Amazon MCF Now Approved for Walmart Marketplace Orders
The wall between Amazon and Walmart just got a whole lot shorter.
In a move that redefines multichannel selling, Walmart has officially opened the doors for sellers to use Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) for Walmart Marketplace orders. It’s a long-awaited shift that could simplify operations for thousands of sellers—if you play by the rules.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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You Can Now Use Amazon Inventory to Fulfill Walmart Orders
For years, sellers had to build separate fulfillment systems to support each marketplace. Not anymore. With Walmart now allowing Amazon MCF, sellers can tap into their existing FBA inventory and extend it to Walmart customers—without additional warehouses or 3PLs.
But with this freedom comes a tight rulebook.
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What Are the Rules?
✅ Unbranded Packaging Required
The #1 rule: No Amazon branding—anywhere.
When fulfilling Walmart orders through Amazon MCF, you must select “Ship only in Unbranded Packaging.” That means no Amazon logos, no packing slips with Amazon promotions, and no giveaway that your product came from a competing platform.
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✅ No Amazon Logistics
Amazon trucks are off-limits for Walmart orders. Approved carriers include:
• USPS
• UPS
• FedEx
• Any non-Amazon logistics provider
Also critical: tracking numbers should only be uploaded after the package is scanned by the carrier. Early uploads could hurt your Valid Tracking Rate (VTR), which brings us to…
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Performance Standards You Must Hit
To stay compliant, you’ll need to meet Walmart’s performance requirements:
• Ship cutoff: Orders must ship by 11:00 AM local time, 5 days per week
• Days off allowed: 15 additional fulfillment blackout days per year
• On-Time Delivery Rate (OTD): 95% or higher
• Valid Tracking Rate (VTR): 99% or higher
• Auto-cancel policy: Orders may be canceled 5 days after the expected ship date if unfulfilled
These aren’t optional—missing the mark could result in Walmart penalties or delisting.
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Cost Comparison: MCF vs. WFS
While the convenience of using Amazon MCF is tempting, it comes at a price.
• MCF adds a 5% surcharge when Amazon Logistics is blocked (as required by Walmart)
• A standard-size 1 lb item fulfilled via Amazon MCF might cost around $8.50 per unit
• The same item fulfilled through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)? Only $3.45 per unit
That’s a $5 difference per order, which can quickly erode margins at scale.
MCF also requires compliance monitoring, performance tracking, and careful execution across two platforms—adding to your operational overhead.
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How Can the Process Be Run Efficiently?
Use of a connector like ShipStation to ingest the Walmart orders and then use one click access to fulfill the order is ideal. Use of a connector is the most efficient way to process orders.
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Should You Use Amazon MCF for Walmart?
Pros
Centralized inventory across both platforms
Faster Walmart launch without new infrastructure
Streamlined operations using Amazon’s fulfillment
Ideal for sellers already succeeding on Amazon
Cons
5% surcharge and higher fulfillment fees
Strict packaging and branding compliance
Performance benchmarks are hard to maintain
You’re still relying on Amazon to represent your brand
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Our Take: Start Small, Stay Smart
If you’re already profitable on Amazon with strong fulfillment metrics, this could be a smart move to scale onto Walmart quickly. But if your margins are tight—or you’re still ironing out fulfillment performance—MCF’s higher cost structure might create more headaches than it solves.
Start with a small catalog, monitor performance closely, and make sure your numbers work before scaling up.
The door is open—just be sure to prepare accordingly.