Amazon selling terms from A-to-Z

Starting an ecommerce business can mean building a whole new skill set—and a new vocabulary. Whether you’ve been selling online since the dawn of the internet or you’re completely new to the process, our A-to-Z selling glossary can help along the way.
A
Administrator: In the context of Amazon Brand Registry, a protection role assigned to a Brand Registry account that grants the user permission to assign brand protection or selling roles to other accounts. This includes additional Administrators, Rights Owners, Registered Agents, Brand Representatives, and Resellers. Learn more about Brand Registry roles
All-Offers Display: A section on a product detail page that show all the offers available for a particular product.
B
bad actor: The general definition of bad actor is someone who engages in illegal or unethical activities with the intent to do harm. At Amazon, a bad actor is a person or business responsible for actions that are illegal or harmful to customers, selling partners, or other associated parties. For example, a person who attempts to sell counterfeit products is considered a bad actor.
badge: An icon that appears on a product detail page that showcases a seller’s connection to a program or seller type, such as a Prime badge or Black-owned business badge.
brand: In general terms, a brand is a product or service, or a group of products or services, that’s manufactured or supplied by a specific business using a unique name or logo. At Amazon, trademarked brand names and logos can be used to enroll a brand in Amazon Brand Registry.
Brand Representative: In the context of Amazon Brand Registry, a selling role assigned by an Administrator to an internal, first-party selling partner who is directly employed by the brand. Brand Representatives have access to a full set of brand selling benefits, including A+ Content and Brand Analytics. Learn more about Brand Registry roles
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Note: Amazon Brand Registry puts additional protections in place to help safeguard your brand’s product information. That can mean more accurate listings and an improved customer experience. Learn more
bulk: A large quantity of something. For sellers, this could mean buying a large quantity of products with the intent to sell them in the Amazon store, or it could also refer to creating bulk listings, which is the practice of creating or updating a large number of product detail pages to account for bulk inventory that’s ready for sale.
C
case pack: This is a package that contains multiple units of the same product. For example, a case pack of 10 keyboards, or a case pack of 25 boxes of pens.
catalog: A complete list of items, sometimes presented in a photographic or magazine form to make it easier for shoppers or buyers to purchase products. In Amazon terms, this refers to a complete set of products that appear in the Amazon store, listed either by Amazon or by a seller.
charge: An expense incurred for a service, whether a customer is charged the price of a product they wish to buy, or a seller is charged for storing products at a warehouse.
chargeback: When funds are returned to an account due to a disputed charge.
cost: In the context of Amazon selling, an amount paid by a selling partner for optional services, such as FBA fulfillment costs or advertising costs.
counterfeit: The unlawful total or partial reproduction of a registered trademark—or a mark similar to a registered trademark—in connection with the sale of a product. For example, a seller presenting a knock-off designer purses as the real thing.
coupon: A voucher or clipping that gives a shopper a discount for a product or service. An Amazon coupon is a digital voucher created using either the Coupons or Brand Tailored Coupons tool in Seller Central.
credit: An addition of funds to an account, or an entry for funds received into an account.
D
dashboard: A type of tool in Seller Central that provides dynamic information about a seller’s business or performance. Some of these dashboards include the Account Health dashboard, FBA dashboard, and Brand Analytics dashboards.
deal: A business agreement or arrangement that sometimes includes a discount or bonus on a product or service. In the context of Amazon selling, it’s a time-bound promotional offer created using the Deals tool in Seller Central.
debit: To remove funds from an account, or an entry for funds owed from an account.
deliver: To provide something to a customer as promised. In Amazon terms, it refers to the hand-off of an item to a customer.
discount: A deduction or percentage off of a product or service’s regular price. At Amazon, it’s a promotional offer created using the Price Discounts tool in Seller Central.
distribute: In Amazon terms, this refers to moving inventory from warehouse to warehouse, fulfillment center to fulfillment center, or warehouse to fulfillment center.
E
ecommerce: A commercial transaction conducted on the internet, usually referring to an online business or retailer selling products or services via a website.
expense: A fee or cost, usually associated with running a business. For example, the cost of inventory storage is a business expense.
F
fee: In the context of Amazon selling, an amount paid by a selling partner for services included in their selling plan—for example, selling plan fees and referral fees.
fulfill: To complete a task or role as expected. At Amazon, it means to pick, pack, and deliver items to customers.
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Note: Amazon sellers can use FBA to offer free, two-day shipping to Prime members. Shipping with FBA costs 70% less per unit than comparable premium options offered by other major US carriers. Learn more
fulfillment center: A short-term storage facility where customer orders are picked, packed, and shipped. For sellers enrolled in Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), this refers to an FBA facility.
