Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS)

Introduction

Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS) offers you a seamless way to handle deliveries and returns across Europe. Operating as a label reselling solution with our selected logistics partners, KSS allows you to purchase shipping labels in a simple and flexible manner, whether you use the Seller API or the Seller Portal. This gives you easy access to reliable and cost-efficient shipping solutions for deliveries and returns.

Using KSS will help you manage logistics across multiple countries with ease, supporting your growth and seamless international expansion while helping you reduce logistics costs.

Logistic Solution with KSS

Logistics Network

KSS provides logistics solutions in collaboration with logistic partners and is actively expanding its network. Deliveries are supported from Germany to Germany (DE), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Slovakia (SK), and the Czech Republic (CZ). Return labels are available for returns from these countries exclusively back to Germany.

Logistics requirements

To use Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS), please adhere to the following logistics requirements:

  • Logistics Partner: Currently, all KSS logistics are managed by GLS.
  • First Mile Options: You have the flexibility to choose your preferred first mile method in coordination with your KGM team:
    • Pick-up: GLS can pick up parcels directly from your warehouse.
    • Drop-off: You can deliver parcels to a GLS drop-off point.
  • Warehouse Address: For pick-ups, the address must be located in Germany. While, for drop-offs, parcels must be delivered to a German GLS drop-off point.
  • Customer Address: The destination address for shipments must be in one of the following countries: Germany (DE), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Slovakia (SK), or the Czech Republic (CZ).

Process overview

Deliveries

Sign up

To sign up for Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS) as a Seller, you should either open a support ticket or get in touch with your Kaufland Global Marketplace contact person. They will assist you with the registration process and guide you through any necessary steps to start using KSS.

Identify KSS Order Units

To identify if an order unit is KSS-eligible via the API, include the embedded field kss_delivery in requests to the endpoints GET /order-units/{id_order_unit} and GET /orders/{id_order}. This will return the kss_eligible boolean field for each order unit, indicating whether it can be shipped via KSS or not. Further information can be found directly in the endpoint definitions: /orders/{id_order} and /order-units/{id_order_unit}.

Additionally, the response will include the embedded attribute delivery, providing the necessary data for sending orders to out-of-home locations. This object was introduced in 2023 to offer more flexible delivery options and can also contain information relevant for various carriers, including GLS, DHL, Packeta and InPost. For more details on the delivery object and its attributes, please refer to the corresponding section in the Seller API documentation.

Note: GLS out-of-home locations are being implemented and will be available soon.

For an order unit to be eligible for Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS), the following conditions must be met:

  • Seller Activation: You must be activated for KSS as a seller.
  • Customer Delivery Address: The delivery address must be within one of the active storefronts: Germany (DE), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Slovakia (SK), or the Czech Republic (CZ).
  • Warehouse Address: For pick-ups, the address must be located in Germany. While, for drop-offs, parcels must be delivered to a German GLS drop-off point.
  • Package Limitations: Standard parcel dimensions are 120x80x60 cm. Additional charges apply if the longest side exceeds 120 cm or for non-conveyable items. The maximum weight is 40 kg.
  • Hazardous Goods: The order unit must not be categorized as hazardous goods. (We will refer to the hazard_statements attribute in the unit’s product data).
  • Delivery Type: The item must not require hauler delivery.

Request shipping Label

To generate shipping labels, you can send a POST request to our endpoint /shipping-labels with the necessary details. Both the request and response information are explained in detail in the endpoint definition /shipping-labels and in the example provided below.

In the request you define the ids_order_units you want to send in the package, as well as the measurements of the package and the carrier you prefer to be used.

  • ids_order_units: one or many, as long as they belong to the same order.
  • measurements of the package: width, height, length (in centimeters) and weight (in grams). Please consider package limitations per carrier, as defined in 2.2 Logistics requirements.
  • carriers: A list of carriers that you want to use for the shipment. As for now, only GLS is available. In the future, you can define multiple carriers and we will provide you with the best shipping label for your specific shipment.

Example Request

{
    "ids_order_units": [ 123456789, 987654321 ],
    "carriers": [ "GLS" ],
    "package_measurements": {
        "weight_gram": 1500,
        "width_cm": 10,
        "height_cm": 20,
        "length_cm": 30
    }
}

The response includes the shipping label data, tracking number, the carrier, and a URL for downloading the label in PDF format.

Example Response

{
    "data": {
        "id":"313a1a22-c9a2-4688-994e-a5d59866fd08",
        "tracking_number": "ABCDEFGH",
        "carrier": "GLS",
        "download_url": "https://example.com/path/to/shippinglabel.pdf"
    }
}

After the request has been made, you can download the shipping label in pdf format as a response. You need to download the label within the next 7 days, afterwards the link will expire.

The endpoint allows you to request a label as many times as you need, even if you have already done so for the same order_unit.

Note: Creating a shipping label will not change the order status - you still have to mark the order unit as sent.

Mark order units as sent

Creating a shipping label will not automatically update the order unit status to sent. You need to make API requests to set the order unit into status sent. For this, you need to use the carrier and tracking number of the label you received. This follows our standard process for handling order statuses. You can find more information about this request here.

For Returns

With Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS), you have the flexibility to choose whether to use the service for deliveries, returns, or both. If you enable return labels, your customers will automatically receive a return label when they initiate a return, requiring no action from your side. Once a return is received, you have the option to either accept or reject it. This feature streamlines the return process and enhances customer convenience.

To handle returns using KSS, you need to integrate the return endpoints. More technical information can be found under our Managing returns documentation.

Error Handling

To ensure smooth integration with the KSS API, users should be aware of the possible error scenarios and how to address them. Endpoint Documentation

There are some scenarios where a request will display an error message instead of returning a shipping label.

Whenever a request is incorrect, the API will display a message to help you understand what has happened and why the request ended in an error.