Master the Amazon Marketplace with Seller University (For Existing Sellers)

Master the Amazon Marketplace with Seller University
May 9, 2016
The Seller University curriculum of instructional videos helps you gain insight into Selling on Amazon, our tools and policies for sellers, and the products and services that can help you swiftly grow your business.

New Feature: Custom Inventory Templates
Apr 21, 2016

We are pleased to announce the launch of Custom Inventory Templates. You can generate customized inventory templates specific to the types of products you sell. These templates contain only those attributes that are deemed essential to improve customer experience.
To generate a customized inventory template for your products follow the below steps:

1. Select the specific product category for your item from Add Products via Upload page.
2. Select the option Generate Template.

ATEP is now available to all sellers on the Professional selling plan
Apr 14, 2016

Amazon Tax-Exemption Program (ATEP) allows buyers to make tax-exempt purchases from participating sellers by providing tax-exemption certificates. Once you are enrolled in ATEP, Amazon will not collect taxes on tax-exempt purchases, and you will be able to get your buyers’ tax-exemption certificates right in Seller Central. To enroll in ATEP, check the Enroll in Amazon Tax-ExemptionProgram box located on the View/Edit Your Tax Collection Obligations and Shipping & Handling and Gift Wrap Tax Settings page, and follow the prompts to submit your changes. Find out more aboutATEP.

Processing Reports in All Languages
Apr 13, 2016

Sellers can now change the default language for Processing Reports, which provide a summary of listing issues encountered during uploads made via inventory templates. Apart from English or the default local language for the marketplace you are listing in, you can now choose to receive the report in one of 11 different language options.

To select your preferred language for Processing Reports, follow the steps listed below:

1. Log into your Seller Central account.
2. Select Settings, and click Account Info.
3. Under Business Information, click Language for feed processing report.
4. From the drop-down, select your preferred language.

Improved accuracy for shipment reconciliation
Apr 11, 2016

We have made changes that help improve the accuracy of reconciling your shipments. To improve accuracy, enough time must have passed for your products to have reached their intended fulfillment centers, including products that need to be reshipped to other locations in order to be closer to customers. The date that your shipment becomes eligible for reconciliation can be found in the reconcile section of your shipment summary.

Free Shipping Required for Shoes, Handbags and Sunglasses Category Starting May 24, 2016
Mar 29, 2016
To help provide customers with the best possible buying experience, Amazon is implementing a new shipping policy in the Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses category.

Starting May 24, 2016, a free shipping option will be required for all listings in this category with an item price of $49 or more.

This free shipping requirement will apply to all products properly listed in the Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses category, including shoes-laces, shoe-horns, and all other shoe accessories. Please update your listings prior to help ensure that your listings remain active and buyable.

For more information, see the Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses selling requirements page.

Pay for Sponsored Products Using Your Seller Account
Mar 21, 2016

Starting now, you can deduct your advertising fees (pay-per-click fees) from your seller account, and you no longer need to maintain a separate credit card to pay for advertising fees.

To change your payment method

• In Seller Central, go to Settings > Account Info.
• In the Payment Information section, click Charge Methods for Advertising.

Already a Sponsored Products Advertiser? Learn more about paying for ads

Not a Sponsored Products advertiser? Learn more about Sponsored Products

Register More Easily in Europe and Manage Key Business Indicators from Your Seller Central Account
Mar 9, 2016

Now you can more easily register to sell in Europe from your Seller Central account. When you register for a European Pro Seller account from the Sell Globally page in Seller Central, Amazon will prefill some of your seller information during registration to expedite the process. Once you complete registration, your North America and European accounts will be automatically connected so that you can access key metrics from both your North America and European businesses such as account health, open orders, and buyer messages from the Sell Globally page.

If you actively sell across marketplaces, you can also take advantage of this functionality. For example, if you sell in North America with your Unified Account, you can access these key metrics for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico marketplaces on the Sell Globally page. Similarly, if you already sell in Europe, you can link your North America and European accounts from the Sell Globally page to access data from both regions.