H
hazmat: Hazardous materials that can pose a risk if not handled properly. At Amazon, this term is used to denote dangerous goods.
healthy/unhealthy: A state of well-being, or a lack of well-being. When used in the context of Amazon selling, it describes account or inventory health as shown in Seller Central.
I
inbound: Something en route to a specific location, used to describe inventory traveling into the Amazon distribution and fulfillment network.
incentive: In the context of Amazon selling, this is a benefit that selling partners receive as a result of engaging with a tool, program, or service. For example, a seller may receive a $50 credit as an incentive to create a coupon for an eligible product within 90 days of listing.
inventory: All items that a seller has in stock.
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Note: Inventory management is the process of organizing and maintaining stock throughout the supply chain. Whether you sell portable phone chargers or high-end cosmetics, having the right inventory process in place to meet demand can help keep your business running smoothly, increase customer satisfaction, and avoid profit loss. Learn more
item: An individual product purchased by a specific buyer.
L
listing: Information about an product or service shown on a page. At Amazon, it refers to the combination of a product detail page and its available offers.
M
maker: Someone who creates things, often with their hands. In the context of Amazon selling, this term refers to a participant in Amazon Handmade.
merchant: Someone engaged in commerce, also used as a synonym for “seller” or “vendor.” In the context of Amazon selling, Fulfilled by Merchant is a suite of solutions that empowers sellers to manage their own inventory and delivery.
multi-channel: When a seller uses a variety of platforms to connect with customers, such as websites, social media, email, online storefronts, and more. In Amazon terms, it may also refer to our Multi-Channel Fulfillment program.
O
offer: Shown on a product detail page, this is the amount an item is listed for, plus shipping and other options.
Offer Display: Also on a product detail page, this is the placement that hosts the Featured Offer.
outbound: Something departing a specific location to go elsewhere, used to describe inventory travelling out of the Amazon distribution and fulfillment network.
P
peak: The top or highest point of something, used to refer to major shopping moments—such as the holiday shopping season—in the Amazon store.
placement: In the context of Amazon selling, this refers to the act of distributing inventory across multiple fulfillment centers to help meet customer demand.
price: The amount of money it costs to purchase a particular product or service. At Amazon, this is the amount a product is listed for, or the amount a customer sees at checkout, which can include shipping, taxes, discounts, and other adjustments.
product: Something listed for sale. At Amazon, it could be a physical object or digital file like an ebook.
product detail page: The portion of an Amazon listing where a product’s information appears, including details such as a title, images, description, and customer reviews.
profit: The money that a business keeps after selling a product or service and accounting for related expenses.
program: In the context of Amazon selling, a set of tools designed for a specific selling-partner cohort or objective, such as Amazon Business and Amazon Ads, or a managed selling experience, such as Strategic Account Services. See our directory of Amazon programs.
promotion: A marketing effort to help drive interest in a product or service. In the context of Amazon selling, a promotional offer is created using either the Promotions or Brand Tailored Promotions tool in Seller Central.
R
refund: To credit an account either fully or partially for funds that were previously debited, or funds repaid to an account.
Registered Agent: In the context of Amazon Brand Registry, a protection role assigned by an Administrator to an external, third-party selling partner authorized by the brand to use the Report a Violation tool. Learn more about Brand Registry roles
report: A type of tool that provides sellers with specific information about their business or performance. This can include sales reports, returns reports, inventory reports, and more.
Reseller: In general terms, a “reseller” is a person or company that sells something they bought with the specific intent to sell it to someone else. Resellers can buy products and resell them in the Amazon. In the context of Amazon Brand Registry, “Reseller” is also a selling role assigned by an Administrator to an external, third-party selling partner who is authorized by a brand to sell the brand’s products in the Amazon store. Selling partners assigned the Reseller role have access to a limited set of brand selling benefits, including A+ Content and Brand Stores. Learn more about Brand Registry roles
return: To send an item back after it’s been purchased, or the act of sending an item back after purchasing.
revenue: The money a businessowner earns by selling a product or service.
Rights Owner: In general terms, a “rights owner” is the person or business who owns the rights to a piece of work or a particular property. In the context of Amazon Brand Registry, “Right Owner” is also a protection role assigned to a trademark owner (or their designated employee) who enrolls a brand with Amazon. Right Owners have access to protection benefits like Report a Violation. Learn more about Brand Registry roles
S
selected contribution/selected contributor: In the event of multiple suggested updates to a product detail page in the Amazon store, this term refers to the content or content submitter chosen for an update.
selection: The variety of products in a catalog.
seller: Generally, this means a person who sells something. In Amazon terms, a seller is a third party (person or entity) who sells products in the Amazon store or other sales channels.
selling partner: A generic term referring to sellers, vendors, brands, or makers.
