Before you can begin to understand all the tools and strategies that lead to success on Amazon, a language lesson could be the most important first step. At Amify, we have the expertise to guide you through every challenge the platform puts in your path. But we also know communication between our team and our clients is critical. That’s why we put together this Amazon glossary to ensure we’re all on the same page when it comes to the technical jargon and acronyms that can be tough to navigate. Spend some time getting up to speed on the vocabulary, and then reach out to start a conversation about how we can help your Amazon business reach its full potential. 

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1P

Shorthand for the First-party Amazon Vendor Central Model where a brand sells its product directly to Amazon at wholesale prices. Amazon then lists the product for sale as Amazon and sells it to the end consumer.

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3P

Shorthand for the Third-party Amazon Seller Central Model where a business uses Amazon to sell their product, or to be a retailer for another brand and sells directly to consumers via the marketplace. This can also include Amazon FBA sellers. 

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3PL

Shorthand for Third-party logistics or companies that provide storage and fulfillment services for e-commerce companies. 

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A

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A+ Content

This is enhanced brand content for Amazon product pages that can take many forms, including high-quality images, comparison charts, video content, FAQs, and more.

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ACoS

Advertising Cost of Sale. The percentage of sales spent on advertising. The formula for this is total ad spend divided by sales attributed to that advertising effort. 

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Affiliates

A referral program designed to drive traffic and sales to Amazon via third-party sites or influencers, such as blogs, news sites or social media. 

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Aged Inventory Surchage

Previously known as a long term storage fee, this fee is charged on inventory that is stored by Amazon for a seller for more than 271 days, and increases after 365 days. 

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AGS

Amazon Global Selling, a program that allows sellers to list products on Amazon marketplaces beyond their own borders. 

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AMZ

The stock symbol for Amazon. 

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AMZL

The abbreviation for Amazon Logistics. 

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API

Application Program Interface is a technology that simplifies the process of communication between different software applications.

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ASIN

Amazon Standard Identification Number. A unique 10-character alphanumeric identifier that is used specifically on Amazon.

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ASN

Advanced Shipment Notification. It provides notice to Amazon when a company is shipping a product to one of its fulfillment warehouses, and is typically required for the shipment to be accepted. 

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ASP

Average Selling Price. Calculated by net sales divided by the number of products sold.

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AWS

Amazon Web Services is a cloud computing platform that is among the most comprehensive in the world. 

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B

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B2B

Business to Business, or e-commerce between two businesses.

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B2C

Business to Customer, or e-commerce between a business and a customer.

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Brand Analytics

Comprehensive data reporting and analysis made available to brands enrolled in the Amazon via Seller Central. 

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Brand Registry

Amazon’s free program for brands to use to protect intellectual property, manage listings, and grow.

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BSR

Best Seller Rank. An Amazon Best Sellers calculation is given to each product based on Amazon sales, and is updated hourly to reflect recent and historical sales of every item sold on Amazon.

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Buy Box

Each item sold on Amazon has only one Buy Box regardless of how many sellers have that item in their inventory. Amazon’s algorithm determines which seller receives the Amazon Buy Box and therefore becomes the default seller for the item when customers add a product to their cart. Since more than 80% of all Amazon sales happen through the Buy Box, it’s extremely valuable territory that brands seek to win. The best methods for success are strong sales, excellent customer service, and a stellar Star Rating 

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C

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Category Page

The landing page for a specific group of products listed on the Amazon website, such as books or electronics.

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CCR

Counterfeit Complaint Rate tracks customer claims that an item they purchased was inauthentic. 

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Child ASIN

An ASIN that requires shoppers to select additional options, such as size or color, to purchase. 

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COGs

Cost of Goods Sold. The value of goods sold during a certain period of time.

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Concessions

This is the term Amazon uses to refer to the company’s refunds and returns to customers.

