Service Level Agreements: Inbound Receiving & Outbound Fulfillment

Flexport is committed to providing reliable, transparent service levels for both inbound receiving and outbound fulfillment operations. This article outlines our Operational service level agreements (SLAs) to help you plan and manage your inventory and order fulfillment expectations.

Table of Contents

1. Inbound Receiving Service Level Agreements

• Estimated Receiving Times Overview
• Dock to Stock Forwarding Plans
• Direct Inbound Plans
• Reserve (B2B) Inbound Plans
• Prep Services
• Reserve Storage to Ecomm Transfers

2. Outbound Fulfillment Service Level Agreements

• D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) Orders
• B2B/Wholesale Orders
• Special Fulfillment Services

3. Peak Season & Holiday Adjustments

4. Forecast Requirements & Volume Management

5. Exclusions and Limitations

6. Compliance Requirements

Inbound Receiving Service Level Agreements

Estimated Receive Times Overview

In an effort to provide more clarity into Flexport's receiving times, we are updating how we display estimated receiving times. Estimated receiving times for forwarding plans are now broken out into two categories:

1. The time it takes to receive ~20%¹ of your inventory;
2. The time it takes to receive the remaining ~80% of inventory

¹ Depending on your current inventory allocation, Flexport may receive more or less than 20% in the first receive. 

These estimates do not account for macro disruptions, and apply only to shipments that arrive compliantly. Non-compliance will cause forwarding and receiving delays, as it requires corrective action. Check out our What is non-compliance? article for more information!

Dock to Stock Forwarding Plans:

• The first ~20%¹ of inventory on the shipping plan is estimated to be received between 3-4 calendar days from arrival at our crossdock
• The remaining ~80% of inventory on the shipping plan is estimated to be received between 4-11 calendar days from arrival at our crossdock.

Direct Inbound Plans:

• Inventory is estimated to be received between 1-3 calendar days from arrival at the fulfillment center

Prep Services: 

• Prep Services will be completed within 72 business hours of arrival.
• While we accept Small Parcel Prep Inbounds for select services, we strongly advise utilizing freight for prep shipments. Due to the complexities of processing small parcel deliveries within our facilities, using a Small Parcel Carrier may result in prep delays.
• Flexport will not be liable for any prep delays that arise as a result of using small parcel carriers for prep inbounds.

Reserve (B2B) Inbound Plans:

Once the inbound shipment arrives at Flexport replenishment facilities, the following inbound SLAs apply for palletized inbounds:

• Received within 2 calendar days if they arrive prior to 12 PM (local time of site)
• Received within 3 calendar days if they arrive later than 12 PM (local time of site)

Once the inbound shipment arrives at Flexport replenishment facilities, the following inbound SLAs apply for floor loaded containers:

• Received within 3 calendar days if they arrive prior to 12 PM (local time of site)
• Received within 4 calendar days if they arrive later than 12 PM (local time of site)

Note:

• If inbound shipments arrive early, ahead of their appointment schedule, the SLA will start from the appointment time. For example: If the shipment is scheduled at 1 PM but arrives at 11 AM, the SLA would start from 1 PM.
• If inbound shipments arrive later than the scheduled appointment, they will be considered a "work in" and received at the Fulfillment Center's next available appointment slot
• Containers may remain on site for up to 4 calendar days, from the time the container is dropped to empty container pickup.

Learn more in our Inbounds Help Center article

Reserve Storage to Ecomm Transfers: 

• We will have your order or transfer ready to ship from our warehouse within 3 business days of the request being received as long as it is submitted by 12 pm in the timezone of the site
• For reserve storage to ecomm transfers that also require prep services, outbound processing out of reserve storage will take up to 3 days, and prep will take up to 3 additional days prior to forwarding timeline.

Outbound Fulfillment Service Level Agreements

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Orders

On-Time Shipment (OTS) - >98% Target

• 98% same-day fulfillment for all orders received by 2 PM EST (Ground + Expedite)
• Volume within 10% of forecast: Same-day shipment
• Volume 10-15% above forecast: Shipped within 24 business hours
• Volume >15% above forecast: Custom SLA mutually agreed upon
• Last-hour orders: No more than 5% of daily volume processed within final hour before cutoff; excess orders processed within 24 hours
• Holiday processing: Additional day added for orders received on federal holidays
• Peak season: Additional mutually agreed upon hours during high-volume periods

Missed Shipment Definition: A shipment that ships later than the expected ship date and time.

Marketplace Orders: Orders with marketplace "Promised By" dates are considered on-time if shipped by the promised date, even if beyond standard SLA.

