Walmart allows Amazon fulfillment for cross-platform sales

Walmart has officially updated its marketplace shipping policies to allow sellers to use Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) for Walmart orders, marking a significant shift in cross-platform fulfillment restrictions that took effect on May 16, 2025.

The updated policy explicitly permits sellers to utilize Amazon's third-party logistics service, provided they comply with specific packaging and carrier requirements. According to the updated Walmart Shipping & Fulfillment Policy document, "You may use Multi Channel Fulfillment as long as you ship in neutral packaging using unbranded delivery vehicles, which means neither can display any logos, trademarks or branding of the other retailer."

Sellers implementing Amazon MCF for Walmart orders must adhere to strict operational parameters. The policy mandates neutral packaging without Amazon branding, prohibits the use of Amazon Logistics delivery services, and requires valid tracking numbers provided only after carriers take physical possession of packages.

According to the policy documentation, "You must provide tracking numbers that are accurate and valid, and only communicate them to Walmart once a package has been tendered to the carrier for shipment." The platform maintains its requirement for sellers to "support shipments until 11:00 am in your local time zone, at least five days per week."

Walmart's performance standards remain unchanged despite the policy adjustment. Sellers must maintain a 95% On-time Delivery Rate (OTD) and achieve a 99% Valid Tracking Rate (VTR). The platform reserves authority to auto-cancel orders not marked as shipped within four calendar days after the Expected Ship Date.

Related Stories

• October 9, 2024: Google Merchant Center announces integration with Amazon MCF for retailers, enabling streamlined participation and automated shipping setup for merchants using Amazon's fulfillment network
• September 18, 2024: Amazon's Buy with Prime expands with new capabilities, with Multi-Channel Fulfillment now serving over 200,000 U.S. merchants and experiencing a 70% year-over-year increase in total orders fulfilled
• August 27, 2024: Walmart Marketplace unveils major expansion and new features for sellers, including Multichannel Solutions program launching September 10, 2024, allowing sellers to use Walmart Fulfillment Services to fulfill orders from any e-commerce site

Financial implications and cost structures

The financial impact of using Amazon MCF for Walmart fulfillment includes a 5% surcharge when blocking Amazon Logistics as required by Walmart's policy. According to analysis from fulfillment service providers, "MCF costs more than regular FBA (there's a 5% extra fee), so make sure you're still making a profit."

Cost comparisons reveal significant pricing disparities between fulfillment options. For a standard 1-pound item priced at $30, Amazon MCF costs approximately $8.50 per unit including the 5% premium, while Walmart Fulfillment Services charges $3.45 per unit for the same service - representing potential savings of $5 per order through Walmart's native fulfillment option.

Third-party logistics providers emphasize the importance of comprehensive cost analysis. "Hidden costs lurk everywhere, so this might not be the same for everyone. There's compliance monitoring, tracking management, and the operational overhead of juggling dual-platform requirements," according to industry documentation.

Historical context and enforcement patterns

Previously, Walmart enforced strict prohibitions against using Amazon fulfillment services. Historical enforcement data shows sellers faced permanent account suspensions for utilizing Amazon MCF, even when employing neutral packaging and approved carriers like USPS. Platform detection methods often identified Amazon-sourced orders through tracking data patterns.

Community feedback from e-commerce forums indicates mixed historical experiences. According to one verified seller with annual sales exceeding $1 million, "We were using MCF blank box with non-amazon shipping and got suspended from Walmart because some of the packages apparently showed up to customers in Amazon packaging. Took a few months to get reinstated."

The policy change reflects broader marketplace competition dynamics. Amazon has simultaneously relaxed restrictions on using competitor fulfillment services, with some sellers reporting successful use of Walmart Fulfillment Services for Amazon orders through Multi-Channel Solutions.

Operational compliance requirements

The updated policy maintains Walmart's fundamental fulfillment standards while accommodating cross-platform logistics. Sellers must configure operating schedules for active fulfillment centers, defining daily order cutoff timeframes. The platform limits Additional Days Off to 15 days per fulfillment center annually, with excessive usage potentially triggering account suspension.

Prohibited practices remain extensive under the revised policy. According to the documentation, sellers "may not purchase products from another retailer and have that retailer ship the order directly to the customer (also known as retail arbitrage)" and "may not ship orders in competitor boxes or packaging."

Quality control measures include automatic order cancellation for packages showing no carrier movement three days after being five days past the Expected Delivery Date. Walmart considers such shipments in "terminal state" and reserves discretion to cancel orders that exceed reasonable delivery timeframes.

Industry implications

This policy shift represents a fundamental change in marketplace dynamics that directly impacts digital marketing strategies and customer acquisition costs. Marketing professionals managing multi-channel brands can now leverage consolidated inventory for cross-platform fulfillment, potentially reducing the complexity of channel-specific logistics planning.

The integration capability allows marketing teams to pursue aggressive growth strategies on Walmart's platform without requiring separate fulfillment infrastructure investments. Sellers utilizing both platforms can now consolidate advertising spend across channels while maintaining unified inventory management, potentially improving return on ad spend calculations.

Customer experience consistency becomes achievable across platforms, enabling marketing teams to promise uniform delivery standards regardless of purchase channel. This standardization supports omnichannel brand positioning and reduces customer acquisition friction when expanding from Amazon to Walmart marketplace presence.

Performance marketing implications include the ability to scale successful Amazon campaigns to Walmart without fulfillment constraints. Marketing professionals can now evaluate Walmart as a viable traffic source for products already optimized for Amazon fulfillment, potentially expanding total addressable market without proportional infrastructure investments.

Timeline

May 16, 2025: Walmart updates Shipping & Fulfillment Policy to explicitly allow Amazon MCF usage under specific conditions

May 21, 2025: Third-party logistics providers begin updating seller guidance to reflect policy changes

May 23, 2025: Industry analysis publications detail cost implications and implementation requirements for cross-platform fulfillment strategies