ZSS partner onboarding journey

If you are reading this, it is because you are interested in finding out more about Zalando Shipping Solutions (ZSS) and whether it’s the best logistics solution for you. You can get onboarded with ZSS in four steps:

1. Getting started

2. ZSS Partner Readiness

3. Physical Testing

4. Go Live

Important note: Please make sure that you fully complete each step before moving on to the next one! 

You’ll find the answers to some FAQs at the end of this article.

a. For partners who are new to Zalando’s Partner Program, 

or

b. If you are a new Partner Program partner who has not yet decided and would like more information about your preferred method of integration,

Our Sales team can help you find the most suitable way of combining our logistics solutions. Please reach out to them at logisticssolutions@zalando.de.

c. If you are an existing partner who has already integrated and would like to use ZSS, we can help you with expanding into new markets. To find out more please reach out to Partner Care here.

In order to kick off your ZSS Partner onboarding all partners need to have:

a. Signed your ZSS contract (one contract for each market you want to go live in). If you have not signed your ZSS contract yet, please contact our Sales team at logisticssolutions@zalando.de.

b. Decided on an integration solution. You can integrate via a third party provider, including our preferred integrator Tradebyte, or via direct integration to our API. Please reach out to your Sales Manager for more information.

c. You need to complete the ZSS questionnaire shared by the P-GTM sales team.

Once these steps are completed, for partners using Direct Integration to our APIs you need to:

d. Integrate the Orders API as outlined here.

e. Complete technical integration with the ZSS Connect API. This is the API through which you will receive your shipping documents.

f. Test in Sandbox

g. Once the test in Sandbox is performed successfully, please let the Zalando integration team know by emailing them through support-onboarding@zalando.de and sharing these shipping documents: (1) outbound label, (2) return label (3) delivery slip.

For partners using an integrator, once you have completed step 2 a, b, and c above please inform your Integrator.

If you have chosen Tradebyte as your Integrator, you should open a ticket via the Tradebyte Community ticketing system.

For further information please check the Tradebyte manuals:

1. ZSS Tradebyte Fact sheet

2. ZSS Tradebyte Manual

If you have any questions regarding the Tradebyte process please contact support@Tradebyte.com

If you have any questions or need assistance with this step, please contact ZSS at ZSS-Integration@zalando.de. 

Once step 2 is completed, you can move on to step 3. 

Important note: For Partner Program partners who are already live on Zalando and wish to change their logistics solution to ZSS, please skip step 3 and continue directly with step 4. 

The physical test is the final stage before going live. Here the test is carried out in real-time to check the end-to-end flow including inbound, outbound and returns. The test order must be a real order made in the Fashion Store (non-Sandbox). 

a. Preparing the test order in production

• The first step is to provide two SKUs for physical testing.

• After we get the SKUs, we will whitelist that particular article for physical testing.

• Once this is done, you will receive the test customer data from ZSS.

• Then you need to place a test order and submit the order details to ZSS vis ZSS-Integration@zalando.de

After completing these first steps, you’ll need to proceed with the following:

• You'll need to prepare a parcel and include test item, delivery documents, and return label. The outbound label of the last-mile carrier is to be pasted on the parcel.

• Once the test order is packaged, please place the parcel into a larger box. This will be the ‘Mother’ parcel. Please ensure that you follow the detailed guidelines for Mother Parcel and ZSS Shipping guidelines. 

• ZSS Shipping Label and first-mile shipping labels need to be attached to the sealed Mother parcel. 

• Before shipping out the test order, please make sure everything is compliant with the ZSS Shipping guidelines. 

• After shipping the Mother parcel to the Outbound Parcel Sorting Center (OPSC), you will need to notify Zalando via the Orders API in zDirect or through your integrator.  

The test order flow is divided into first mile and last-mile delivery:

b. First Mile Delivery

• You can send the Mother parcel through your own carrier to our OPSC in Hamburg. Please ensure you have attached the ZSS label.

c. Last-Mile Delivery

• In the OPSC, the test orders are removed from the Mother parcel, scanned, and sorted. They are then handed over to the respective carriers depending on the delivery addresses.

• You can track the last-mile delivery through Integrator/Direct API using the shipping ID from Zalando. 

• Once the delivery has been made, the test customer sends photos of the label and delivery documentation directly to the Zalando Quality Assurance (QA) team. 

• The QA team then evaluates the test order and reaches out to the partner directly to provide feedback on the test order. 

d. Parcel Returns

• The return flow is then automatically tested following the outbound test order delivery and QA assessment.

• The customer attaches the return label enclosed in the parcel and returns it back to the carrier.

• The return is tracked by the return tracking ID provided by Cycleon (the ZSS service-provider for return labels).

• Once Cycleon has received the return parcels, they will trigger the refund and forward the return parcels to your warehouse address.

If you have questions or need assistance at any point during the physical test, please reach out to ZSS at ZSS-Integration@zalando.de.

After completing the Physical Test in step 4 and receiving the QA approval report you’ll need to do the following, before you can go live:

a. Ensure that all of the SKUs in your article assortment have been successfully onboarded

b. Confirm the stock

c. Set prices and confirm they are correct

d. Connect to the Price Validation API (for partners using Direct Integration) 

If you need assistance with any of these final stages before going live, please contact integration support at: support-integration@zalando.de. 

As soon as your articles are successfully onboarded, you will get notified by an integration manager by email that you are now live on the Zalando platform and can start selling!

Please note: If you wish to make any changes to your operations or integrations after going live on Zalando, please let the ZSS team know at least two weeks in advance. You can direct any questions or updates to ZSS-Integration@zalando.de.

If you have any questions regarding the Tradebyte process please contact support@Tradebyte.com.