send: While this can refer to facilitating shipments to customers, in the context of selling in the Amazon store, this refers to moving inventory into the Amazon network.
service: A generic term that describes specific tasks performed on behalf of sellers, or an umbrella term for Amazon tools, programs, and resources.
ship: Generally, this means the transport of goods. Amazon uses this term as a synonym for sending inventory to Amazon, or to refer to sending items to customers.
sponsored ad: A digital marketing tactic that surfaces to specific users for advertising purposes. Across Amazon it’s a generic term for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, or Sponsored Display ads.
stock-out: When a product is out of stock.
storefront: At Amazon, term for a Brand Store within the larger Amazon store.
stranded inventory: Describes inventory that can’t be sold because it’s not associated with an active listing.
T
test buy: A purchase made by a brand or seller to investigate whether or not an item is counterfeit or being sold without authorization.
third-party service provider: An external company or individual that provides a service to a person, company, or business. In Amazon terms, it refers to an independent provider, usually vetted by Amazon and listed in the Service Provider Network, to support selling partners with different aspects of their ecommerce businesses.
tool: A device that one uses to carry out a specific function. In the context of Amazon selling, it means a standalone, self-service interface or experience that can help sellers in support of their ecommerce business. For example, Brand Analytics, Manage Inventory, Product Opportunity Explorer. See our directory of Amazon tools.
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Note: Whether you want to scale your online business, operate more efficiently, automate workflows, or help promote your products, there’s a tool or service for you. Choose from tools created by Amazon and approved third parties to get the support you need to help make your business a success. View more tools
U
unfulfillable: In the Amazon store, it describes inventory that cannot be fulfilled.
unit: An individual object or a device with a specific function. Amazon uses the term to describe an individual product within a selling partner’s sellable inventory.
V
vendor: A third party (person or entity) who sells products to a retailer like Amazon.
W
warehouse: A building where goods can be stored before they’re sold. Amazon considers this a long-term storage facility, like an Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) facility.
With so many terms to learn as an Amazon seller, sometimes it’s easy to get them mixed up. Here are some of the more commonly confused terms—and how to tell them apart:
product/unit/item/inventory
Product refers to an object or digital file listed for sale in the Amazon store, whereas a unit is an individual product within a seller’s inventory. Item refers to an individual product purchased by a specific buyer, while inventory means all units that a selling partner has in stock.
deal/coupon/discount/promotion/incentive
At Amazon, a deal is a time-bound promotional offer created using the Deals tool in Seller Central, and a coupon is a digital voucher created using either the Coupons or Brand Tailored Coupons tool. Discount means a promotional offer created using the Price Discounts tool, and promotion is a promotional offer created using either the Promotions or Brand Tailored Promotions tool. Lastly, incentive is a benefit selling partners receive for using a tool, program, or service.
deliver/send/ship/distribute/fulfill
Deliver refers to the process of handing off items to customers, while send relates to moving inventory into the Amazon network. Ship has two meanings in Amazon parlance: It can be a synonym for sending inventory to Amazon, or to sending items to customers. Distribute is about moving inventory from warehouse to warehouse, fulfillment center to fulfillment center, or warehouse to fulfillment center. And fulfill is specifically about picking, packing, and delivering items to customers.
ASIN/SKU/GTIN
ASIN is a unique Amazon-assigned number for a product to help identify it in the Amazon store. SKU, or stock keeping unit, is a unique alphanumeric code that retailers assign to each of their products to help them manage their inventory. A GTIN, or Global Trade Item Number, serves a similar purpose on a global scale, so a product can be tracked and located throughout the supply chain across the world.
product detail page/listing/offer
The product detail page is the portion of a listing where a product’s information appears, whereas a listing is the combination of a product detail page and its offers.
distribution center/fulfillment center/warehouse
A distribution center and a warehouse are similar things. For example, a long-term storage facility like an Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) facility. Comparatively, a fulfillment center is a short-term storage facility where customer orders are picked, packed, and shipped. For example, a Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) facility.
Rights Owner/ Administrator/Registered Agent/Brand Representative/Reseller
While these terms are related to one another, they mean different things. At Amazon, a Rights Owner is a trademark owner (or their employee) who enrolled a brand in Amazon Brand Registry. An Administrator is an account user with permission to assign brand protection or selling roles. A Registered Agent is an external third-party authorized by an Amazon Brand Registry Administrator to use the Report a Violation tool and access other brand protection benefits. A Brand Representative is an internal, first-party selling partner who has been granted access to brand selling tools—like A+ Content or Brand Analytics by an Amazon Brand Registry Administrator. And lastly, a Reseller is a role assigned to an external, third-party seller authorized by a brand enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry to sell the brand’s products.

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