Allegro One Fulfillment Protocol

Purpose and scope

The Allegro One Fulfillment Protocol defines a standardized set of processes, data schemas, and operational rules to enable seamless order, inventory, shipment, and returns integrations between Allegro, participating merchants, and fulfillment/warehousing partners. The protocol is intended to deliver consistent service levels, real-time inventory visibility, predictable shipping and tracking, and efficient settlement across diverse third-party systems while ensuring regulatory and marketplace compliance.

Core components

The protocol is composed of five essential components:

• Data model and message formats: Standardized payloads for orders, SKUs, inventory levels, shipment manifests, tracking updates, and return authorizations. JSON is the preferred format for APIs; XML may be supported for legacy integrations.
• APIs and endpoints: RESTful endpoints for order ingestion, inventory synchronization, label generation, shipment confirmation, and returns. Webhooks (event callbacks) are specified for asynchronous updates (order status, fulfillment events, tracking milestones).
• Authentication and security: OAuth2 token-based authentication, TLS encryption for all endpoints, role-based access control, and payload signing where needed to meet non-repudiation requirements.
• Operational SLAs and business rules: Defined service level agreements for order acknowledgment, pick-and-pack latency, dispatch windows, delivery lead times, and exception handling. Rules include cut-off times, backorder policies, and criteria for auto-cancellations.
• Settlement and reconciliation: Billing models for fulfillment fees, storage, handling, and returns; reconciliation primitives and financial reporting formats; dispute and chargeback resolution workflows.

Key data flows

Typical interactions under the protocol follow a clear sequence:

1. Catalog and inventory sync: Merchants publish SKUs and attributes to Allegro and share inventory quantities with the fulfillment partner. The protocol supports delta updates and full snapshots, with recommended cadence (real-time or every few minutes depending on volume).
2. Order transmission: When a buyer purchases, Allegro emits an order event to the merchant/fulfillment partner. The order payload includes buyer delivery preferences, payment confirmation, item detail, SKU identifiers, and any special instructions.
3. Order acknowledgement: Fulfillment partners must acknowledge receipt within the SLA (e.g., within 5 minutes) and confirm availability. If inventory is insufficient, the partner should emit a backorder or cancellation notice per the business rules.
4. Pick, pack, and ship: Upon picking and packing, fulfillment partners post shipment creation events, carrier selection, and tracking numbers. Shipping labels and manifests must conform to carrier requirements and include Allegro-specific identifiers to enable marketplace tracking and returns.
5. Tracking and delivery confirmation: Carriers push tracking milestones via the fulfillment partner to Allegro. Delivery confirmation and proof-of-delivery are required for dispute resolution and settlement.
6. Returns processing: Return authorizations are issued through Allegro; fulfillment partners process returns according to policy (inspection, restocking, credit issuance). The protocol defines timelines for updates and disposition codes.

Technical specifications and best practices

The protocol prescribes practical technical elements to ensure reliability and performance:

• Idempotency: All write operations must be idempotent; unique request IDs and idempotency keys prevent duplicate processing.
• Event ordering and retry logic: Webhook events include sequence numbers and timestamps. Systems must handle out-of-order events and implement exponential backoff for retries.
• Inventory reservation: A two-step reservation model (soft hold on order creation, firm allocation on pick initiation) reduces oversell risk while enabling rapid cancellations within marketplace rules.
• Labeling and packaging standards: Use Allegro-specific barcode placement and package dimensions/weight in shipment payloads. Standardized packaging templates reduce carrier disputes and dimensional weight errors.
• Testing and certification: A sandbox environment for end-to-end testing is required; partners must pass test suites covering order lifecycle, exception scenarios, returns, and reconciliation before production go-live.

Operational governance

Protocol governance ensures consistent service delivery:

• Onboarding: A documented onboarding checklist covers technical integration, SLAs, operational contact points, liability insurance, and service credits.
• Performance monitoring: Real-time dashboards and periodic reports track KPIs: order acceptance times, fulfillment lead times, On-Time Delivery (OTD), first-time delivery success, return processing time, and inventory accuracy.
• Escalation paths: Clear escalation matrices for operational incidents, fraud detection, and high-priority exceptions ensure rapid resolution and communication with Allegro’s marketplace operations team.

KPIs and SLA metrics

To maintain buyer experience, the protocol defines target SLAs and KPIs, typically including:

• Order acknowledgement within X minutes
• Pick-and-pack turnaround within Y hours
• Dispatch SLA adherence percentage
• On-Time Delivery (carrier performance)
• Inventory accuracy rate (cycle count variance)
• Return processing time and disposition accuracy

Security, compliance, and privacy

The protocol mandates compliance with applicable data protection laws (e.g., GDPR) and requires secure handling of personal data. Cross-border fulfillment must adhere to customs, VAT, and import/export rules; the protocol includes metadata fields for customs declarations and HS codes when relevant.

Implementation roadmap and checklist

A practical implementation sequence recommended by the protocol:

1. Assess current systems (ERP, WMS, OMS) for compatibility and mapping requirements.
2. Integrate authentication and test API connectivity in a sandbox.
3. Map data fields and implement idempotent submission logic for orders and inventory.
4. Implement webhooks for real-time updates, with monitoring and replay capabilities.
5. Run comprehensive test cases including cancellations, partial shipments, returns, and reconciliation scenarios.
6. Execute phased production rollout (pilot volume, scale to full traffic) with continuous monitoring and SLA verification.

Common mistakes and mitigation

Frequent integration errors include improper inventory reservation logic (leading to oversells), insufficient handling of asynchronous events, inadequate testing of exception flows, and weak reconciliation processes. Mitigations include robust sandbox testing, implementing idempotency, frequent inventory cycle counts, and automating reconciliation between Allegro settlements and fulfillment invoices.

Conclusion



The Allegro One Fulfillment Protocol is a comprehensive specification designed to harmonize the technical and operational interactions between Allegro, merchants, and fulfillment partners. By standardizing data formats, APIs, SLAs, and governance practices, the protocol reduces friction, improves delivery reliability, speeds dispute resolution, and enables scale. Successful adoption depends on disciplined integration, thorough testing, and continuous monitoring of KPIs to meet the expectations of Polish consumers and Allegro’s marketplace standards.