GLOBAL SELLING BLOG

International shipping with Amazon: Everything you need to deliver globally

From documentation to shipping process and inventory, this blog is a guide to international shipping from India. Get insights on how to ship internationally with Amazon FBA and SEND.

A customer’s experience starts with product quality and goes on till shipping and delivery. Once a customer places an order, one of the key steps for exporters is shipping – right from package, storage to delivery. For an e-commerce exports business, international shipping requires coordination between teams within the business, starting from your product team to the packaging and fulfillment team.

In international shipping, multiple export laws depending on the product category and region you’re exporting to comes into the picture. As an exporter, it is important for you to understand and meet all the requirements to ship internationally without any hassles. To run a successful e-commerce export business, a team needs to be dedicated to take care of the inventory, fulfilment, keep a check on shipping and returns. Understanding the importance of this, Amazon offers a hassle-free shipping option to exporters from India via Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).

What is Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)?

You sell, we ship – FBA is as simple as that! To assist exporters, deliver global orders in a hassle-free and seamless way, Amazon takes care of everything from packing, shipping to delivery and customer service in the FBA program. With FBA, Amazon global sellers can focus on their business expansion in terms of product quality, launches, marketing and more, while Amazon handles international shipping for them.

Why FBA is recommended to Indian businesses exporting with Amazon is because this program helps them to focus more on their business expansion than putting in a greater amount of time on taking care of the international shipping laws, delivery, return, and 24/7 customer services. Following are the steps to follow to opt for FBA, while setting up your Amazon Seller account:

Step 1: Set up your FBA account

Create your Amazon selling account, and login to Seller Central to set up FBA.

Step 2: Create product listings

Once you add your products to the Amazon catalog, specify FBA inventory.

Step 3: Prepare your products

Prepare your products for safe and secure transportation to a fulfillment center, according to Amazon packing guidelines and shipping and routing requirements.

Step 4: Ship your products to Amazon

Create your shipping plan, print Amazon shipment ID labels, and send your shipments to Amazon fulfillment centers. Learn more about sending inventory to Amazon.

What are the benefits of shipping
internationally with FBA?

With Amazon Global Logistics, you can ship directly to fulfillment centers in USA, Europe, and Japan. This way, you can ship directly to fulfillment centers at reduced costs. Below are a few benefits of FBA for exporters like you:

Free shipping to Amazon Prime members

When you list your products and choose FBA as an international shipping option, they are made available to Amazon Prime members with a free shipping facility in some of the countries. A few regions also offer two-day delivery services. Qualified FBA listings are displayed with a Prime logo to inform the customers that Amazon takes care of the packing, delivery, customer service, and returns.

A trusted logistics partner

Along with assisting you to sell your products in international marketplaces, Amazon also provides support so you can ship internationally without any hassles. Through FBA, your customers can contact Amazon support via phone or email anytime for resolution or queries. Amazon will help your customers on your behalf. Fast deliveries, 24/7 support, easy pickup, and returns facilitated by FBA has made customers trust the shipping service, this impacting their customers’ buying experience in a positive way.

More focus on scaling your business

With Amazon handling logistics on your behalf, it becomes easy for you as a global seller to focus on expansion of your exports, product quality and more. This will help you in easy inventory management.

Cost efficient

FBA charges on a “Pay-per-fulfillment” basis, which implies that you will be charged only for the storage space you need and the orders they fulfill. The shipping cost is included in your fees, and your Prime customers even get free shipping and faster delivery options at no added cost.

What are the international shipping modes from India?

There are two commonly used modes of international shipping – air and ocean. Each mode has its own set of pros, cons and conditions pertaining to the type of products being exported from India.

1. Air shipping

When time is of essence, you require air conveyance. For products that require quick delivery, air shipping is a suitable option. This mode of transport is not just time-sensitive, but also lets you send goods across the world using end-to-end tracking and enhanced security. To help you ship your products from India to the Amazon fulfillment centers in the US, Amazon launched SEND – a cross-border shipping solution that offer sellers a hassle-free shipping process and customs support. If a business wants to store even a single product for sale in the US, it can use Amazon’s warehouses there and pay for storage of that product only for just one day. With SEND, sellers can easily track shipments, ensure convenient pickup and delivery, and avail these services at competitive rates. It also enables sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ship small parcels abroad.

Explore Amazon SEND

2. Ocean shipping

Ocean mode is one of the most economical methods of international shipping. Compared to air shipping, ocean transport takes longer. Considering the turnaround time (TAT) for this method, you will have to plan your inventory accordingly.

To export from India, register with Amazon Global Selling in just 15 minutes by sharing a few KYC documents (identity proof, address proof and credit card). With over 300 million customers globally, you can leverage Amazon’s global scale across 18 global marketplaces in 200+ countries and territories. Know more about Amazon Global Selling here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to be a seller on Amazon to use FBA? Can I use FBA for the orders received on my website?

Yes. Currently, FBA is available only to the sellers who sell on Amazon.

How much does Amazon FBA charge?

Why choose Amazon’s fulfillment center and FBA?

All fulfillment centers in the Amazon network are secure and automated to pick, pack and ship seller orders. They ensure 24-hour security with an order tracking system that lets you monitor your products.

Disclaimer: Whilst Amazon Seller Services Private Limited ("Amazon") has used reasonable endeavours in compiling the information provided, Amazon provides no assurance as to its accuracy, completeness or usefulness or that such information is error-free. In certain cases, the blog is provided by a third-party seller and is made available on an "as-is" basis. Amazon hereby disclaims any and all liability and assumes no responsibility whatsoever for consequences resulting from use of such information. Information provided may be changed or updated at any time, without any prior notice. You agree to use the information, at your own risk and expressly waive any and all claims, rights of action and/or remedies (under law or otherwise) that you may have against Amazon arising out of or in connection with the use of such information. Any copying, redistribution or republication of the information, or any portion thereof, without prior written consent of Amazon is strictly prohibited.

*Map not to scale. The map has been used for design and representational purpose only, it does not depict the geographical boundaries of the country. These do not conform to the external boundaries of India recognized by the Survey of India.

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