Who to name as the consignee on your Bill of Lading

The consignee is the party who takes possession of your goods when the cargo is released at destination, and it's named on the Bill of Lading. In most cases that's your own company — give your supplier your company's full legal name and address. If you're shipping to Amazon, there's a specific way to name the consignee, covered below.

Your supplier (the manufacturer or seller) needs the legal company name and legal address of the consignee to prepare the Bill of Lading. For example:

Company, Inc.
1000 Professional Ave
Muncie, IN 47302

The consignee is the party to whom possession of the goods passes when the cargo is released at destination. The consignee must be named on the Bill of Lading. See the glossary for related document terms.

The ultimate consignee is the final recipient of the shipment. In many cases the consignee and the ultimate consignee are the same party.

They differ mainly for foreign importers: if you don't have a U.S. company or presence, a U.S. business has to act as the ultimate consignee for your shipment.

How you name the consignee depends on whether you have a U.S. business:

• You have a U.S.-registered company. You are named as the consignee, because ownership of the goods transfers to you (as the Amazon shipper) when the cargo reaches the destination — even though the goods physically go to an Amazon fulfillment center.

• You're an international importer with no U.S. company or presence. Amazon serves as the ultimate consignee. Use the Amazon fulfillment center address you've been assigned as the ship-to address. For example:

[My Company, Inc.]
c/o Amazon
500 McCarthy
Lewisberry, PA 17339

For the full FBA workflow, see Shipping to Amazon FBA: end-to-end.

Your supplier may also ask for a Notify Party — a party to be alerted when the shipment arrives. A Bill of Lading can list one or more Notify Parties, but it isn't required to have any. If you don't know who the Notify Party should be, name yourself.

If you're not sure how to name the consignee for a particular shipment — especially a first Amazon shipment or one involving a letter of credit — ask us before your supplier finalizes the Bill of Lading. It's much easier to get it right up front than to amend documents once cargo is moving.

• Bill of Lading: what it is and the common types

• Commercial Invoice and Packing List: what we need

• Shipping to Amazon FBA: end-to-end

• Freight & shipping glossary