For more information, visit the Sell Globally page.

New: Bid+ Can Help Increase Ad Impressions
Dec 16, 2015
Bid+ is a setting in Campaign Manager that helps increase the opportunity for your ads to show in the top of search results. When Bid+ is turned on, Amazon will increase the maximum bid for your ads that are eligible to appear in this placement.

You can turn on Bid+ for any manually targeted campaign. If your ad is not eligible to appear we will not increase your bids.

Already a Sponsored Products advertiser? Learn more about Bid+

Not a Sponsored Products advertiser? Learn more about Sponsored Products

Get Your Inventory Reports More Quickly
Nov 19, 2015

Inventory Reports are now available in less than half the time. The improvement is especially noticeable if you have a large inventory.

To request an Inventory Report, select Inventory, then select Inventory Reports. On the Inventory Reports page, select the desired report type from the list, then select Request Report.

Seller Rating Tab Removed
Nov 18, 2015
On November 16, 2015, based on seller feedback, Amazon removed the Seller Rating tab from all Seller Central accounts. You can still view your seller-performance metrics–such as Order Defect Rate, Cancellation Rate, and Late Shipment Rate–on the Performance Summary and Account Health tabs in your seller account. To learn more about seller-performance metrics, visit Seller Performance Measurements in seller help.

Tracking Numbers Now Required for 95% of Shipments
Nov 13, 2015

Beginning February 2016, Amazon will require you to provide valid tracking numbers for at least 95% of your shipments. You will not need to provide tracking for freight shipments, or for items shipped in Standard Mail or First Class Mail envelopes (e.g. screen protectors, greeting cards).

You can view your Valid Tracking Rate by going to Seller Central > Performance > Customer Satisfaction > Account Health.

Providing tracking on your orders offers many benefits. We’ve seen that orders with valid tracking have significantly reduced defect rates, better feedback ratings, and fewer messages from customers related to “Where’s My Stuff.” All major carriers, including USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL, provide tracking numbers for free, so the feature is available to you at no additional cost.

Learn more about Valid Tracking Rate and the full benefits of adding tracking numbers to packages.

Upgrade to Unified Account with New Self-Service Tool
Nov 11, 2015

You can manage your business from a single Amazon account and reach millions of customers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a North America Unified Account.

All sellers with a Professional account can now use the self-service Unified Account Upgrade tool to identify and complete the steps necessary to upgrade to a North America Unified Account.

Once you complete the steps to identify missing account information, just select “Upgrade my Account” to start the upgrade process. Visit the Unified Account Upgrade tool here.

Selling Coach introduces action-packed reports
Nov 6, 2015

Selling Coach Reports now features an Action column, making it easier to act on the recommendations you like. Update your inventory and re-price your products without leaving the report. Start other tasks faster than ever, such as listing new products, converting products to FBA, and more.

Check out the new feature, and you’ll notice that Selling Coach Reports is slimmer than before. The new display hides more columns in order to reduce clutter and accommodate more devices. Prefer the old display? Show or hide columns by clicking on the Preferences box just above the far right columns. You can customize settings for each report, or set the standard by category.

We hope these updates help you operate more efficiently. Share your feedback by clicking on the Tell us what you think of this feature link from the Selling Coach Reports page.

Compliance Reminder: U.S. Import Requirements
Oct 28, 2015
When you import goods into the United States, an Importer of Record (IOR) is required. Amazon, including our fulfillment centers, will not act as an IOR for any shipment of FBA inventory. This applies to shipments of any size or value, regardless of origin and product. When you complete a freight bill with a carrier, courier or express delivery service you may not leave the IOR field blank; this may result in the shipment being refused and returned.

Amazon will not be responsible for or collect any duties, taxes or shipping costs associated with FBA inventory. All shipments are required to use Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), or sometimes referred to as “Free Domicile,” shipping terms. Any shipment arriving at an Amazon fulfillment center with collect charges, including any duties, taxes or shipping costs, will be refused without further concession.

