Amazon seller glossary

A+ Content is the enhanced product description, with rich text and images, that Brand Registry owners can add to product detail pages. It is one of the brand-only features Amazon lists with Brand Registry.

Account Health is the Seller Central dashboard where Amazon shows a seller's performance and policy compliance: the Account Health Rating, open policy violations and appeals. Sellers read warnings and respond to policy notices there, and enrolled sellers can also see their Account Health Assurance status.

Account Health Assurance is a free protection for Professional sellers who keep an Account Health Rating of 250 or higher for at least 6 months, with no more than 10 days below, and a valid emergency contact on file. Amazon says it will not deactivate the account if the seller responds within 72 hours and works to resolve the issue.

The Account Health Rating is a score from 0 to 1,000 that shows how close an account is to deactivation. Amazon's help FAQ puts 200 and above at Healthy and 100 to 199 at At Risk. It is a different bar from the 250 that Account Health Assurance requires.

An appeal is a seller's request that Amazon review and reverse an enforcement action, such as a removed listing or a deactivated account. It is submitted through Seller Central, usually with a Plan of Action and supporting documents. Amazon makes the decision, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

An ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) is the unique code Amazon assigns to each product in its catalog. Sellers use it to find a product detail page, create offers and identify products in notices, and several sellers can offer the same ASIN.

Brand Registry is Amazon's free program for owners of an active registered trademark. It gives access to brand protection tools and brand-only features such as A+ Content, Sponsored Brands, Stores, Brand Analytics and Vine. Roles inside it, such as Brand Representative, control who can act.

Brand Representative is a role in Amazon Brand Registry. For inventory shipped on or after March 31, 2026, brand owners with this role can use manufacturer barcodes without Amazon stickers, while resellers must apply Amazon barcode stickers even when a manufacturer barcode exists.

Amazon now calls the Buy Box the Featured Offer: the offer a shopper buys with Add to Cart or Buy Now. Amazon picks it from competing offers using factors such as a competitive price and free shipping. Many sellers still say "Buy Box".

The FDA's current good manufacturing practice rule for dietary supplements is 21 CFR Part 111. It covers anyone who manufactures, packages, labels or holds supplements, including supplements imported into the US.

A Children's Product Certificate is required for children's products, meaning products designed for ages 12 and under. It must rest on testing by a CPSC-accepted third-party lab. The manufacturer or importer issues the certificate, not the lab. Amazon can ask sellers for it.

Commingling was Amazon fulfilling orders with exact product matches from the closest inventory, even if it belonged to a different seller. For inventory shipped on or after March 31, 2026, Amazon ended it. Brand Representatives can use manufacturer barcodes; resellers must use Amazon barcode stickers.

Since July 8, 2026, importers of consumer products subject to a CPSC rule must electronically file their certificates of compliance (GCC or CPC) before the goods enter US commerce. For goods from Foreign Trade Zones, the requirement starts January 8, 2027.

A CPSC-accepted laboratory is a third-party testing lab the Consumer Product Safety Commission has accepted to test children's products. A Children's Product Certificate must be based on its test results. CPSC publishes a list of accepted labs, so check the lab's scope covers your product's rules.

Days of supply estimates how long current stock will last at recent sales speed. A simple version is units on hand divided by average daily units sold. Amazon uses historical days of supply, over 30-day and 90-day windows, to decide whether the low-inventory-level fee applies.

De minimis was the US rule that let low-value shipments enter duty-free. Duty-free de minimis treatment ended for shipments from all countries on August 29, 2025 (Executive Order 14324), and for China and Hong Kong on May 2, 2025.

Deactivation is Amazon removing a seller's selling privileges on the whole account, usually with a notice that gives the reason. It differs from a listing removal, which affects one product. Sellers can generally appeal, and in some cases Amazon holds funds while it reviews the account.

An FBA capacity limit is the monthly cap on how much inventory a seller can send to and store at Amazon, measured in cubic feet. Sellers see it in the Capacity Monitor. Amazon says IPI, sales forecasts, shipment lead time and fulfillment center capacity influence it.

An FBA reimbursement is compensation Amazon pays a seller for inventory it lost or damaged in its fulfillment network, and in some cases for fee errors. Some are paid automatically and others require a claim. Claim windows and values apply, so check the current rules in Seller Central.

An FCC ID identifies a radio-frequency device certified for use in the United States. In July 2026 the FCC adopted an order requiring online marketplaces to display the FCC ID of certified radio devices at the point of sale. Marketplaces must comply from March 1, 2027, or June 1, 2027 when relying on third-party seller certifications.

