How to Choose a Shipping Carrier on Amazon (Sellers Guide)

In this article, we are going to go over how to choose a shipping carrier on Amazon.

Once you sign up to be a seller, you can ship items to customers in a number of ways. But how do you choose a shipping carrier? I am going to take you through the details.

Let’s start with your shipping options.

Sellers can choose between Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).

In simple terms with FBA, Amazon stores and ships the products for you. With FBM, you’ll either be doing it yourself or with a third-party fulfillment provider.

FBA is usually the preferred choice, but it does depend on your setup.

With FBM, sellers will, of course, save on Amazon’s fulfillment fees; these can really add up. However, it will be up to the seller to store, pick, pack and send out each order as it comes in.

With the FBA model, you need to choose from Amazon’s selection of shipping carriers; with FBM, that’s going to be up to you.

Which Carrier Does Amazon Use for Shipping?

Amazon works with a large variety of shipping carriers, so you aren’t short of choices.

Some of the most popular carriers on this list include FedEx, DHL, and Aramex.

Amazon also works closely with USPS, although it seems they are working to replace this with their own network.

Will Amazon keep using USPS? Hmm, maybe not forever.

According to Business Insider, it seems that Amazon is slowly moving away from USPS. This is mainly because Amazon’s network can deliver packages for much less, especially when it comes to urban orders.

You can find the full list of Amazon’s shipping carriers and their contact details here.

How to Choose a Shipping Carrier on Amazon

Once you start managing your orders, you will need to select your preferred shipping carrier.

These are the steps to follow:

1. Login to your Seller Central account and click on Manage Orders under the Orders menu item.
2. Once you Confirm Shipment for a particular order, you are taken to a Confirm Shipments page to enter the order Ship Date.
3. Next, select your preferred shipping carrier from the available drop-down menu and enter the Shipping Service and Tracking ID.
4. You can now click on Confirm Shipment.

In terms of whether one carrier is better than another, that all comes down to your personal preferences.

In most instances, sellers choose carriers based on the order location, the brand’s reputation, and their budget. So, this choice will be different for everyone.

If you’ve never used any of these carriers before, I suggest you do a little due diligence before making a choice. However, it’s safe to say that Amazon only partners with reputable carriers.

Does Amazon Have Their Own Delivery Trucks?

There has been a lot of talk about Amazon distancing itself from heavyweights such as FedEx and UPS and it seems that is slowly happening.

2015 was the first time Amazon purchased its own trucks to deliver products. However, this was only between warehouses. In 2019, they introduced a fleet of 20,000 sprinter vans to assist with their Prime deliveries. Amazon still uses these vans today in conjunction with their usual shipping carriers to complete deliveries.

Then there’s Amazon Flex, which is the Uber of Amazon. The program gives people with reliable vehicles the opportunity to earn an income by delivering Amazon packages in their spare time.

Lastly, Amazon also has a Delivery Service Partners program, which was rolled out in 2018. These small parcel delivery firms consist of up to 40 vans and are considered independent contractors. They too are used to complete deliveries.

Related: How Do Amazon Ship So Fast?

Can a Buyer Select a Carrier Preference?

Unlike eBay, when a buyer orders one of your products, they do not have the option to select their own shipping carrier. Sellers get to decide who they want to use and what they want to pay to deliver their packages.

In closing, there are several shipping carrier options available to you as an Amazon seller. However, if you want more control and have the time and resources, you can choose any carrier you want to on the FBM program.

If you have any more questions about shipping Amazon packages, let me know in the comments section below.

On the subject of packages, you may also want to read this guide on how to print labels for Amazon FBA.