Order Accuracy - 99% Target

Orders shipped without fulfillment errors, including:

• Incorrect item(s) shipped
• Missing item(s)
• Damaged item(s) due to fulfillment errors
• Incorrect quantity

Calculation: (Total Orders - Orders with Errors) ÷ Total Orders × 100

On-Time Delivery (OTD) - >95% Target

Percentage of orders delivered within promised delivery timeframes:

• Ground: delivered within 7 business days
• 3-Day: delivered within 3 business days
• 2-Day: delivered within 2 business days
• 1-Day: delivered within 1 business day

Note: "Day one" is the day after initial ship promise. Delayed orders will be expedited at no cost to meet original delivery SLA.

B2B/Wholesale Orders

On-Time Ready to Ship (OTRS) - >95% Target

• Orders ready to ship within 3 business days of request receipt
• Must be submitted by 12 PM local time to start same-day processing
• Business days: Monday-Friday at all sites
• Applies to transfers to ecommerce network, FBA transfers, and retailer/wholesaler outbounds
• Requires appropriate routing guide and available inventory

Special Fulfillment Services 

Returns Processing

• 99% of compliant returns processed within 5 business days of arrival
• Items determined suitable for restock: received within 48 hours of processing
• Flexport does not guarantee specific restock percentages

Removals/Disposals

• Standard orders: 10-14 business days
• Large orders (5+ SKUs or 5,000+ units): up to 30 business days
• Additional delays possible if freight unavailable due to factors outside Flexport's control

Inventory Accuracy - 98% Target

• Net inventory accuracy maintained across all SKUs
• Goods delivered damaged or short will not count against accuracy rate
• Cycle count programs available by mutual agreement
• Inventory counts exceeding 10% of total inventory require 4 weeks notice

Appointment Scheduling

• 48-hour advance notice required for all delivery or pickup appointments
• Rush appointments within 48 hours subject to account manager and site ops approval

Peak Season & Holiday Adjustments

2025 Holiday Schedule

The following list contains all holidays for our Replenishment sites. If your order or inbound is around these dates, please add an additional day to our ready to ship guarantee.

Relaxed SLA Periods

• D2C On-Time Shipment: Relaxed for 14 days following Thanksgiving
• B2B On-Time Ready to Ship: Relaxed from October 15-31
• Peak Season: Additional mutually agreed upon processing hours during Black Friday-Cyber Monday, flash sales, and promotional periods

To learn more, please refer to our Key Dates for the 2025 Holiday Season article.

Forecast Requirements & Volume Management

All merchants must provide:

• D2C volumes 10-15% above forecast: 24-hour processing
• Volumes >15% above forecast: Custom SLA mutually agreed upon
• Last-hour order volume limitations: Max 5% of daily volume within final cutoff hour
• Four-week rolling forecast with at least one week locked in
• D2C Orders: SLAs apply to volumes within 10% of forecast
• B2B Orders: SLAs apply to volumes within 15% of forecast

Volume Exceeding Thresholds:

• D2C volumes 10-15% above forecast: 24-hour processing
• Volumes >15% above forecast: Custom SLA mutually agreed upon
• Last-hour order volume limitations: Max 5% of daily volume within final cutoff hour

Compliance Requirements 

For Inbound Compliance:

• All items must be in item master and accurate
• All clearance documents (CI, PL, COO, etc.) must be received timely and 100% accurate
• New suppliers/vendors require additional 72 hours of inspection for 30-day period
• Shipments must have appointments, POs, content labels, barcodes in catalog, dimensions and weights
• Non-compliant shipments are excluded from SLA until merchant resolves issues

For Outbound Compliance:

• Correct order data must be provided by merchant
• Inventory must be available at facility to fulfill orders
• Appropriate routing guides must be established for B2B orders

Appointment Requirements:

• 48-hour advance notice required for all deliveries or pickups
• Rush appointments within 48 hours require account manager approval
  
   

Exclusions and Limitations

SLAs do not apply during:

• First 90 days of new merchant onboarding (outbound SLAs only)
• Non-compliant shipments/orders requiring corrective action
• Systems, equipment, or building issues outside of Flexport's control
• Unplanned volume spikes exceeding forecast thresholds
• Carrier disruptions beyond Flexport's control
• Force majeure events impacting operations
• Inbound discrepancy claims must be submitted within 90 calendar days of arrival; claims after that period will be rejected.

Additional Limitations:

• Flexport will do its best to maintain delivery service levels; however, we may be unable to do so during unplanned spikes in shipping volume due to peak season dates, warehouse holidays, unforeseen technical errors, or general carrier disruptions
• Please wait until at least 15 calendar days have passed after delivery before inquiring about your shipment with Support
• These estimates do not account for macro disruptions