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CPC

Cost Per Click. A digital advertising term that describes the cost for each user that clicked on a display ad. It is calculated by dividing the ad spend by the number of click throughs and common way to pay for an Amazon ad. 

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CPS

Costs Per Shipment. 

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CPU

Contacts Per Unit. This is a metric used to calculate the fee for Customer Service by Amazon that tracks the number of customer contacts Amazon completed during the fulfillment of a unit. 

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CSBA

Customer Service by Amazon. A paid service that provides customer service from Amazon for self-fulfilled products. 

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CTR

Click Through Rate. A metric that measures the number of clicks per impression of an advertisement.

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CX

Customer Experience

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D

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DOTD

Deal of the Day. A single item or small set of closely related items that are discounted for a period of one day only. Learn more about Amazon deal and promotion types.

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DNR

Delivered Not Received, a term used in Amazon warehousing for shipments that have not been checked into the inventory. 

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Dropship

Dropshipping is a fulfillment method used when retailers don’t physically have or ship the item. Instead, the product is shipped directly to the customer by a third-party.

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DPV

Detail Page Views. A metric showing the number of impressions of a single detail page.

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DSP

Demand Side Platform. Amazon DSP is the company’s display advertising program.

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DSP

Can also refer to Delivery Service Provider, a participant in Amazon’s delivery network program. 

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DTC

Direct to Consumer. 

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E

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EDD

Estimated Delivery Date.

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EXSD

Expected Ship Date.

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F

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FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon. A fee-based service, Amazon FBA is when Amazon manages the packing and shipping of products sold on the site, on behalf of a third-party seller. Orders are shipped to customers from an Amazon Fulfillment Center. 

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FBM

Fulfilled by Merchant. This refers to self-fulfillment by Amazon sellers and can also be called Merchant Fulfilled. 

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FC

Fulfillment Center also known as an Amazon warehouse.

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FNSKU

Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. This is an Amazon-specific identifier for products that are fulfilled by Amazon.

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FFP

Frustration-Free Packaging is an Amazon program that eliminates excessive packing and by shipping products in easy-to-open packaging that does not require additional Amazon boxing. 

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G

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Gated Category

These are product or brand categories that Amazon considers high-risk due to counterfeiting or other concerns. Sellers need prior approval to list products in these categories.

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Global SKU
A SKU that is part of a shared inventory pool and is available to be sold and shipped in multiple marketplaces. Learn more about the pros and cons of international ASINs..

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Goldbox

This is the industry term for Amazon’s main landing page. 

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H

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Hazmat

Hazardous materials, such as items that are flammable or otherwise dangerous and require special precautions and regulations to transport or store.

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I

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Impressions

The number of views that a digital ad receives.

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Individual Seller

Typically a low-volume Amazon seller that pays a per-item fee for each item sold on the platform, and does not have access to the advertising tools or data that professional sellers do. 

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IP

Intellectual Property.

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ISBN

International Standard Book Number. A 13-digit identity number assigned to individual books. 

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K

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KPI

Key Performance Indicators. Measurable values that are selected to monitor how well a business is performing against predetermined objectives.

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L

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LCL

Less Than Container Load, is a term used in ocean shipping to indicate a shipment is less than 18 cubic meters.

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LTL

Less Than Truckload, is a term used in ground transport to indicate a shipment is smaller than what would fill a typical semi-trailer. 

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Lightning Deal

A temporary sale or promotion on Amazon that is limited in time, inventory and purchase per customer. 

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Listing Optimization

The process of improving an Amazon detail page and product information, including titles, bullet points, features, description, and images.

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M

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Marketplace

The collection of products available for purchase on Amazon, often differentiated by country, such as in a reference to the U.S. Amazon Marketplace. 

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MAP

Minimum Advertised Price is the lowest sales price that a brand will allow to be publicly promoted for a particular product. 

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MCF

Multi-Channel Fulfillment gives sellers the option to pay for fulfillment services from Amazon for products that are sold on e-commerce sites other than Amazon.

