The Amazon Merchant Transport Utility, or AMTU for short, is the interface between Amazon and a marketplace seller. It allows for the receiving and sending of files and reports. The goal is to make data exchange “as simple as dragging and dropping files in a directory” (AMTU User Guide).
What is AMTU used for?
For sellers on Amazon, the AMTU tool is one of the easiest ways to receive files from Amazon and to transmit files to Amazon. Sellers can install the software on their computer. All files are then stored and uploaded in a separate folder. The AMTU software runs automatically in the background.
With the AMTU provided by Amazon, the following actions are possible, for example:
- Automatic retrieval of order reports
- Uploads of multiple files to Amazon simultaneously (using XML or text files)
- Automatic transmission of order reports to the seller
- Automatic exchange of inventory between the seller and Amazon
- Automatic transmission of shipping confirmations to Amazon
- Capturing and archiving data logs for analyzing issues that sellers can send to Amazon
- Support for different seller accounts, Amazon Marketplace sites, and web stores through separate feeds
How can Amazon sellers set up the AMTU software?
In order for Amazon sellers to send files, receive reports, and capture data logs using AMTU, the computer being used must meet certain system requirements. Additionally, it is necessary for the linked Seller Central account to be active or at least in the integration phase.
Hardware requirements
The following hardware is required for Amazon AMTU:
- Processor: min. 166 MHz
- RAM: min. 64 MB
- Available storage space: min. 70 MB
Software requirements
Amazon sellers can use AMTU with the following Java 8 compatible Windows devices:
- Windows 10 (8u51 and higher)
- Windows 8.x (Desktop)
- Windows 7 (SP1)
- Windows Server 2016
Installation is also possible on other operating systems, such as
- Intel-based Mac computers with Mac OS X version 10.8.3 or higher (except Catalina) or
- Linux devices that are Java 8 compatible.
To begin the installation, Amazon sellers must authorize the AMTU developer to make Marketplace Web Service (MWS) requests for the respective seller account. For this purpose, the AMTU user manual from Amazon provides the corresponding link. There, sellers need to log in to the Seller Central account they wish to link with the Amazon Merchant Transport Utility. In the end, sellers will receive the seller ID, the marketplace site ID, and the token for MWS authorization.
Then, the respective software version must be downloaded from this page. If a different version of Amazon AMTU has already been installed, it must be uninstalled first. Without uninstallation, conflicts between the applications may arise.
During the installation process, the software will then ask for the seller ID, the created token, and the marketplace site ID from the MWS authorization. After that, Amazon checks the submitted AMTU and log files.
Since Amazon has designed the AMTU tool as a background application, it is essential for proper functionality that the software runs continuously in the background. Therefore, it is recommended to integrate AMTU into the computer’s startup.
Detailed information about the software and the user interface can be found by Amazon sellers in the AMTU User Guide. It describes both the uninstallation and installation processes. Additionally, users can read here how to correctly configure the interface, add or delete a seller account, upload files, retrieve reports, and create directories and folders.
