AMAZON GLOSSARY: Breaking Down Amazon Sellers Hidden Codes

Part of Amazon's brand identity is the creation of terminologies specific to their company for their products, services, and internal tracking. It's no wonder words like Prime and Alexa have become everyday universal terms. As lovely as the branding aspect can be, this constant rebranding of terms can leave even the most up to date Amazon seller drowning in a sea of Acronyms!

Have no fear, buffaBRAND is here to break them down!

Amazon Branded

PRIME - Prime has evolved since it's inception. Originally meant to represent a paid subscription to fast & free shipping. Though Prime still requires a paid subscription, it now includes music, movies, and shipping of all speeds (for free!)

BUY BOX - The Buy Box is digital box on the Product Page for any item on Amazon. Products may have multiple offers or sellers trying to sell the product, so Amazon created to Buy Box to show which seller has the best offer at any moment. This is influence by location, shipping, membership type, filters, and many other factors. 

Product Identifiers

ASIN - Amazon Standard Identification Number - This is Amazon's system of identifying products internally for the Amazon universe. 

UPC - Universal Product Codes - This is a 12 digit code seen under barcodes that is recognized anywhere a product is sold. 

GTIN - Global Trade Item Number - This 8 - 14 digit code can be seen under barcodes and is recognized anywhere a product is sold. This is an alternative to a UPC. A GTIN Exemption may also be applied to your account, meaning you do not need to utilize GTINs.

EAN - European Article Number - This is 8-14 digit code can be seen under barcodes and is recognized anywhere a product is sold. It has been subsumed by GTINs.

ISBN - International Standard Book Number - This 13 digit code can be seen under a barcode for books. It is often mistaken for a UPC or GTIN.

SKU - Stock Keeping Unit - This code can be found under a barcode and is created by the brand owner or business. This is used internally for each business and will match up with a UPC and potentially an ASIN.

FNSKU - Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit - This Amazon specific term is the same as SKU above, except that Amazon will assign this number. The code is needed for Amazon to recognize your products internally, especially when shipping products to Amazon for fulfillment. 

Brand Registry

BRAND REGISTRY - If you have a trademark for your brand/products as a seller Amazon allows for application into their program. Brand Registry allows for special opportunities to protect and market your products. 

A+ & EBC - This refers to a special type of product merchandising allowed only if a seller has Brand Registry. This content replace a product description with modules that show images, features, and cross branding for a product. 

AMAZON POSTS - Where Instagram meets Amazon. This program is for registered brands only, allowing them to post content and control brand messaging on Amazon. Insights and engagement data are available. 

AMAZON STORE - Amazon allows a brand to curate it's own storefront through a modularized template. A huge opportunity for brands on Amazon, this enable special type of ads and brand insights. 

Fulfillment

FBA - Fulfilled By Amazon - The seller ships products to Amazon, where Amazon will store and ship everything, charging a fee for everything. FBA puts your products into Prime. 

FBM - Fulfilled By Merchant - Either the seller ships or hires a third party fulfillment party (3PL) to ship on their behalf. This is an alternative to FBA and makes sense in many cases, including sellers that are multichannel operations. FBM does not put your products into Prime. 

SFP - Seller Fulfilled Prime - Originally hailed as FBA meets FBM, SFP allows a seller to be in the Prime program while shipping their own products. This program has very strict standards and has not accepted new applications for years now.

VENDOR - Vendor Central - Amazon buys your inventory at a lower cost and sells the items through Amazon on your behalf. Good for large bulk orders up front but can have negative ramifications if not planned correctly. This program continues to change over time and has been slowly shrinking. 

SHIPPING PLAN - This refers to setting up your product to ship to Amazon. Products can ship from your business or directly from the supplier. After creating your product on Amazon, this plan requires all shipping and product info, allowing Amazon to instruct a seller on which Amazon warehouse to send the products to.

Amazon Legal

ACCOUNT SUSPENSION - An Account Suspension means Amazon has shut down your account due to a critical issue. If Suspended, pause and take a deep dive into your Seller Performance Notifications and identify the causes. Take time to answer and appeal with all information required.

ACCOUNT DEACTIVATED - An Account Deactivation means Amazon has shut down your account due to a routine issue. If Deactivated, pause and take a deep dive into your Seller Performance Notifications and identify the cause. Once you assess the issue, send Amazon an appeal with the required info. 

METRICS - Account Metrics refers to the Account Health area of your Seller Central. This area shows all of the important account areas and data that can negatively impact your account. It's broken down into Customer Service, Policy Compliance, and Shipping Performance. Be careful to check this area out regularly.

SELLING APPLICATIONS - Refers to your ability to sell certain categories, brands, and ASINs. Many items have restrictions due to various reasons. To apply or check your application status, go to Add A Product >> Manage Selling Applications.