Learn more about Delivering Imports to Amazon.

Changes to Seller Performance Metrics Display
Oct 26, 2015

Beginning in January 2016, Amazon will evaluate your selling performance by seller-fulfilled and Amazon-fulfilled orders separately.

To help sellers prepare for this change, Amazon changed the way we display seller performance metrics. Sellers can now view separate performance metrics by seller-fulfilled and Amazon-fulfilled orders. Using the new display, sellers can quickly identify performance problems in both fulfillment channels.

Learn more about Seller Performance Metrics.

See a Breakdown of Your Selling Fees With Detailed Fee Explainer
Oct 22, 2015
Recently, we launched Detailed Fee Explainer, a tool you can use to see a breakdown of the fees you were charged for an order. Use Detailed Fee Explainer to see an overview of a transaction, the amount and type of each fee you were charged, and the calculation of the fees. Learn more

New Selling Coach tool brings fast action to the homepage
Oct 21, 2015

We’ve made big improvements to the Amazon Selling Coach section of the Seller Central homepage. Now you can restock your inventory, update your pricing, and more – all without leaving the Seller Central homepage.

Selling Coach recommendations are customized and prioritized specifically for your business. The information you see is refreshed at least once a day and, in many cases, in real time. Try it out, and let us know what you think by clicking the feedback link in the lower left corner of the tool.

If you like what the widget has to offer, visit Selling Coach Reports to review your full list of current recommendations.

Updated Policy for Premium Shipping Options
Oct 7, 2015

We updated our Premium Shipping Option policy. Sellers who fail to meet the Premium Shipping options requirements for a trailing 90 days may be removed from Premium Shipping options until they provide us with a Plan of Action to improve their performance for Premium Shipping. These sellers will see a Restricted status in the Premium Shipping Eligibility tool.

For more details, see Submit a Plan of Action for Premium Shipping Options.

Note: If your account is showing Not eligible in the Premium Shipping Eligibility tool, see this help page for more information.

FAQs

Q: Why does the Premium Shipping options widget show “Restricted”?

A: If your eligibility to offer Two-Day Shipping has previously been revoked and you continue to fail to meet the Requirements for Two-Day Shipping for the trailing 90 days, you may be removed from Premium Shipping options until you provide us with a Plan of Action to improve your performance. In such a case, your status will change to “Restricted” in the Premium Shipping Eligibility tool.

Q: How can I restore my Premium Shipping options?

A: If you see that you were “restricted” in the Premium Shipping Eligibility tool, you can pull detailed performance reports from the Customer Metrics page and send us a Plan of Action that includes a root cause analysis of the performance issues and a plan to address these issues within a defined time period. For more details, see Submit a Plan of Action for Premium Shipping Options.

Introducing the New and Improved Seller Central Homepage
Sep 30, 2015

We are pleased to introduce the new Seller Central Homepage. You can now view this refined and simple interface from any device.

We have improved the layout and design to help you easily find the information you need. For example, we combined the Orders and Returns widgets into one widget. You can also find other enhancements, all designed to help you manage your Amazon business better.

We are constantly trying to improve the seller experience and look forward to hearing from you.

Consumption Tax collection to begin October 1, 2015, for Japanese residents
Sep 18, 2015
The following applies only to sellers on Amazon who reside in Japan.

As a result of the 2015 Japan Tax Reform, beginning October 1, 2015, Amazon will charge Japanese residents who sell on Amazon an 8% consumption tax on Selling on Amazon fees.

Amazon will provide a tax invoice to all sellers who reside in Japan. The invoice will include the Japanese business registration number as well as information regarding the consumption tax collected.

NOTE: Login and Pay with Amazon, Checkout by Amazon, Fulfillment by Amazon, and tax calculation services fees are not affected by this change.

