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With the Amazon Prime shipping method, self-shipping Marketplace sellers ("Prime by Seller") can purchase and print Amazon Prime labels directly from xentral. Label printing is integrated into the shipping process in the same way as for other shipping methods. Tracking information is stored in xentral and forwarded directly to customers via Amazon. In this article you will find information about how the connection of Amazon Prime to xentral works and which steps you have to take for it.
A general overview of the shipping methods and package labels you can use in xentral can be found here.
Features
Depending on the activated services in Amazon's Marketplace Web Service (MWS), you can use the following features:
- One Day Delivery
- Edit parcel label format
- Selecting the "Tracking" and "Pickup" services in the parcel mark dialog
- Loading the shipping log
Note: Amazon Prime by Seller allows international packages to be shipped by default with a maximum weight of 20 kg and maximum dimensions of 100 cm length on the longest side and a maximum girth of 250 cm. Amazon provides more detailed information online.
Create and set up shipping method
To use Amazon Prime Labels in the shipping process in xentral, you need to take the following three steps:
- Activation of your account in the Amazon Seller Central
- Test/purchase of the module Shipping method Amazon Prime
- Setup of the Amazon Prime shipping method
Preparation in Amazon Seller Central
First, you must go to Amazon Seller Central and agree to use Amazon Prime via the "Merchant Fulfillment" API. To do this, sign in to your Amazon Seller account and navigate to Amazon Seller Central (or open the link). Register for the "Merchant Fulfillment" API here and agree to all shipping service provider terms and conditions.
Note: It may take some time before you are invited by Amazon to use Prime by Seller as a seller.
Credentials
To use the interface between Amazon Prime and xentral successfully, you need the MWS access data or alternatively your credentials. You can find them in your connected store interface from Amazon.
Amazon Prime in xentral
The following section describes how to enable and set up Amazon Prime shipping in xentral.
Activation of the "Amazon Prime shipping method" module
In the App Center, you can add a new shipping method using the Amazon Prime shipping method module. The module can be activated once as a test. Be sure to perform a system update after the test request. After installing the module, you will see the additional shipping method Amazon Prime under Administration > Settings > Shipping methods.
Note: The activation takes place at Amazon itself. As soon as this is done, the orders arrive automatically at xentral. Normally, no pre-set shipping method mapping is necessary for this. Nevertheless, go through these steps as described below.
Setting up the shipping method in xentral
Under Administration > Settings > Shipping methods > Overview → +NEW → Amazon Prime add a new shipping method. Select the shipping method Amazon Prime from the offered list of modules and configure the shipping method.
It is not necessary to enter the access data if they are already stored in the Amazon store interface. Then it is sufficient to link the Amazon interface via the Access data from store field. Fill in the following fields:
- Name: Enter the name of the shipping method
- Type: Enter the type of shipping method, make sure it is named appropriately for the shipping method
- Module: Select "Amazon Prime" as module from the drop-down menu
- Project: Optionally enter a project for this shipping method
- Active: Check this box to make the shipping method visible and usable
- No postage check: If you check this box, then the postage check in the order will be disabled
- Printer Parcel Label: Select the printer that prints the parcel label from the drop-down menu
- Printer Export: Select from the drop-down menu the printer to print the export papers
- Shipping Mail: From the drop-down menu, select whether and how to send a shipping mail
- AWS Access Key Id: Enter the AWS Access Key ID if it is not already stored in the Amazon store interface
- AWS SecretKey: Enter the AWS SecretKey, if it is not yet stored in the Amazon store interface
- MWS AuthToken: Enter the MWS AuthToken if it is not yet stored in the Amazon store interface
- SellerId: Enter the Seller ID, if it is not yet stored in the Amazon store interface
- Access data from store: optionally enter an alternative store assignment
- Sender Name: Enter the name of the sender, if you have not filled this in the master data. Fill this field is in any case
- Street: Enter the street of the sender, if you have not filled it in the master data. Fill this field is in any case
- Address suffix: Enter the sender's address suffix if you have not filled it in the master data and there is one. Fill in this field in any case
- Zip code: Enter the sender's zip code if you have not filled it in the master data. Fill this field is in any case
- City: Enter the city of the sender, if you have not filled it in the master data. Fill this field is in any case
- Country: Enter the country of the sender if you have not filled it in the master data. This field must be filled in any case. It is important that you only enter the country abbreviation, such as DE for Germany and AT for Austria
- E-mail: Enter the e-mail of the sender, if you have not filled it in the master data. Fill in this field in any case
- Phone: Enter the phone number of the sender, if you have not filled it in the master data. This information is always necessary in addition to the master data information
- Length: Enter the length of the standard package in cm. Fill this field in any case
- Width: Enter the width of the standard package in cm. Fill this field in any case
- Height: Specify the height of the standard package in cm. Fill this field in any case
- Weight: Specify the weight of the standard package in kg. Fill this field in any case
- With tracking preselection: Checking is recommended to track the preselection.
- With pickup preselection: Checking is recommended to use the pickup preselection.
- Apply Tracking: Checking it will automatically insert the tracking number into the field after the parcel tag is created and it is not necessary to scan it from the parcel tag anymore
- PNG format: select PNG format from the drop-down menu
- 1-Day Premium Shipping: Check this box if 1-day premium shipping should be available for packages of this shipping type
- Logging: Check this box if you want logging to be available
Shipping Type Mapping in the Amazon Interface
Amazon Prime, like any shipping method, must be mapped to the shipping method from the store in the Amazon interface. Navigate to the Amazon interface via Administration > Shop interface using the pencil icon. In the Shipping methods tab, you can map the shipping methods.
Enter the name of the shipping method in the store, select "Amazon Prime" from the drop-down menu in the Shipping method xentral field, enter a country code, activate auto-shipping and click on the Save button.
Note: Specifying Outgoing shipping method is not necessary and may even cause problems with the parcel stamp creation.
Parcel stamp printing
Once you have made all the settings, you can test the parcel stamp printing in the shipping center or in a single delivery note. To do this, select the "Amazon Prime" shipping method from the drop-down menu in the Delivery note tab of the delivery note. Click on the Save interface to use the correct shipping method in the package tag dialog.
Click on the Parcel label tab in the delivery note and use Print parcel label to print a parcel mark for the included items.
After your test print is complete, you can cancel the package label in the Amazon Prime business customer portal.
Prime Label
Here you can see an example of an Amazon Prime label that serves as a parcel label for Amazon Prime shipments: