Creating an inbound transfer in Shopify Fulfillment Network

Note

This guide is for merchants who started using the Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) before January 30, 2024. The Shopify Fulfillment Network app has been rebuilt to offer fulfillment solutions in partnership with Flexport. If you use the new SFN app, then refer to the new SFN guide.

After you add the necessary product details and confirm that you meet the requirements for your transfer, follow these steps to start an inbound transfer of your inventory to a Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) fulfillment center. You can transfer up to 500 line items at one time.

Make sure to add your tracking information when you create a transfer. If you don't have tracking information when you create the transfer, then make sure that you add the tracking information to the transfer when you have it.

When you add a variant that hasn't been sent to SFN before, the variant displays a New tag within the inbound transfer. When you submit an inbound transfer that contains new variants, you must confirm that the new variants are eligible for SFN. If you send variants that aren't eligible for SFN, then you can be charged return-to-sender fees.

Create an inbound transfer for SFN

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1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Click Create inbound transfer.

4. Select the products you want to send to SFN.

   1. Select the origin where your products are shipping from.
   2. Optional: Deselect the Subtract quantity from this location's inventory checkbox if you don't want the inventory quantity to be changed for the location.
   3. Click Select products to manually choose the products you want to send to SFN, or click Import from CSV to import a CSV file of the products that you want to send.
   4. After selecting your products, choose the quantity that you want to send.
   5. Click Next.

5. Confirm that your products have barcode labels.

   1. If your products don't have barcodes, then click Products are not barcoded, and then click Download barcode labels. Otherwise, click Products are already barcoded.
   2. Click Next.
   3. Click Continue to confirm your products for this transfer. After confirming, you won't be able to add any more products to this transfer.

6. Prepare your boxes and labels

   1. If labeling yourself, confirm how your boxes will be packed. Boxes can be packed by a single SKU per box or Multiple SKUs per box
   2. If labeling yourself, Attach the box content label to the outside of the pallet or box.
   3. Click Next.

7. Enter shipping details, you can select Small parcel or Freight and enter the shipping details:

   • Small Parcel will allow you to supply your own labels or purchase labels from Shopify.
   • Freight will allow you to enter your carrier details or book freight from Shopify.

8. If booking freight from Shopify, download and attach a single label to each pallet in the shipment. Learn more about pallet label requirements.

9. Click Next to review and submit your inbound transfer.

10. Click Next to finalize your inbound transfer.

Note

Add tracking information to your inbound transfer to help SFN personnel know when to expect your shipment and match it with the correct transfer.

Inbound transfer activity states

Reviewing the inbound transfer activity state can help you understand where in the inbound transfer process your shipment is, and if the inventory is ready for fulfillment.

Definitions for each SFN inventory state

Activity state	Definition
In transit	The inbound transfer is being shipped to the fulfillment center, and hasn't arrived yet.
Arrived	The inbound transfer has arrived at the fulfillment center, and is awaiting the receiving process.
Receiving	The fulfillment center has begun to scan and receive the inbound transfer shipment. The receiving process includes accepting and processing the shipment, and then stocking the inventory from the transfer.
Partially Received	The fulfillment center has received the shipment, but hasn't received all of the inventory included in the transfer.
Complete	The fulfillment center's receiving process is complete. This means that all expected items, or more, have been received, or that the last shipment of the transfer was closed more than 30 days ago.

Note

If the activity state for your inbound transfer is Receiving, then that inbound transfer can't be archived or deleted.

Connect your Shopify and Flexport accounts

You can connect your Shopify account to your Flexport account to track your Flexport freight shipments using the Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) app.

Steps:

1. Create an inbound transfer for SFN.
2. In the Provide tracking details section, select Freight.
3. In the Freight provider field, select Flexport from the drop-down menu.
4. After you select Flexport, complete the steps that appear in the Automated Tracking section and then click Save.

Add a supplier as an origin

Instead of choosing one of your own locations as the origin for a transfer, you can create a supplier profile to use as the origin. After you create a supplier, you can select that supplier as the origin for future transfers.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Click Create inbound transfer.