More information on the 2015 Japan Tax Reform can be found by visiting the following links:

http://www.nta.go.jp/foreign_language/consumption_tax/04.htm

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/201858870

Sponsored Products Now Offers Bulk Operations to Manage Campaigns at Scale
Aug 7, 2015

Now you can use a bulk file to manage your advertising campaigns at scale. You download a bulk file with your campaigns, make changes, and then upload the file, all in your advertising account in Seller Central.

Already a Sponsored Products advertiser? Learn more about bulk operations

Not a Sponsored Products advertiser? Learn more about Sponsored Products

Update your seller profile to connect with business buyers
Jul 27, 2015

We are proud to announce the launch of Profile page where you can provide specific information about your business, such as a featured image and primary business activity, and showcase it to business buyers. This information will be visible to business buyers when they click on your seller name on Amazon.com. The feature is available only to Sellers enrolled in Amazon’s Business Seller program and can be accessed in Seller Central via Your Info & Policies page. Learn more

Free Replacements Program Now Open to FBA Customers for Their Amazon-Fulfilled Orders
Jun 16, 2015
Amazon can now send FBA customers a replacement when they call to return an FBA product.

Previously, customers who purchased products fulfilled by Amazon had to place a new order to get the replacement item. Now, Amazon will create the order at no charge to the customer, providing that they successfully return the original item. The original FBA seller’s inventory will be used for the replacement order, and the seller will be reimbursed following the standard customer return policy. SeeCustomer Returns for Orders Placed on Amazon.com for more information.

Amazon has always offered replacements for all products sold by Amazon.com. This is now open to customers buying FBA products.

Customers will be able to request a replacement by calling Customer Service or through the Online Returns Center provided their return item meets all eligibility criteria.

Grow Your US and CA Business with the North America Unified Account
Apr 21, 2015

Amazon Services is introducing the North America Unified Account, simplifying the steps to offer your products to buyers in both US and Canada.

Over the next few weeks, sellers with accounts registered on Amazon’s US or Canada marketplaces will be upgraded to have access to both marketplaces through one central North America Unified Account in Seller Central – no additional accounts or registration processes will be required.

We will begin upgrading existing Seller Accounts to the North America Unified Account right away. Some sellers will see the new features in their Seller Account before these features are activated for other Seller Accounts. No action from you is required.

With your new North America Unified Account, you will be able to use a convenient drop-down menu in the main navigation to switch between Seller Central tools for Amazon.com and Amazon.ca marketplaces. All you have to do is select the marketplace you want to list in, and you will be able to conveniently manage your inventory and payments across all the marketplaces in your single North America Unified Account.

Your new account will allow you to more easily:

• Share listing information and manage your inventory consistently across Amazon’s North American marketplaces
• Keep track of orders on multiple North American sales channels in Manage Orders or with one combined Order Report;
• Use Fulfillment by Amazon to fulfill your Amazon.ca and Amazon.com orders
• Pay a single monthly Pro Merchant subscription fee for your North America Unified Account
• Update account information through a consolidated user interface
• Get paid to your local bank in your local currency thanks to the Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers

For more information, visit the North America Unified Accounts help page.

Sponsored Products Announces Estimated Page 1 Bid Guidance
Mar 17, 2015

Advertisers can now determine the minimum estimated keyword bid needed for an ad to appear on page 1 of search results. Estimated page 1 bid is for advertising campaigns that use manual targeting.

The estimated page 1 bid is the minimum estimated keyword bid needed for an ad to appear on page 1 of search results. To view the estimated page 1 bid for your keywords, select a manually targeted campaign, select an ad group, and then click on the Keywords tab. You will see “Est page 1 bid” next to your Keyword bid, and you can change your keyword bid to equal the estimated page 1 bid by selecting “match bid.”*

Learn more about Sponsored Products here

* Although matching your bid to the estimated page 1 bid for a keyword can increase the likelihood that your ads may display on page 1 of search results, please note that impressions and placement for your ads are not guaranteed.