Amazon Glossary of Terms & Acronyms for Sellers

Demystifying Amazon's Acronyms and Terms for Sellers

When you start your journey as an Amazon seller, you'll quickly encounter a maze of acronyms and terminology that might feel overwhelming.

To simplify things, we've put together a comprehensive glossary of commonly used Amazon acronyms and seller terms. Whether you're buying, selling, or managing logistics, this guide will help you navigate the jargon like a pro.

Our glossary is organized alphabetically, making it easy to find the terms you need. With over 100 Amazon FBA acronyms and abbreviations (and counting!), this is your go-to resource. 🥳

Amazon FBA Terms and Acronyms Glossary

Key Terms You’ll Encounter

1P (First-Party Sellers): Businesses that sell products directly to Amazon, which then sells them to customers.
3PL (Third-Party Logistics): Companies that handle outsourced logistics, including storage, shipping, and fulfillment.
7-Day Deal: A limited-time promotion lasting one week, offering product discounts on Amazon.
A+ Content: Enhanced product descriptions featuring images, rich text, and more, available for brand owners.
A9: Amazon's algorithm that powers product search and rankings.
A-to-Z Guarantee: A program that protects customers buying from third-party sellers by ensuring product quality and timely delivery. Negative claims under this guarantee can harm a seller's account.
Account Health: Performance metrics sellers must meet, covering customer service, policy compliance, and delivery standards.
ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales): A percentage representing your ad spend relative to sales revenue (ad spend ÷ total sales).
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number): A unique code Amazon assigns to each product listing.
BB (Buy Box): The prominent “Add to Cart” button that gives one seller priority for sales on a product listing. Winning the Buy Box depends on factors like price, seller metrics, and account performance.
BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free): A promotional offer where customers receive an extra product at no additional cost when they purchase one item.
BOLO (Be On Lookout): A term used in reselling that refers to products worth purchasing to resell on platforms like Amazon, often identified during Retail Arbitrage. BOLO groups on platforms like Facebook can help resellers spot opportunities.
Bundle: A combination of multiple products packaged and sold as a single unit to enhance value and appeal.
Brand Registry: An Amazon program designed to protect your brand by preventing other sellers from hijacking your listings. A trademark is required to register your brand, which also grants access to Enhanced Brand Content for better listing optimization.
BSR (Best Seller Rank): A ranking assigned by Amazon that indicates a product's sales performance within its category. A lower BSR means higher sales and better performance. This ranking is visible on product listings.
CCC (CamelCamelCamel): A widely used website for tracking Amazon product prices, offering insights into price changes and historical trends.
Chargeback: A refund request initiated by a buyer through their bank, often due to a dispute over a transaction.
COGS (Cost of Goods Sold): The total cost paid for inventory, used for financial tracking and accounting purposes.
CPC (Cost Per Click): The amount advertisers pay each time their ad is clicked.
CPM/CPI (Cost-per-Thousand/Impression): An advertising model where you pay for every 1,000 views your ad receives.
CTR (Click Through Rate): The percentage of viewers who click on your ad, calculated as total clicks divided by total impressions.
CX (Customer Experience): The overall impression a customer has when interacting with a product or service.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): A shipping agreement where the supplier handles all shipping, import duties, and tariffs to deliver goods to the buyer’s specified location.
DOTD (Deal of the Day): A one-day promotional discount for select products on Amazon.
DP (Detail Page): The product page on Amazon displaying a product’s title, images, description, and other details.
Drop Shipping: A business model where sellers don’t hold inventory; instead, manufacturers or wholesalers ship directly to customers.
EAN (European Article Number): A unique barcode system for product identification, similar to UPC but used in Europe.
Early Reviewer Program: An Amazon initiative encouraging buyers to leave reviews for new products.
EBC (Enhanced Brand Content): A feature allowing sellers to create enriched product descriptions with images, videos, and text for better engagement.
EFN (European Fulfillment Network): A program enabling sellers to store inventory in one European location while fulfilling orders across multiple countries.
EXW (Ex Works): A trade term where the seller provides goods ready for pickup, with the buyer responsible for all transportation and risks.
FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon): A program where sellers send products in bulk to Amazon warehouses, and Amazon handles order fulfillment and customer service.
FBM (Fulfilled By Merchant): A fulfillment method where sellers manage packaging, shipping, and customer service directly.
FC (Fulfillment Center): Amazon’s warehouse facilities where FBA products are stored, prepared, and shipped to customers.
FCA (Free to Carrier): A shipping term where the seller delivers goods to a carrier or specified location, with the buyer assuming costs and risks from there.
Feedback: Reviews and ratings from customers based on their buying experience with a seller.
Flipping: Purchasing products at a lower price to resell at a higher price, often utilizing price variations across markets.
FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit): A unique code Amazon assigns to a product and seller combination, ensuring accurate inventory tracking and labeling.
FOB (Freight On Board): Indicates the point at which a seller's responsibility for shipping costs ends. For example, "FOB Port of Hong Kong" means the seller covers shipping expenses up to the Port of Hong Kong, after which the buyer (Amazon seller) takes over responsibility for the goods.
Freight Forwarder: A logistics service provider that coordinates the shipment and transportation of goods on behalf of businesses or shippers.
Gated Brand: Specific brands that require approval to sell on Amazon. Approval typically involves providing invoices and obtaining written permission from the brand owner.
Gated Category: A product category on Amazon that is restricted, requiring sellers to apply for and receive approval before listing items within that category.
GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number): A universal code used to identify products, including formats like UPC, ISBN, and EAN.
Hazmat (Hazardous Materials): Products classified as flammable, toxic, or pressurized that require careful handling due to safety risks.
Hijacking: When another seller lists counterfeit or inferior products under a listing created by a different brand or seller, often to undercut or disrupt the original seller.
IPI (Inventory Performance Index): A score Amazon uses to evaluate how effectively sellers manage their FBA inventory levels.
Incoterms: Internationally recognized trade terms established by the International Chamber of Commerce to define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in cross-border transactions.
ISBN (International Standard Book Number): A unique identifier for books, used on Amazon in place of an ASIN.
Keyword: A word or phrase entered by customers in Amazon's search bar to find relevant products.
Landed Cost: The total cost of a product upon arrival at the buyer’s location, factoring in purchase price, shipping, and any import fees.
Lead Magnet: A low-cost or free product offered to potential buyers in exchange for their contact information, such as an email address.
Lightning Deals: Time-sensitive promotions where a product is discounted for a limited number of hours on Amazon's Deals page.
Listing: The dedicated Amazon product page where sellers showcase product details like images, descriptions, and pricing.
Listing Optimization: The process of enhancing a product listing to improve visibility and increase conversions and sales.
Long-tail Keywords: Specific and detailed search terms that are often used by customers further along in the purchasing decision process.
LTSF (Long-Term Storage Fees): Charges applied by Amazon for products stored in their fulfillment centers for over 12 months.
MAP (Minimum Advertised Price): The lowest price a brand allows sellers to list their product to maintain consistent pricing.
MCF (Multi-Channel Fulfillment): A service enabling sellers to use Amazon’s inventory to fulfill orders placed on other platforms like eBay or a personal website.
MFN (Merchant Fulfilled Network): Similar to FBM, where sellers handle the storage, packing, and shipping of products themselves.
MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price): The price manufacturers recommend their products be sold at, also referred to as RRP in the UK.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity): The smallest amount of product a supplier is willing to sell in a single order, often negotiable.
MWS (Marketplace Web Services): Amazon's API allowing sellers to automate and manage tasks like listings, orders, and payments.
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement): A legal agreement to protect confidential information shared between parties.
OA (Online Arbitrage): Purchasing discounted products from online retailers to resell at a higher price on Amazon.
ODR (Order Defect Rate): A metric tracking the percentage of orders with issues like negative feedback, claims, or chargebacks.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer): A company that produces goods sold under another brand’s name.
OTD (On-Time Delivery): A performance measure of the percentage of orders delivered by the promised date.
P&L (Profit and Loss): A financial statement summarizing income, costs, and expenses over a specific period.
PL (Private Label): Selling a generic product under your own custom brand, often sourced from manufacturers abroad, such as in China.
PPC (Pay Per Click): A form of advertising where advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad.
Pan-EU Program: Enables sellers to store inventory in multiple Amazon fulfillment centers across Europe for faster delivery, though it may require VAT registration in each country.
Parent ASIN: The primary ASIN under which variations of a product, such as size or color, are grouped.
POD (Proof of Delivery): A document signed by the recipient to confirm receipt of delivered goods.
Prime: Amazon’s subscription service offering benefits like free shipping and access to entertainment services.
Prime Day: An annual sale exclusive to Prime members, featuring deals and discounts. Sellers can list products during this event to boost sales.
Q4 (Fourth Quarter): The busiest shopping season from October to December, driven by holiday demand.
RA (Retail Arbitrage): The practice of buying discounted products from physical stores to resell on Amazon.
Referral Fee: A commission Amazon takes from each sale, typically between 7% and 15%, based on the product category.
Reselling: Purchasing products and selling them at a higher price to earn a profit.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Measures how much revenue is generated for every dollar spent on advertising.
ROI (Return on Investment): The profit percentage relative to the original purchase cost of the product.
RRP (Recommended Retail Price): The price manufacturers recommend retailers sell their products for, known as MSRP in the US.
SC (Seller Central): The main dashboard for managing an Amazon seller account.
Seller Feedback: Ratings and reviews left by customers about their buying experience with a specific seller, ranging from 1 to 5 stars.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Strategies used to improve a product or website’s visibility in search engine results.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The page displayed when a customer searches for a product on Amazon.
SFP (Seller Fulfilled Prime): A program allowing sellers to use their own warehouses to fulfill Prime orders using Amazon-approved carriers.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier for each product, assigned by manufacturers or sellers.
SnL (Small and Light): An Amazon program for small, lightweight products, designed to reduce fulfillment fees.
Sponsored Products: Ads that promote individual product listings on Amazon search results and product pages.
SS (Seller Support): Amazon’s service team assisting sellers with account and operational issues.
SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code): A unique code assigned to shipping containers for tracking purposes.
Storefront: A customizable section on Amazon where sellers can showcase their brand and products.
TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale): Compares ad spend to total sales, offering insights into overall profitability.
TM (Trademark): A legally registered symbol or word representing a company or product.
TOT (Time Off Task): A metric Amazon uses to monitor employee productivity during work hours.
Unverified Reviews: Reviews left by customers who haven’t purchased the product on Amazon, carrying less weight in the rating system.
UPC (Universal Product Code): A 12-digit barcode used to identify retail products and their vendors.
UX (User Experience): The overall experience a user has with a product or service, encompassing design, functionality, and usability.
Variation Listing: A single product listing displaying multiple options, such as different sizes or colors.
VA (Virtual Assistant): A remote worker, often hired for tasks like product sourcing, data entry, or customer service.
VAT (Value Added Tax): A tax levied on goods and services, commonly applied in many countries.
Verified Reviews: Reviews submitted by customers who have purchased the product through Amazon.
VC (Vendor Central): A portal for managing Amazon vendor accounts, used by wholesalers selling directly to Amazon.
VoC (Voice of the Customer): A feature in Seller Central that provides feedback on customer experience and highlights areas for improvement.
Warehouse Deal: Open-box or refurbished products sold by Amazon at discounted prices.
WS (Wholesale): The practice of buying products in bulk from distributors to resell at a higher price.
YTD (Year-To-Date): A metric that tracks performance from the start of the year to the current date.
Zero-Inventory Model: A sales approach where sellers don’t hold inventory, relying on suppliers to fulfill orders directly.

Additional Resources

📝 Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) Charts for the US, UK, Canada, and Europe.
📝 Comprehensive list of gated and restricted brands: Current list of Amazon Gated and Restricted Brands.
📝 The Top 5 Amazon Product Sourcing and Selling Tools.

Good Luck and Happy Selling! 😊