US law (FIFRA) requires pesticides sold or distributed in the United States, including imports, to be registered by the EPA. A pesticide is any product intended to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate a pest, so a claim like "kills 99.9% of germs" can make a product a pesticide.

An FNSKU is the Amazon identifier on the Amazon barcode label that ties a unit in a fulfillment center to a specific seller's SKU. Labeled units stay traceable to that seller. Since March 31, 2026, resellers must apply Amazon barcode stickers even if a manufacturer barcode exists.

Fulfillment by Amazon is the program in which sellers send inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers and Amazon stores it, then picks, packs and ships orders. Amazon also handles customer service and returns for those orders. Sellers pay fulfillment, storage and other FBA fees.

The fulfillment fee is the per-unit charge Amazon applies to pick, pack and ship an FBA order. It varies by size, weight and category. Amazon's 2026 US update, effective January 15, 2026, raised FBA fees by an average of $0.08 per unit sold.

A General Certificate of Conformity is the certificate the CPSC requires for consumer products that are not children's products but are subject to a CPSC safety rule. The manufacturer or importer issues it, based on testing, and it travels with the shipment. Since July 8, 2026 it is filed electronically.

Dangerous goods, or hazmat, are products that could pose a risk if not stored, shipped or handled properly because of flammable, pressurized, corrosive or otherwise harmful substances. Amazon's dangerous goods team reviews them to decide whether the inventory is safe for FBA, and sellers upload a safety data sheet or exemption sheet.

Identity verification is Amazon's check that the person behind a seller account is who the account says. It happens at registration and can also be requested later, including as a live video interview where the account's operator shows identity and business documents. Names across documents should match.

An inactive listing has no buyable offer, so shoppers cannot purchase it. Common causes are required fields missing, a closed offer, or no inventory. Reactivating it usually means completing the missing data, restocking or reopening the offer in Seller Central.

Inbound placement is how a shipment sent to FBA is distributed across Amazon fulfillment centers. Amazon offers placement options and can charge an inbound placement fee depending on the option a seller chooses. Check the current options and rates in Seller Central before creating a shipment.

The Inventory Performance Index is a score from 0 to 1,000 that summarizes how well a seller manages FBA inventory, based on factors such as sales rate and unsellable inventory. Amazon says IPI is one of the factors that influence a seller's capacity limit. Check current thresholds in Seller Central.

Landed cost is the full cost of getting a unit to the point of sale: product price, freight, insurance, customs duties and other import charges. Since de minimis treatment ended for all countries on August 29, 2025, more low-value shipments pay duty, which raises landed cost.

On Amazon, a listing is the product information shown on a product detail page, such as the title, images and attributes. An offer is a seller's price and condition for that product. Amazon's seller glossary treats the two as separate, though many sellers use "listing" for both.

Listing Protection is a feature Amazon announced at Accelerate 2026 under which a listing flagged for a violation stays live while the seller resolves it. Amazon said it will reach all Account Health Assurance sellers in the US by the end of 2026 and roll out worldwide in 2027.

Amazon charges the low-inventory-level fee when a product's inventory stays below 28 days of supply over both the short-term (30-day) and long-term (90-day) windows. Some products, such as slow sellers, are exempt. Industry reports say it is now calculated per FNSKU; Amazon has not confirmed this publicly.

Under MoCRA, cosmetic manufacturers and processors must register their facilities with the FDA and renew every two years. A responsible person must list each product and its ingredients, update the listing annually, report serious adverse events within 15 business days, and keep records supporting the product's safety.

A variation family groups related products, such as sizes or colors, under a parent ASIN, while child ASINs carry the actual inventory. Shoppers pick a child on one detail page. A broken relationship or a missing required attribute can suppress child listings.

A Plan of Action is the written appeal a seller sends to Amazon after a policy violation, suspension or deactivation. Practitioners describe three parts: the root cause, the corrective actions already taken and the preventive measures that stop a repeat. Some cases also need documents such as supplier invoices.

A policy violation is a finding that a listing or a seller breaks one of Amazon's selling policies, for example on product safety, authenticity or listing content. Violations appear in Account Health and, if they are not resolved, can lead to removed listings, suspension or deactivation.

The Professional selling plan is Amazon's subscription plan for sellers who sell in volume; the other option is the Individual plan. Account Health Assurance is available to Professional sellers only, and Professional accounts receive FBA capacity limits based on their performance.

California's Proposition 65 requires businesses to give a clear warning before knowingly exposing people in California to chemicals the state lists as causing cancer or reproductive harm. Sellers shipping to California may need Prop 65 warnings on products and listings. Check your products against the state's current list.