4. From the Origin list, click Add Supplier, and then add the supplier's details.

5. Click Save supplier.

Edit inbound transfer quantities

If your inbound transfer is in a Draft state, then you can edit the quantity of your items. Inbound transfers that have been confirmed can't be edited. If you need to change information on an inbound transfer that's already been confirmed, then you'll need to create a new inbound transfer with the correct information and labels.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Click the inbound transfer that you want to edit.

4. In the Transfer quantity column for an item, enter the new quantity that you expect the fulfillment center to receive.

5. Click Save.

Add a receiving threshold to inbound quantities

If the quantity for a variant in your inbound transfer doesn't match the quantity that the fulfillment center receives, then the inbound transfer enters an audit state. If no reasonable explanation can be found, then our support team contacts you about the difference.

To avoid this audit state for small margins of error, you can add a percent-based range, which is called a receiving threshold, to an inbound transfer. If the quantities that are received are within the receiving threshold, then your transfer doesn't go into an audit state and inventory is received normally.

For example, if your inbound transfer has two variants, one with a quantity of 100 and one with a quantity of 200, and you set a receiving threshold of 10% on the inbound transfer, then the following occurs:

• The variant with a quantity of 100 doesn't trigger an audit if the fulfillment center counts anywhere from 90 to 110 units.
• The variant with a quantity of 200 doesn't trigger an audit if the fulfillment center counts anywhere from 180 to 220.

By default, the Receiving threshold of an inbound transfer is set to 0%. You can edit the receiving threshold of an inbound transfer that has a Draft, Submitted, or In transit status. The maximum receiving threshold that you can set is 20%.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Do either of the following:

   • Click the inbound transfer that you want to edit.
   • Click Create inbound transfer to begin a new transfer.

4. In the Receiving threshold section, click Edit.

5. In Threshold per variant, enter a percentage amount, and then click Save.

6. Click Save.

Edit a supplier's details

You can edit a supplier's details by adding the supplier to a new inbound transfer, and then changing the supplier's details. You can then delete the new transfer, or continue creating a new inbound transfer.

After you submit a transfer, the supplier's address can't be edited and doesn't change if you edit that address on another transfer.

Changing the name of a supplier will change the supplier's name in all existing transfers.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Click Create inbound transfer.

4. From the Origin list, select the supplier.

5. Click View supplier details > Edit.

6. Make any edits, and then click Save supplier.

Scheduling a freight delivery to an SFN Fulfillment Center

If you use a freight carrier to send your products to SFN, then you need to schedule a freight delivery appointment by emailing the SFN fulfillment center at least 24 hours before arrival. You can find the email address and delivery hours for the fulfillment center by accessing the inbound transfer in the SFN app.

You or your freight carrier should include the following information in your delivery appointment request email message:

• Your company or store name
• The inbound tranfer ID number
• Delivery date and time you are requesting
• The freight carrier name
• The progressive (PRO) number
• The bill of lading (BOL) number
• Whether it will be a live unload or a container drop
• Commodity of the product
• Whether your products are floor loaded or palletized
• The total number of pieces or pallets in the shipments
• The packing list as an email attachment if available

SFN personnel will respond to your email message with confirmation of the delivery time, or provide an alternative time if the time you request isn't available.

Create a CSV file for inbound transfers

You can create a CSV file to import products to your inbound transfer by downloading a preformatted CSV template from your SFN app or by creating the CSV file manually using a spreadsheet program.

Download the template CSV file

The template CSV file contains all your products that are eligible for SFN. Each product's inventory has a default value of 0.

After you download the template, edit the inventory that you want to include in the transfer. Any product with an inventory of 0 in the CSV file is not added to the inbound transfer.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Apps, and then click Shopify Fulfillment Network.

2. Click the Inbound transfers tab.

3. Click Create inbound transfer.

4. Click Import from CSV, and then click Download a pre-formatted CSV template.

Create a CSV file manually

You can create a CSV file using a spreadsheet program, such as Google Sheets. The file only requires the SKU and Quantity column headings. For each row after the headings, add the SKU and inventory of the product that you want to add to your inventory transfer. All SKUs must be for products that are eligible for SFN. After you add your products, make sure that you save the spreadsheet file as a CSV file.