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Fulfillment By Amazon - What it is and How does it Work

Fulfillment By Amazon – What it is and How does it Work?

Selling on e-commerce platforms has never been an easy task. It becomes even more difficult if you are a solo entrepreneur and handling all the aspects of your business alone. You need to manage marketing, ads, storing, shipping, and much more. Sounds hectic, right? Relax! FBA is your one-stop solution.   FBA not only makes online selling easy for you but also exposes your business to a wide range of customers. According to a report, Fulfillment by Amazon helps sellers to increase their sales by 30% to 50%. The data reflects that FBA is one of the best programs to take your business to the next level. Sounds interesting, right? Continue reading the article to find out all about FBA and get started.   All About FBA  Selling on e-commerce platforms has never been an easy task. It becomes even more difficult if you are a solo entrepreneur and handling all the aspects of your business alone. You need to manage marketing, ads, storing, shipping, and much more. Sounds hectic, right? Relax! Fulfillment Hub USA is your one-stop solution.   FBA not only makes online selling easy for you but also exposes your business to a wide range of customers. According to a report, Fulfillment by Amazon helps sellers to increase their sales by 30% to 50%. The data reflects that FBA is one of the best programs to take your business to the next level. Sounds interesting, right? Continue reading the article to find out all about FBA and get started.   What is FBA?  Fulfillment by Amazon or FBA is a service offered by Amazon for third-party sellers with the intent to automate their shipping services and order fulfillment process. It’s an easy and hassle-free concept: Sellers sell, Amazon fulfills, and ships.      If sellers enroll for FBA, then Amazon handles shipping, product warehousing, and returns and refunds for them. Moreover, Amazon also takes care of the picking, packing, and replacement for the sellers who take the FBA service. In this service, all sellers have to do is send their products to Amazon, which then processes all the orders that come in. Sellers need to make sure that Amazon has proper stocks of their products and the rest is taken care of.   Now you must be thinking, do sellers have to pay any fee to Amazon? The answer is yes. In return for that fee, you get amazing services by Amazon, including:  24/7 customer service.  Access to the most impressive and advanced fulfillment network.   All the picking, packaging, shipping, and fulfillment costs are included in this service.  Starting an e-commerce business can be a daunting task without the right platform. Amazon offers opportunities to various businesses to sell online in a hassle-free manner and reach a broader spectrum of audiences.   FBA is always a good choice for most of the products but might not be an ideal solution for large dimension products or low-volume items. Though it offers amazing selling opportunities, it is not the best solution for every seller. Now the question is how to decide whether it is a good solution for you or not? Relax! We are here at the rescue.   Lets’ dig into the features, pros, and cons of FBA to make a well-researched and better decision.   Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) Vs. Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP)  In order to better understand what FBA is and what its benefits are, let’s first understand the primary differences between seller fulfilled prime and FBA.   If you want to sell your products to valuable Prime customers, but are not willing to pay the fees for FBA service, then you can opt for a Seller-Fulfilled Prime account. In this account, you need to handle the fulfillment of your orders and products. To succinctly describe, you get access to Amazon Prime name and shipping guidelines; however, you have to handle fulfillment, picking, packing, and shipping on your own.   In addition to this, when you opt for Seller Fulfilled Prime, you have to take care of all the returns, refunds, and shipping costs. However, when you choose FBA, Amazon takes care of all the shipping costs for you. Here are some of the major differences between FBA and SFP.   S.no SFP FBA 1. Sellers have to pay all the shipping costs  Amazon handles the shipping costs.  2. Sellers have to take care of pick, pack, fulfillment, and shipping.   Amazon takes care of fulfillment, pick, pack, and shipping.   3. Sellers are responsible to handle inventory and storage in SFP.  In FBA, Amazon handles storage and inventory for the sellers.   4. Sellers need to pay for multiple things like inventory, shipping, and returns. In FBA, sellers need to pay only pay once i.e. the fee and Amazon takes care of the rest of the things.   5. SFP programs are a bit complicated and hectic as sellers need to handle everything from packing to shipping.  FBA programs are easy and hassle-free, as all you need to do is send your products to Amazon and pay the fee.   In both the programs, sellers need to work with Amazon’s guidelines and rules related to returns, refunds, exchanges, and other things to match the standards customers are expecting from Amazon. Ultimately, in SFP, the sellers need to do a lot of work; therefore, small sellers and brands opt for the FBA program. It is the best way to expand your business and boost profit margins. Pros and Cons of FBA  In order to decide whether FBA is the right pick for your business, it is better to go through the pros and cons. It will help you know what is best for your business according to the current situation. Pros of FBA  Fulfillment by Amazon is profoundly beneficial for small sellers and new retailers seeking a larger marketplace. Moreover, it allows you to extend your customer base and boost your profit margins. That’s not it. Here are some of the major advantages of FBA.   Discounted Shipping Rates  Amazon is one of the most popular shopping platforms and is a global fulfillment giant. If you opt for FBA, you have to spend less on shipping costs. Therefore, even