A referral fee is the commission Amazon charges on each item sold, usually a percentage of the sale price that varies by category. It is separate from FBA fulfillment and storage fees. Amazon's 2026 US fee update covered both referral and FBA fees.

Reinstatement is Amazon restoring selling privileges after a suspension or deactivation, or restoring a removed listing, once it accepts the seller's appeal. Amazon decides case by case. No provider controls the outcome, so any promise of guaranteed reinstatement should be treated as a warning sign.

A removal order asks Amazon to return inventory from its fulfillment centers to the seller or to dispose of it. Sellers use it for stock they no longer want stored, such as unsellable or aged units. Amazon charges removal fees and has said it will process removals faster.

Industry sources report that since June 1, 2024 Amazon charges a returns processing fee on products whose return rate exceeds a category threshold, with apparel and shoes excluded and low-volume products exempt. Confirm current rules and categories in Seller Central before relying on this.

A safety data sheet is a standardized manufacturer document that describes a chemical product's hazards, safe handling and emergency measures. On Amazon, sellers upload a safety data sheet or an exemption sheet through the Manage Dangerous Goods Classification tool so the dangerous goods team can review the product.

Section 3 of Amazon's Business Solutions Agreement lets Amazon end the agreement for convenience with 30 days' notice. It also allows immediate suspension or termination in listed cases, such as suspected deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity, harm to customers or other sellers, or an Account Health Rating below Amazon's thresholds.

Seller Assistant is Amazon's AI assistant for sellers. At Accelerate 2026 Amazon described it as monitoring a business continuously and acting on the owner's behalf within limits the owner sets. Amazon says its systems automatically confirmed compliance for more than 8 million products in the past year.

Seller Central is Amazon's web portal where third-party sellers manage listings, inventory, orders, payments and account health. Amazon also offers Seller Central in other languages and marketplaces. Vendor Central is a different portal for suppliers that sell to Amazon.

Seller Challenge lets Account Health Assurance members ask Amazon to re-review eligible listing-level policy decisions after the standard appeal options are used up, up to three times every 180 days. It does not cover account suspensions.

Seller Performance refers to the performance targets Amazon sets for sellers, such as order defects, cancellations and late shipments, and to the teams that review accounts against them. Missing targets can lead to warnings, suspension or deactivation, and results are reported in Account Health.

A case is a support ticket a seller opens with Amazon Seller Support from Seller Central, for example to report a listing problem or ask about an account issue. Each case has an ID, so saving case IDs is useful when documenting an enforcement problem.

A SKU (stock keeping unit) is the identifier a seller creates for its own product or variation. In Seller Central, each SKU links to an ASIN offer, and for FBA each unit also carries an FNSKU label so Amazon can trace it to that seller.

A SKU-level profit and loss statement shows what each SKU actually earns after Amazon fees, product and landed costs, returns and other costs. It reveals which products lose money even when total sales look healthy. Amazon's own reports usually show sales and fees, not full product-level profit.

The Solution Provider Portal is Amazon's single portal for third parties that offer solutions to sellers. Agencies and consultants that work in a seller's account must register there and have roles approved. Each seller's authorization lasts 365 days and then must be renewed.

Sponsored ads are Amazon's paid advertising that places products or brands in search results and product pages, typically billed per click. In Amazon's seller glossary a sponsored ad is a targeted marketing tactic. LIVELE does not manage advertising; that stays with the brand's PPC agency or team.

The monthly inventory storage fee is what Amazon charges for keeping inventory in its fulfillment centers. It varies with the average daily volume of space the inventory occupies, the product size tier and the time of year. Aged or excess inventory can add further charges.

Stranded inventory is stock sitting in Amazon fulfillment centers without an active listing to sell it, for example after a listing is closed or suppressed. Sellers fix it on the Fix Stranded Inventory page, where a stranded reason column explains each case. Changes can take about 24 hours to show.

A suppressed listing still exists but Amazon hides it from search and browse because of a data, image or policy problem. The detail page may remain reachable by direct link. Sellers find suppressed items in Manage All Inventory, fix the flagged attributes and save.

A suspension is a restriction on selling, either on a single listing or on the whole account, until the seller resolves the issue Amazon cites. Sellers regain selling privileges only if Amazon accepts their appeal or documents, so the first step is reading the notice to see what is affected.

A TIC organization is an independent testing, inspection and certification body. Industry reports say Amazon is phasing in a requirement that dietary supplements sold in its US store show cGMP compliance verified by an Amazon-approved TIC organization. Sellers contacted by Amazon reportedly get 90 days to start.

User Permissions is the Seller Central area where a seller controls what other people can see and do in the account. Amazon advises sellers not to share their password and to use User Permissions to give others access instead.