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If you are using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or are a supplier that supplies products to the marketplace, you will need to know about the advanced shipping notice. It’s a notification you send to AMZ before you ship any products to them. Without it, there is a strong chance that the fulfillment center will reject your products.
What Does Amazon ASN Mean?
ASN’s meaning is simple: ASN acronym in shipping stands for “Advance Shipping Notice.” Most companies that accept stock will have an ASN system in place as part of their supply chain, but here we want to talk specifically about the document for AMZ.
The shipping notification will include all details of the shipment. It consists of the inventory inside the package, details of when it was sent, and when it is likely to arrive.
An Amazon ASN number comes with as valuable information as most of the details Seller Central provides you. Find out how to check sales on Amazon with its help and proceed with sending an ASN notice.
What Does an Advanced Shipping Notice Consist of?
There are no fast and hard standards or rules about what must be included in your advanced shipping notification. The same applies to the format. For example, some brands may use an XML file, while other companies provide PDFs to ensure document formatting is intact.
This notice will give users a comprehensive understanding of when their order should arrive and how big it will be in terms of weight, pallets, boxes, etc. You should expect to get the following aspects on your Advanced Shipping Notice as a customer. There might be other information included as well:
- The date of shipping
- What order has been dispatched (with order and shipping numbers)
- When the merchandise is expected to arrive
- The contractor used to move the shipment, and its tracking number
- The products included in your order and their exact quantity
Other details can include:
- Location information
- Product details
- Pallet codes
- Physical information of your consignment (weight, type of packaging, number of pallets or boxes, etc.)
If you want to actually check some notification samples, a quick internet search will show you many different examples. The key insight here is that one notice won’t look the same as another, but all should convey critical information about customers’ orders.
When Should You Send an Advanced Shipping Notice to AMZ?
You must send an ASN shipping notice when shipping products to Amazon. However, you do not need to send a notice if you drop ship. It is because you will send the products directly to the customer, and the platform will not be a part of the delivery process. However, it is still worth keeping a tracking number for your records. That way, you can deal with any issues if your customer claims not to have received their product.
If you are using Fulfillment by Amazon, you will always need to send an ASN. This process is automated when you create a new shipment on the marketplace.
What Happens If You Don’t Send an ASN Shipping Notification?
They will likely reject your parcel if you do not send a notice to Amazon. There is a strong chance that the package could also go missing. After all, if AMZ has no record that it is meant to be delivered to their warehouse, then they may not be able to process it. It could result in lost stock.
If you do not include accurate information on the ASN, then the platform will either reject the package or charge extra fees for dealing with the inaccurate information.
Submitting an Advanced Shipping Notice to Amazon
One of the perks of working with Amazon is making it as simple as possible to submit an ASN. They automate the process, so you do not need an advance ship notice template. You can handle nearly everything through Amazon Vendor Central. You can also submit an EDI document via other methods, but this is something reserved for the big suppliers. Almost everybody else should be using the automated process on AMZ Vendor Central.
When you gain an Amazon Vendor Central account (Amazon will need to invite you to this), then details of your shipment will need to be inputted into Amazon Vendor Central within an hour of your package shipping. Your AMZ representative will walk you through the process when you start working with them because this process will vary from time to time.
Do note that if you are using Amazon Vendor Central, you will only be able to send products that they have ordered directly from you. Do not send anything else. It will not be paid for. Therefore, the only products to appear on the ASN document should be Amazon-ordered products.
If you are using FBA, then the process will be slightly different. It will not even be called ASN. However, the process serves much the same function. To begin creating your ship notice, you must log in to Amazon Seller Central and follow these steps. Unlike vendors, you will need to do this before you ship the products. You will receive an ASN barcode that will be attached to the package for ease of processing:
- Select “Manage Inventory”
- Select “Send/Replenish Inventory”
- Select “Create a New Shipping Plan”
You will then go through the process, adding the exact products you want to the shipment. At the end of these steps, you will pay for the shipment and be provided with a label added to the packaging. It is how you will track the package and how the platform will sort the items once they arrive.
Submitting an ASN Invoice
If you are not using FBA and are just a regular supplier for Amazon, you must submit the invoice for the dispatched products as soon as you have sent your ASN. It will ensure that the process of getting paid can begin as soon as Amazon confirms receipt of your products.
Final Thoughts
It is simple to think of the advanced shipping notification as just another delivery confirmation. With the growth of online commerce, we have all gotten accustomed to obtaining shipping emails when we purchase products, but the ASN is something much more detailed.
It is a fantastic tool for maintaining and developing relationships with your clients. With the notice, your client is informed and involved at all of the main stages of the ordering process, from the point their order is placed until it gets to their location. This transparency is vital to building trust, generating positive reviews, and growing sales.
If you are looking for additional ways to establish good relationships with clients and grow sales, use SageMailer. It sends automated emails asking for a customer review or seller feedback to all your shoppers. Such proactive communication raises the percentage of buyers who leave reviews, enhances your AMZ rating, and minimizes the chance of negative reviews. Register for a free 30-day trial now!
