When creating FBA shipments in Amazon, sellers can choose between:
Amazon Partnered Carriers
Non-Partnered Carriers
The main difference is who manages the shipping rates and transportation agreement.
🚚 What Are Amazon Partnered Carriers?
Amazon partnered carriers are shipping carriers that work directly with Amazon at negotiated rates.
Common partnered carriers may include:
UPS
Amazon Freight
partnered LTL freight providers
With partnered carriers:
shipping labels are generated directly through Amazon
shipping costs are usually discounted
tracking is automatically connected to the shipment
✅ Benefits of Amazon Partnered Carriers
Using partnered carriers may provide:
lower shipping rates
easier shipment setup
automatic tracking integration
simplified workflow
easier reimbursement/investigation processes
👉 Most smaller FBA sellers use partnered carriers for SPD shipments.
⚠️ Things to Know About Partnered Carriers
Amazon controls the carrier options available
pickup schedules depend on the carrier
rates vary based on:
weight
dimensions
shipment destination
Some partnered carrier options may not appear if:
shipment details are incomplete
dimensions are invalid
unsupported shipment types are selected
🚛 What Are Non-Partnered Carriers?
Non-partnered carriers are shipping companies arranged directly by the seller instead of through Amazon.
Examples:
local freight companies
self-arranged UPS/FedEx accounts
independent trucking carriers
With non-partnered shipping:
sellers purchase shipping outside Amazon
sellers manually enter tracking information
rates are negotiated separately
✅ Benefits of Non-Partnered Carriers
Some sellers use non-partnered carriers because:
they already have discounted shipping contracts
they use local freight providers
they prefer more carrier flexibility
they manage large freight operations
Large-volume sellers sometimes get better freight pricing independently.
⚠️ Things to Know About Non-Partnered Carriers
With non-partnered carriers:
shipment setup is usually more manual
tracking may need manual entry
freight appointments may need coordination
Amazon support for shipping issues may be more limited
📊 Main Differences
Amazon Partnered | Non-Partnered |
Shipping purchased through Amazon | Shipping purchased separately |
Discounted Amazon-negotiated rates | Seller negotiates rates |
Easier workflow | More manual setup |
Automatic tracking integration | Manual tracking entry |
Common for SPD | Common for custom freight |
💡 Which One Should You Use?
Partnered carriers are usually best for:
newer sellers
small-to-medium shipments
simple workflows
SPD shipments
Non-partnered carriers may be better for:
large freight operations
sellers with negotiated shipping contracts
custom logistics workflows
🔄 In AccelerList
Within AccelerList:
shipment workflows follow Amazon shipment setup
partnered carrier options appear during transportation setup if Amazon provides them
✅ Summary
Amazon partnered carriers are carriers integrated directly with Amazon and usually provide easier workflows and discounted shipping rates, while non-partnered carriers are arranged independently by the seller for more flexibility or custom freight management.