What is Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment?
Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) is a third-party logistics (3PL) service that enables businesses to leverage Amazon’s fulfillment network and team of experts to pick, pack, ship, and deliver their orders from off-Amazon channels including brand websites, ecommerce marketplaces, and social media stores.
MCF key benefits:
MCF key benefits:
Provides fast, reliable fulfillment with hundreds of world-class facilities in cities and communities around the globe
Supports fulfillment across any off-Amazon ecommerce channel.
Offers developer tools to integrate and automate MCF.
Why should I build and offer an MCF connector integration?
Many merchants today – especially those that sell on multiple sales channels – are connected to MCF via third-party integrations, built by third-party developers like you. By building and offering an MCF connector integration, you can:
Grow your merchant base
MCF will complement your product offering, enabling your merchants to offer their customers the Amazon fulfillment experience for all their off-Amazon sales channels.
Expand your customer reach with Amazon merchants
If you are serving Amazon merchants or hoping to serve them in the future, an MCF connector integration can help you to offer holistic support for them on and off Amazon.
Get access to new MCF features and updates
Whenever we launch a new feature or product update, we make it available to third-party developers through our public-facing APIs. This makes it easier for you to implement these new features as a part of your MCF connector integrations.
Benefit from dedicated business collaboration and support.
In addition to all of the self-service information available to help you build integrations and get tech support, MCF works with a select group of developers to help propel your growth. You can view the list of the developers that we have been working with here.
Getting started
Integrating with MCF APIs
Why integrate with MCF?
Merchants who are planning to use MCF to fulfill orders from their off-Amazon channels can automate their fulfillment process by connecting their ecommerce or order management system (OMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with MCF using APIs. merchants can either connect directly with MCF or work with a third-party provider, which develops and manages the integration with MCF on the seller’s behalf.
Benefits of connecting with MCF via APIs
Automation of the order fulfillment process, which has an average “click-to-door speed” of 1.9 days – over 50% faster than other retailers.
(Source: NielsenIQ)
(Source: NielsenIQ)
Automatic order creation using available inventory.
Ability to surface delivery estimates to customers
Ability to build AI/ML models to generate inventory plans.
The option to subscribe to notifications and reports to automate business processes.
Pre-requisites to connect via APIs
Seller Central account in the given marketplace (or Multi-Channel Fulfilment account).
A developer profile.
A developer application with required roles to access MCF APIs.
Application/client credentials.
How to create a private integration
Step 1
Sign in using your Seller Central or Multi-Channel Fulfillment account and select desired marketplace. If you’re not already an Amazon seller you can create/sign-up here for a new account at SellerCentralPortal or SupplyChainPortal.
Step 2
From the side menu, navigate to Apps and Services > Develop Apps to create a developer profile.
Step 3
During profile creation, provide your contact information and ensure the following Data Access options are selected:
a. Private developer: I build application(s) that integrate my own company with Amazon Services APIs.
b. Organization developer ID (if applicable)
c. Roles should include [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking]. There is no need to select any Restricted roles for MCF.
Note: The profile approval might take 1-3 business days to process
a. Private developer: I build application(s) that integrate my own company with Amazon Services APIs.
b. Organization developer ID (if applicable)
c. Roles should include [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking]. There is no need to select any Restricted roles for MCF.
Note: The profile approval might take 1-3 business days to process
Step 4
Provide answers for the Use Case and Security Control questions on the form.
Step 5
Click the Register button to submit your private developer profile for approval.
Step 6
Once the profile is approved, from the Developer Central page in Seller Central click the +Add new app client button to create a private app.
Step 7
When prompted, input the app name and API type, and then select the following roles [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking].
Step 8
Then click the Save and Exit button.
Step 9
After the app is created, click the drop-down arrow on Edit app and select Authorize.
Step 10
Then click Authorize the app, to obtain an Amazon login with a refresh token.
Step 11
Now, using client credentials and the refresh token, extract the access token from SP-API <OAuth> endpoint.
Step 12
Use this access token to call <Production> and <Sandbox> endpoints.
Note: Only outbound interface sandbox responds with dynamic responses and others like listings, inbound and inventory interfaces respond with static responses. merchants/developers can create and update product listings in Seller Central or by calling the Listings API. Inbounding of product inventory can be done using Seller Central UI or by calling the Inbound Interface.
Note: Product listings and inbounded inventory are required for order previews and order fulfillment.
Note: Only outbound interface sandbox responds with dynamic responses and others like listings, inbound and inventory interfaces respond with static responses. merchants/developers can create and update product listings in Seller Central or by calling the Listings API. Inbounding of product inventory can be done using Seller Central UI or by calling the Inbound Interface.
Note: Product listings and inbounded inventory are required for order previews and order fulfillment.
Step 13
On completion of the above steps, your app is ready to create fulfillment orders.
How to create a public integration
Step 1
Go to Developer Central and create a developer central profile.
Step 2
During profile creation, ensure the following are selected:
a. Public developer: I build and offer publicly available applications that are used by other companies.
b. Organization developer ID (if applicable)
c. Roles should include [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking]. There is no need to select any Restricted roles for MCF.
Note: The profile approval might take 10 business days to process.
a. Public developer: I build and offer publicly available applications that are used by other companies.
b. Organization developer ID (if applicable)
c. Roles should include [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking]. There is no need to select any Restricted roles for MCF.
Note: The profile approval might take 10 business days to process.
Step 3
Provide answers for the Use Case and Security Control questions on the form.
Step 4
Click the Register button to submit your private developer profile for approval.
Step 5
Once the profile is approved, from the Developer Central page, click the +Add new app client button to create a public app.
Step 6
When prompted input the app name and API type as Production, and then select the following roles [Product Listing, Amazon Fulfillment, Inventory and Order Tracking].
Step 7
Public apps require a redirect URL for auth flow. This URL is where the integrator’s developer is expected to host the seller login webstore that is needed to access the auth code shared during the auth process. Note: Developers can maintain the app in Draft mode during development and later have their app be publicly Listed in Seller Central.
Step 8
For building the seller authentication flow, integrators can create a seller logged-in UI, where the seller can initiate the auth flow <Follow the Link> or merchants can log in to Seller Central and authorize the integrator’s app. <Follow the Link>.
a. To test the auth flow, developers need to identify a test seller account to authorize and produce the auth code.
b. Using the auth code and client/app credentials, the integrator’s app will be able to extract and refresh the token by calling <OAuth> endpoint.
c. Now using client/app credentials and the refresh token, the app can extract the access token from SP-API <OAuth> endpoint.
d. This access token can be used to call <Production> and <Sandbox> endpoints.
Note: Only outbound interface sandbox responds with dynamic responses and others like Listings, inbound and inventory interfaces respond with static responses as per their swagger models.
e. Upon completion, the app will be able to fulfill MCF orders for merchants by connecting to Production endpoints. Note: Seller listings and inbounded inventory are required for order previews and order fulfillment.
a. To test the auth flow, developers need to identify a test seller account to authorize and produce the auth code.
b. Using the auth code and client/app credentials, the integrator’s app will be able to extract and refresh the token by calling <OAuth> endpoint.
c. Now using client/app credentials and the refresh token, the app can extract the access token from SP-API <OAuth> endpoint.
d. This access token can be used to call <Production> and <Sandbox> endpoints.
Note: Only outbound interface sandbox responds with dynamic responses and others like Listings, inbound and inventory interfaces respond with static responses as per their swagger models.
e. Upon completion, the app will be able to fulfill MCF orders for merchants by connecting to Production endpoints. Note: Seller listings and inbounded inventory are required for order previews and order fulfillment.
Helpful resources
