DBS (Delivery by Seller) is a model in which the marketplace acts purely as a storefront: the order comes from the platform, while storage, picking and delivery to the customer are entirely on the seller. It means maximum control and maximum operational load — the model is not "better" or "worse" than FBS, it is simply built for different products.
In short: FBO — the platform does everything; FBS — you store and pick, the platform ships; DBS — you do everything, the platform supplies the orders.
How DBS works
- The customer places an order on the marketplace — the payment and the storefront belong to the platform.
- The order lands in your account; you pick it and deliver it to the customer yourself or with your own courier service — within the timeframes you promised in the settings.
- The platform charges a sales commission; there are no logistics fees — the logistics are yours.
You declare the delivery times and zones yourself, and they are shown to the customer on the product card. Missing your own deadlines hurts your metrics just as badly as under any other model: seller rating.
How DBS differs from FBS
- FBS: your warehouse and your picking, but you hand the parcel over to the platform's logistics — it takes over from there.
- DBS: the platform's logistics are not involved at all — the whole delivery is on you, including the last mile.
A full comparison of the three models with the economics is in the FBO vs FBS guide; on Ozon the same logic is followed by realFBS, and on Yandex Market DBS is a mature model with specifics of its own: DBS on Yandex Market.
Who needs DBS
- Oversized goods and items that need assembly or carrying upstairs — furniture, building materials: platform logistics for them is expensive or impossible: oversized goods.
- Fragile and specific items — things that do not survive the conveyor: glass, plants, cakes.
- Products with installation or fitting — where delivery is combined with a service.
- Sellers with delivery already in place — online stores with their own couriers, for whom the marketplace is an extra storefront.
Related reads: How to work with FBS.
FAQ
"What is DBS on a marketplace?" The Delivery by Seller model: the platform provides the storefront and the orders, while storage, picking and delivery to the customer are performed by the seller. The sales commission stays, but there are no platform logistics fees.
"How is DBS different from FBS?" Under FBS you hand the packed order over to the platform's logistics; under DBS you deliver it to the customer's door yourself. DBS is the full cycle on the seller's side.
"Which products suit DBS?" Oversized goods, fragile items, products with assembly or installation, perishables — everything that copes badly with the standard conveyor. And sellers who already run a working courier delivery.
"What are the downsides of DBS?" All the operations and their cost are on you, with hard commitments on delivery times and penalties for delays. Without ready delivery infrastructure the model eats your margin and your rating.
