Vendor Direct Fulfillment Shipping API (v2021‑12‑28) by adding a createContainerLabel operation. The new call lets vendors produce a single, pallet‑level shipping label that carriers scan to confirm pickup of every box on the pallet. This change is live across all Amazon marketplaces and directly affects sellers who ship large quantities in bulk.

Key Points

• Single‑label generation — The createContainerLabel endpoint creates one PDF label for an entire pallet, eliminating the need to print dozens or hundreds of individual box labels.
• Carrier scan verification — The pallet label embeds a QR or barcode that carriers scan at pickup, automatically confirming that the whole container has been collected.
• Global availability — The feature is enabled on every Amazon marketplace, from the United States and Canada to European and Asian sites, so sellers with international fulfillment networks can use it immediately.
• Container‑ID linkage — Each label is tied to a unique container identifier, which the system matches to the shipment record, reducing mismatches between shipped and received items.
• Real‑time pickup events — Once the carrier scans the label, the API returns a confirmation event, giving vendors instant visibility into the “picked up” status of large shipments.

How createContainerLabel Works

1. Submit a container request — The vendor issues a POST request to the createContainerLabel endpoint, supplying the shipment reference, pallet dimensions, weight, and an array of package IDs or ASINs. Example: A vendor preparing a 48‑inch pallet that holds 120 boxes includes the pallet’s length, width, height, total weight, and the SKU list for each box in the request payload.
2. Receive the label PDF — Amazon responds with a base‑64‑encoded PDF that contains the carrier‑specific label, a scannable QR code, the human‑readable container number, and any handling instructions.