As mentioned in an earlier article, the North America Remote Fulfillment (NARF) Program opens up US-based Fulfilled-by-Amazon (FBA) products to the markets of Canada and Mexico. While still in its early stages, the program’s potential impact has already exceeded expectations. Here’s a concise look at just what NARF can mean for you:
What is Remote Fulfillment with FBA?
Amazon Seller Central explains that Remote Fulfillment with FBA “lets you sell to customers in Canada and Mexico without having to send inventory to those countries.” This innovative option lets you “use your inventory in US fulfillment centers to fulfill orders across the border directly to the customer, through Amazon Services LLC.” While still physically and legally based in the US, these orders will appear in your Canada (Amazon.ca) or Mexico (Amazon.com.mx) seller account, depending on where the customer bought the product.
What Does it Offer Customers?
With NARF, Prime customers get free shipping in Mexico (between five and nine days) and Canada (seven to 12 days). According to Amazon, “Customers pay import duties on the items they order, taking ownership after the shipping company picks up the items from the US fulfillment center.” Returns are sent directly back to the US and are still subject to the FBA customer returns policy.
How Does NARF Affect Program Fees?
Remote Fulfillment fees are still determined by shipping weight and product size. Though customers rather than sellers pay import duties here, the fees for such sales will increase and will apply year-round to replace Canada’s and Mexico’s standard fulfillment fees. It is important to remember that NARF is not the same as FBA Export. For more information on Remote Fulfillment fees, please see the official charts here.
What Products are Eligible Under NARF?
Amazon Seller Central explains that eligibility requires that a product must: be enabled for FBA in the US, Canada, and Mexico; pass Amazon’s assessment of regulatory risk; and meet all trade compliance and in-country regulations. Restricted, prohibited, and dangerous products will not eligible.
How Do I Enroll in NARF?
Amazon Seller Central explains: “To enroll in Remote Fulfillment, you must be registered for FBA in the US, Canada, and Mexico and have a North America Unified Account with FBA Export enabled.” While once NARF was invite-only, Amazon has now provided a step-by-step guide to NARF enrollment:
1. Go to the Remote Fulfillment page. You can find this by using Seller Central’s Inventory drop-down menu.
2. Set your preferences as you go through the workflow, then click Enroll. Amazon will then evaluate your inventory and automatically add all eligible items to the program. From then on, Amazon will automatically add both a new eligible item added to your US inventory as well as items that were ineligible but then became eligible.
3. If you didn’t enable automatic listing creation in your preferences, you must then create offers for Canada and Mexico in order for you to sell your US inventory in those marketplaces.
4. Download your ASIN Status Report to see which ASINs have been added to the program; find out which (if any) ASINs require further action to be added to the program; and remove ASINs that you don’t want to sell in a particular marketplace.
What Does Knoza Mean for You and NARF?
NARF removes significant obstacles to international expansion, but it still requires work. You still have to deal with creating offers and managing inventory, customer returns, and possibly even stranded inventory – but that’s where Knoza comes in. At Knoza, we’ve seen NARF from its nascence, and that paired with the Knoza Nuance makes us perfectly suited to help you truly maximize your potential on Amazon. Today, the door has opened for markets in Mexico and Canada; let Knoza help you build your business, and keep you prepared for whatever tomorrow may bring.