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Understanding Flat Rate Shipping for eCommerce Business

Understanding Flat Rate Shipping for eCommerce Business

Flat rate shipping is when the shipping cost is independent of the weight of the package. Consumers pay a fixed amount for all the packages that fall under the pre-decided criteria. But how do you decide if flat rate shipping is right for your eCommerce business?  Here’s the solution: an article guiding you through the fundamentals of flat rate shipping and if it is the right choice for you. So, let’s dive right into it.  Ins and Outs of Flat Rate Shipping  Flat rate shipping is a technique for deciding how to price your shipping. When you charge a fixed rate for every order, it becomes easy to track and manage expenses. Whether you fulfill orders in-house or outsource to a 3PL, you can inculcate the flat rate method for your customers.  All major shipping carriers like FedEx, USPS, and UPS, have a different flat-rate shipping program. Opting for the best of them can be a tough choice. But before you decide that, let’s understand what the flat rate method is and if you should use it for your eCommerce business or not.  What is Flat Rate Shipping?   Flat rate shipping is a type of shipping where the rate is based on the size of the box. Therefore, any weight can be shipped at the same price, as long as it stays under the box’s maximum weight. Hence, in one price slab, you can ship heavy as well as lightweight packages.  Due to the nature of this kind of shipping, it is known as Linear Rate. Irrespective of the weight, size and other dimensions, a linear shipping rate applies to all types of shipping boxes and packages in the same slab. Therefore, shipping heavy parcels are more beneficial than smaller ones in flat rate shipping.  Difference between Flat Rate Shipping and Standard Shipping   The common factor in both of them is that they both are pricing strategies for shipping your orders. But they are different in many ways.  As the name suggests, standard shipping is the general shipping method in which the price is based on destination location and distance, box dimensions, and weight. It is a pricing strategy that is used for longer or un-prioritized deliveries. The delivery time for standard shipping can vary depending on the packages and can be anywhere between 5-15 days.  Flat rate shipping is the type of shipping where the buyer pays a fixed price for any item that ships within a weight slab. It can vary according to different shipping zones. For example, the flat rate may differ according to the location and the zone where the item needs to be shipped. Moreover, there is a predetermined delivery time in the flat rate method that cannot be altered. Factors affecting Flat rate Shipping Method   Now that it is clear that flat rate shipping is affected by the weight, time zone, and box dimensions, let’s dive into each factor in detail.  Weight  The weight slab is decided by the seller or the shipment companies under which the flat shipping rate is applied. For example, the slab can be set to 50 pounds, as FedEx does. Then, all the boxes or parcels below that weight are eligible for a flat rate. The slab is always set to make matters simple.  Time Zone  One factor that you must consider while providing a flat shipping rate to your customers is time zone. Shipping costs differ with the time zone. If the destination time zone is closer to your location, shipment prices will be lower as well. Conversely, the farther the time zone, the costlier the shipment. Hence, having multiple customers of the same time zone is definitely an advantage for you.  Dimensions  Generally, shipping companies have a fixed size for boxes. This way, they keep the shipping process smooth and consistent. Moreover, they have containers of the specified dimensions. And flat rate method can have a specified dimension or slab to ship the parcels.  Advantages of Flat Rate Shipping The basis of the flat rate method is that it is ideal for everyone under the same time zone, weight, and dimension slab. So now let’s have a look at some advantages of it.  Clarity and Transparency  When you provide flat rate shipping to your customers, it brings them clarity for your selling mechanism. In addition, it establishes transparency in pricing between you and your customer because of the fixed shipping price and no additional or hidden costs. This clarity and transparency help you gain trust among your consumers.  Simplified Management  Smooth management of every process in the business is essential for it to be successful. Unlike standard shipping, you save a lot of time in flat shipping by calculating a pre-defined price for different slabs. Hence, the process in the flat rate method is simplified. Additionally, you don’t need to add a shipping calculator to your eCommerce website. Less Errors and Quick Response  When products are shipped using standard shipping, there are a lot of calculations. Most time is spent calculating shipping costs by measuring tons and tons of boxes’ weight and dimensions. Not to forget, this has a probability of human errors. All such errors have less chance to occur in the flat rate method because of a fixed price.  Consistency in Pricing  The one advantage of the flat rate method is consistent pricing. No matter the weight or dimensions of the parcel, it is the exact price under the same slab. Hence, flat rate shipping makes it easy to calculate shipping charges along with saving time and effort. However, before you opt for any logistics partner, check the kind of slabs they have set for different factors.  Should I use Flat Rate Shipping? Flat rate shipping has many advantages that make it an appealing service for eCommerce businesses. First, you are well aware of the costs when you ship in a flat rate box. Second, there is no need to use the shipping price calculator plugin on your website because of the fixed price. Hence, to save time on shipping calculations, the flat rate method is one of the best choices.  For small businesses, the flat rate method can generate huge savings because of the lower, predictable cost. Of course, it doesn’t make sense for

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