Launch Announcement: Shipper Account Hierarchy Feature via Amazon Shipping APIs

We are happy to announce that we have now launched Shipper Account Hierarchy for Ship with Amazon, enabling 3PL providers to group, organize, and manage multiple client accounts within a single hierarchical structure. This feature improves control, visibility, and operational efficiency when managing shipments on behalf of child shippers.

What’s new?

• Account linking – Associate client Off Amazon accounts (child accounts) to a parent account to reflect real-world operating structures.
• Streamlined shipping management – Use a single refresh token to purchase labels for multiple linked child accounts via the one click shipment API.
• Secure account relationships – Parent–child authorization checks ensure only approved 3PL providers can manage shipments for linked accounts.

Key Updates

Effective Date: August 2025
Marketplaces: United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France

Important

• Manual intervention by your Amazon Account Manager is required to onboard child accounts. For onboarding, Amazon Shipping will create child accounts based on the 3PL’s provided segmentation of volume.
• This launch supports Off Amazon (non-Marketplace) orders only. Support for Amazon Marketplace (On Amazon) orders will follow in a future release.
• This launch supports API-based purchases through the one click shipment API only.
• Child accounts do not have "Shipper Central" portal access; the parent account can view and track all linked shipments.
• Invoices differentiate labels at the child level for cost allocation and reconciliation.

Schema change

New object goodsOwner introduced under `One Click Shipment Request:

"goodsOwner": {
       "merchantId": "goodsOwner123"
}

Request schema differences

Note: Required only when creating shipments on behalf of a child account in the hierarchy.

How does it work?

{
  "shipTo": { ... },
  "shipFrom": { ... },
	"channelDetails": { "channelType": "EXTERNAL" },
  "serviceSelection": { "serviceId": ["SWA-UK-PREM"]},
  "labelSpecifications": { ... },
  "packages": [ ... ]
}

{
  "goodsOwner": {
    "merchantId": "goodsOwner123"
  },
  "shipTo": { ... },
  "shipFrom": { ... },
	"channelDetails": { "channelType": "EXTERNAL" },
  "serviceSelection": { "serviceId": ["SWA-UK-PREM"]},
  "labelSpecifications": { ... },
  "packages": [ ... ]
}

// Note: This error message is likely to have change
// When valid merchantid is passed that does not have a child link to the requesting account
{  
    "errors": [  
        {  
            "code": "InvalidInput",  
            "message": "Invalid input",  
            "details": "We apologize for the inconvenience. We cannot ship the order because you have passed incorrect merchant it or child account is not linked"  
        }  
    ]  
}

// Note: This error message is likely to have change
// When invalid or non-existing merchantid is passed 
{  
    "errors": [  
        {  
            "code": "InvalidInput",  
            "message": "Invalid input",  
            "details": "We apologize for the inconvenience. As invalid merchant-id is used."  
        }  
    ]  
}

What action required from you?

• Please provide child segmentation details to your Amazon Account Manager.
• Add goodsOwner.merchantId to one click shipment requests when shipping for a child account.
• Ensure channelDetails.channelType is EXTERNAL for Off Amazon orders.

FAQs:

1. Can I use Shipper Central to create labels for a child account?
   No. This launch supports API-based purchases through the one click shipment API only.
2. Will tracking be available to child accounts?
   No. Child accounts do not access Shipper Central. The parent account can view and track all shipments for linked children.
3. How will invoices help my reconciliation?
   Invoices will differentiate labels at the child level to support cost allocation and charge backs.
4. What happens if I pass an unknown merchantId?
   The request will fail validation since the parent is not authorized for that child or the child does not exist.
5. Does this launch change OTP, error code models, or tracking schemas?
   No. These remain as documented. This launch only introduces the goodsOwner object in the purchase request.
6. What are the limits in place for parents and children?
   There is no limit on the number of children that can exist today for a given parent. However as it stands there is only one parent associated with a child at any given time.