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MOM

Month Over Month.

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MOQ

Minimum Order Quantity. The minimum amount Amazon must order from vendors 

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MTD

Month To Date.

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MSRP

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price is the amount a manufacturer recommends that their product should be sold for. It’s sometimes referred to as the “list price.” As with MAP, brands need to monitor their MSRP carefully on Amazon. And just like MAP, Amazon does not commit to honoring MSRP with their Vendor Central partners.

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N

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NAFN

North American Fulfillment Network is Amazon’s warehouses and shipping partners across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. 

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NARF

The North America Remote Fulfillment program allows sellers to display their U.S. inventory on Amazon’s country-specific sites for Canada and Mexico. Shoppers on these sites are shown the available inventory at your price, plus a premium for import duties. To qualify, sellers must participate in FBA.

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NDA

Non Disclosure Agreement.

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NP

New Product.

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NR

Non Replenishable. An item that is no longer available.

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NTB

New to Brand. A relatively new advertising metric that indicates a purchase that resulted from an ad was made by an existing customer or one that had not purchased that product in the prior year.

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O

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ODR

Order Defect Rate. The percentage of a seller’s orders that receive negative feedback, an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, or a service credit card chargeback. It is a primary measure of an account’s health. 

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OOS

Out Of Stock.

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P

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P&L

Profit and Loss.

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Parent ASIN

The main product ASIN that has Child ASIN such as color, size or flavor variants underneath its product detail page.

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PCOGS

Product Cost of Goods Sold. The formula is shipped units multiplied by cost.

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PFP

Prep-Free Packaging

Small packaged products that can’t be shipped in their own containers, but are easy to open and not require extra prep by Amazon. They are shipped in Amazon boxes. 

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Prime Exclusive Discount

This is a price discount available to Prime members. Product offers with a Prime Exclusive Discount will show a discounted price with the regular price crossed out. 

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Product Display Ads

A type of display advertising where a product’s ad appears throughout Amazon on category and product pages.

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POD

Proof of Delivery. 

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PPC

Pay Per Click. A term used in digital advertising for ads that result in a fee to the advertisers each time the ad is clicked. Amazon PPC is common for advertisers on the platform.  

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Prime

Amazon Prime. A paid subscription service that provides free, fast delivery on millions of items, and includes streaming entertainment such as Prime Video. Only certain items sold on Amazon are prime eligible. 

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Private Label

Products sold by a retailer or supplier under their own brand name, but made by other manufacturers. Amazon offers a large selection of private label products such as its AmazonBasics line. 

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Professional Seller

A paid selling account on Amazon where a business pays a monthly fee rather than a few per item sold. These sellers have a wider range of services at their disposal to support their selling on Amazon, compared to individual sellers. 

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Project Zero

Project Zero uses the power of Amazon technology combined with brand insights to detect and remove counterfeits and protect sellers in the Brand Registry program. 

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Q

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Q1

First quarter or January – March of any year.

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Q2

Second quarter or April – June of any year.

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Q3

Third quarter. July – September of any year.

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Q4

Fourth quarter. October – December of any year.

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QA

Quality Assurance.

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R

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RoAS

Return on Ad Spend is a Key Performance Indicator that is used to determine media effectiveness. It is the retail sales return on the ad dollars you spend on Amazon.

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ROI

Return on Investment. A fundamental performance metric for businesses that compares the amount spent to the results to determine the success of an investment.

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RRP

Recommended Retail Price.

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S

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Sales Rank

Amazon’s internal ranking of products in search and browse.

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SEO

Search Engine Optimization is the act of increasing traffic and visibility to an online property via a search engine through keyword placement, content and other efforts other than paying for placement.

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SERP

A Search Engine Results Page is exactly what it sounds like: the page of results that appears after conducting a search on Amazon. 

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SIOC

Ships in Own Container. A category of Amazon’s Frustration Free Packaging initiative. 

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SKU

Stock Keeping Unit. A unique code used to identify products

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SnS

Subscribe and Save is Amazon’s subscription service that offers automatic ordering and delivery as well as discounted pricing for customers interested in recurring purchases.

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Small and Light

An Amazon fulfillment program that offers reduced shipping costs to sellers for qualified smaller items.

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Sponsored Brands

These ads are intended to support brand building by featuring multiple products from a single company. Appearing above search results, Sponsored Brand ads display a custom headline, logo and up to three products. Clicking on this type of ad typically sends shoppers to an Amazon Storefront or custom Amazon landing page. A video version of Sponsored Brand ads is also available to promote a product detail page.  

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Sponsored Display 

An Amazon Ad product that promotes items by placing display ads both on and off the platform and that can be targeted to a variety of audiences. 

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Sponsored Products

Similar to Google Adwords, A Sponsored Product ad is targeted using keywords and (ASIN) to reach Amazon shoppers. They allow advertisers to promote specific products within Amazon’s search results and product detail pages. They are the most popular form of advertising on Amazon. 

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Star Rating

The higher the average number of stars your products earn, the more likely your brand is likely to sell. More stars also increase your products’ odds of finding their way into the coveted Buy Box. And your products’ star ratings are not simply an average; Amazon also considers the age of reviews and whether they are Verified or Unverified Reviews

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Storefront

Sometimes referred to as an Amazon Brand Store, and limited to brands that have completed the Brand Registry process, an Amazon Storefront is a customized experience for shoppers that features all of a brand’s products on Amazon in one branded interface.

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T

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Third-Party Seller

A Third-party Seller uses Amazon to sell their product, or to be a retailer for another brand and sells directly to consumers via the marketplace.

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Top Reviewers

Every time a shopper reads a review, they are asked if they found it helpful. Those reviewers who receive the most “yes” votes for writing informative, useful reviews earn a Top Reviewer badge (e.g., “Top 1000 Reviewer,” “Top 50 Reviewer,” etc.) These reviewers’ opinions carry extra weight with shoppers and can increase or hinder your sales.

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TOS

Terms of Service.

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U

Unauthorized Sellers

Manufacturers and brands need to be diligent about monitoring unauthorized sellers on Amazon, particularly those selling below your MAP or MSRP (see above). Don’t expect Amazon to be of much help here (they see lower prices as a good thing for their consumers), but there are some steps you can take. If you encounter unauthorized sellers who are peddling defective or expired products, Amazon will help you resolve the matter.

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UPC

Universal Product Code. The 12-digit number displayed with a barcode on most retail products.

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Unverified Reviews

These are reviews written by people whose accounts suggest that they did not purchase the product in question on Amazon, or who bought it at a discounted price. Most shoppers are at least a tad skeptical about the reliability of these reviews.

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V

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Variation

This applies to products that are available in multiple sizes, flavors or colors. They can be listed as a main Parent ASIN, with each variation available as a different child ASIN.

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VAT

Value Added Tax is a consumption tax added to the cost of products that is common in the UK and EU.

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Verified Review

A review from a shopper that Amazon confirms as a purchase of the product in question.

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Vendor

Vendors, using Vendor Central, sell products to Amazon as a wholesaler. 

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Vine

Amazon Vine is an invitation-only program which selects the most insightful reviewers in the Amazon store to serve as Vine Voices. Vine Voices have the unique opportunity to order items free of charge and share their product experiences with Amazon customers to help them make informed buying decisions.

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Voucher/Coupon

A promotional deal on Amazon where a vendor or seller offers a limited-time discount.

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W

Warehouse Deals

These are discounted items sold by Amazon Warehouse. They are typically items that were returned or have minor cosmetic or packaging damage. 

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WOW

Week Over Week (when comparing metrics).

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Y

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YOY

Year Over Year (when comparing metrics).

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YTD

Year Over Year (when comparing metrics).

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