Classification process for ZFS partners selling in Switzerland
In this article you can find an overview of the information required for ZFS partners selling articles in the Swiss market (CH), specifically the classification and scanned weight processes.
What does classification mean?
Customs classification is essential to sell your articles on Zalando's CH website. It's how we assign the necessary information to your product SKUs to manage the customs process. Without this information, we cannot make your articles available to customers. At Zalando, we classify articles for our ZFS partners. We create customs tariff numbers based on your articles' technical characteristics. These numbers help us determine import duties, identify potential import/export restrictions, and confirm required documents. To ensure we can assign the correct tariff information without delay, please provide detailed information about the composition of your goods, for example, the materials used for each article.
If you have any questions or would like further information about this classification method, please reach out Partner Care via our support form using the topic: Article Onboarding and request type: ZA.
Important note:
Currently, the custom fields cannot be mapped in Zalando’s article onboarding process as they are not yet implemented in the feed.
What article status codes appear for a failed classification?
You can identify articles that fail the classification process in your zDirect Article Listing with the following status codes:
ZABLO_10: This code appears for articles missing the customs tariff number and/or the product weight information. To find out the exact reason why you’re seeing this status code, please contact Partner Care via our support form using the topic: Article Onboarding and request type: ZA.
For missing tariff numbers: Our Customs Classification team is responsible for providing these. We can assign tariff data regardless of whether Country of Origin (CoO) information has been uploaded. These are two separate processes and do not affect each other.
For missing weight information: Our warehouses are responsible for weighing items and providing volume information. Our customs operations team uses this to prepare customs documents and make your article available in the Swiss market. We will keep your article blocked until we add the volume information. In this instance, you do not need to take action, but we recommend you check your Article Listing, as the updated article status will be visible there.
Note: While Zalando is responsible for weighing items, the warehouse prioritizes SKUs with available stock.
ZABLO_24: This code appears for articles missing the Country of Origin (CoO).
As of 1 July 2021, Country of Origin (CoO) information is mandatory to sell articles in Switzerland (CH) via ZFS. With this new rule, articles without CoO information will be flagged with ZABLO_24 status code in the zDirect Article Listing.
How do I remove a ZABLO_24 status code?
You must send all relevant customs information for the articles with this status code to Zalando using the attached template: Article Data Fields_ZFS CH (see the example below). This includes CoO (for more details, please refer to the Required information section below).
Please send the completed file to Partner Care via our support form using the topic: Article Onboarding and request type: ZA.
Required information
The articles will only appear online if all of these fields are correctly populated in Zalando’s customs systems:
Config Zalando SKU (mandatory): Please make sure to provide a unique Config SKU level (13-characters).
Country of Origin - CoO (mandatory): CoO must be in ISO 3166 Alpha 2 Code format in order to be processed.
Depending on your contractual agreement, you might also provide:
Customs tariff number EU (CTN)
Customs tariff description EU - in German
Customs tariff number CH
Customs tariff description CH
If you make changes to your articles (i.e. material composition, EAN/SKU) please flag the specific articles in the attached template: Article Data Fields_ZFS CH and include a short description of the change in column ‘E’.
Why are my articles still blocked if customs attributes have been assigned/provided?
If your article remains offline, it could be due to other blockers or issues in the onboarding process. Therefore, we advise you to proactively check your article statuses in the zDirect Article Listing.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please reach out to Partner Care via our support form using the topic: Article Onboarding and request type: ZA.
- 1
Please make sure you use the correct code, as otherwise the CoO information provided by you might be suspicious which would lead to additional effort. By way of illustration, the correct ISO Alpha 2 code for goods with their origin in Romania is not RU (Russia), but RO.