Seller Fulfilled Prime performance metrics

To remain eligible for Seller Fulfilled Prime, you must meet the following performance metrics on Seller Fulfilled Prime orders:

• On-time shipment rate of at least 99%
• Use of Buy Shipping for at least 98% of orders
• A cancellation rate of no more than 0.5%
• An on-time delivery rate of at least 97% on Prime orders when shipping is purchased outside of Buy Shipping services

Use your performance dashboard to 1) see these metrics and 2) download a defects report to review any orders that have affected your metrics.

List of performance metrics

On-time shipment

The on-time shipment rate is the number of Seller Fulfilled Prime units that were shipped on or before the promised ship date divided by the total number of Seller Fulfilled Prime units shipped.

Packages are considered shipped when the carrier scans the units for the first time, not when you confirm shipment. To be considered shipped on time, any order that was placed before your order cut-off time must receive a first scan on the same day.

If the package was shipped late but delivered on time, it will be counted as on time. To ship on time, make sure your shipping method delivers your late packages by the delivery date promised to the customer.

To see what’s affecting your on-time shipment rate, look for orders with an “X” in the Shipped late and Delivered late columns in your defects report.

Buy Shipping

The Buy Shipping rate is the number of Seller Fulfilled Prime units with labels bought through Buy Shipping services divided by all Seller Fulfilled Prime units shipped.

If a customer wants to change their shipping address, direct them to contact Customer Service. Do not cancel the order yourself. The customer must enter updated shipping information for a new order.

To see what’s affecting your Buy Shipping rate, look for orders with an “X” in the Shipped outside Buy Shipping services column of your defects report.

Cancellation rate

Cancellation rate is the number of Seller Fulfilled Prime units canceled by you before ship-confirmation divided by the total number of Seller Fulfilled Prime units ordered. To calculate this metric, we consider all cancellations initiated by you for any reason.

A customer can cancel an order up to 30 minutes after placing it with no action required from you. If a customer cancels an order after 30 minutes, direct them to contact Customer Service instead of canceling the order yourself. By doing so, you avoid a negative impact on your cancellation rate.

To see what’s affecting your cancellation rate, look for orders with an “X” in the Order canceled by seller column of your defects report.

On-time delivery

The on-time delivery rate is the percentage of Seller Fulfilled Prime units that were delivered on or before the promised delivery date. This rate is the most important to the customer experience. Late deliveries can lead to bad reviews and return or refund requests.

If the first delivery attempt was unsuccessful due to an issue not related to the carrier, the order will not affect your on-time delivery rate. (One example: The customer wasn’t present to sign for the package.)

To see what’s affecting your on-time delivery rate, look for orders with an “X” in the Delivered late column of your defects report. To identify which orders affect both this rate and your Prime eligibility, look for an “X” in Delivered late and Shipped outside Buy Shipping services.

Performance is measured over seven- and 30-day timeframes. If your performance metrics fall below requirements during the last seven or 30 days, your Prime eligibility may be suspended. If this happens, your Prime status will remain suspended until we have received and accepted a plan of action from you.

How to appeal a suspension

Submit a plan of action that explains:

• Why your Seller Fulfilled Prime performance fell below program requirements
• What actions you’re taking to remedy the situation
• Specific measures from you to avoid the problem in the future

Submit your plan of action and your merchant token to Seller Support.

We understand that some circumstances are out of your control. Factors such as weather, power outages, order volume spikes, staff absences, and mechanical failures can result in late shipments, late deliveries, order cancellations, or some combination of the three.

With Control Prime order volume, you can reduce the impact of these factors to your Prime performance. The tool allows you to adjust your daily order maximums or temporarily disable the Prime badge entirely until the situation has passed or the issue is resolved. For more information, visit the Help page.

For smaller-scale issues, such as a carrier truck breaking down, contact Seller Support. Your circumstances will be considered when your Prime eligibility is reviewed.