Amazon has many different services to support businesses of all sizes. Deciding which is right for you requires an understanding of what each service offers and how they can help you meet your goals. Find out important differences between MCF and FBA like what they offer, who uses them, how to get started, and more.
What is Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfilment (MCF)?
MCF provides fulfilment services for orders placed off Amazon.com, like your own website or other ecommerce sales channels. With MCF, you gain access to Amazon’s world-class fulfilment network. Once your inventory is in an Amazon fulfilment centre, MCF handles the picking, packing, and shipping directly to customers for orders placed on sales channels outside Amazon. Orders are fully trackable with real-time updates for packages, and tracking information is provided to you regardless of carrier. You can also choose to have your customers’ returns sent back to an Amazon fulfilment centre to be incorporated back into your inventory. MCF lets you integrate with your existing ecommerce apps like Shopify to automate your order fulfilment process, or you can build your own integration with developer-friendly APIs.
By using MCF, you can enjoy many benefits like:
- Flat-rate, competitive pricing and discounts on multi-unit orders
- Fast, on-time delivery
- Easy connections with your ecommerce apps
- Orders are shipped in unbranded packaging
- Simplified workflow; focus on the customer, leave the pick pack and distribution to us
- Fully trackable orders
- If you are an FBA customer, you additionally benefit from a single pool of inventory fulfilling both your FBA (On-Amazon) and MCF orders (Off-Amazon)
What is Fulfilment by Amazon?
FBA provides fulfilment services for orders placed on Amazon.com. FBA services include receiving, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns for those orders. Unlike MCF, FBA is limited to the Amazon marketplace. If you have an Amazon store, this service might be right for you. FBA takes all the logistics out of selling on Amazon. You send products to Amazon fulfilment centres and when a customer makes a purchase on Amazon.com, Amazon handles packing, shipping, customer service, and returns for those orders.
How to sign up for FBA
FBA is only available for sellers selling in an Amazon store. There are two ways to register:
- If you already sell on Amazon - Get started with FBA anytime.
- If you plan on signing up to sell on Amazon - During the sign up process, you’ll be given the option of adding FBA services.
How to sign up for MCF
If you already sell on Amazon - If you already have inventory in Amazon fulfilment centres, you can use that inventory to place an MCF order — no additional registration needed. Login to Seller Central to create an MCF order.
