Seller Fulfilled Prime

Before you can participate in Seller Fulfilled Prime program , you must satisfy performance requirements during a trial period (see video) to demonstrate that you can meet customers' service expectations. After successfully completing the trial, you're automatically enrolled in the program.

Sellers who are approved to enroll their products in Seller Fulfilled Prime will be able to:

• Provide Prime shipping benefits to Amazon Prime members.
• Purchase shipping for all Prime products through Buy Shipping (see video). Based on the information Amazon has, the following shipping integrators have already adopted the Merchant Fulfillment API for fulfilling your Prime orders:
  • ADSI
  • Jazva
  • M2E Pro - Amazon Magento Integration
  • OrderCup
  • Ordoro
  • RetailOps
  • SellerCloud
  • ShippingEasy
  • ShipRush
  • ShipStation
  • ShipWorks
  • Skubana
  • SolidShip by Solid Commerce
  • Teapplix
• Agree to all shipping, returns, and customer service requirements applicable to Prime products (see video).

Seller Fulfilled Prime enrollment requirements

After successfully completing the Prime Trial period, you are automatically enrolled in the Seller Fulfilled Prime program.

Now that you are enrolled, in order to maintain the Seller Fulfilled Prime status, you must continually satisfy the following criteria:

• Maintain a Professional selling plan: You must have an account with a Professional selling plan, and the account must be active and in good standing.
• Purchase Shipping from Buy Shipping Services: You have to purchase a minimum of 99% of all shipping labels through Buy Shipping Services, either through the Buy Shipping tool on the Manage Orders page or through the Merchant Fulfillment API.
• Carrier Pickup Time: Use at least one of the approved Buy Shipping Service carriers UPS, USPS, OnTrac, or FedEx.
  • For Standard or Two-Day Shipping orders, carriers must pick up at the seller’s location at or after 4:00 p.m. local.

Seller Fulfilled Prime enrollment revocation

Amazon will evaluate your Prime eligibility each day. If your performance metrics fall below the established thresholds, or if you violate the program terms, your enrollment in the program may be revoked. The Prime badge will be disabled on your offers, and your program status will change to Ineligible under the Premium Shipping Programs section in the General Shipping Settings. You will be unable to offer products with the Prime badge on your seller-fulfilled listings until you are able to satisfy all performance metrics and program terms.

How do I get reinstated?

If your eligibility to participate in Seller Fulfilled Prime has been revoked, we may require you to provide us with a Plan of Action that explains the issue, including a root cause analysis, and a description of the steps you will take to prevent similar issues in the future. You can review the Seller Fulfilled Prime performance metric requirements prior sending in a Plan of Action. Plans of Action can be submitted by clicking the Create POA button on the Seller Fulfilled Prime Performance dashboard.

The following are some examples of performance issues and we also offer suggestions for how to resolve them.

If your Plan of Action is approved, your eligibility to participate in Seller Fulfilled Prime will be restored.

Seller Fulfilled Prime Returns Policies

All post-order contacts regarding Seller Fulfilled Prime orders will be directed to Amazon Customer Service.

Amazon Customer Service (CS) will provide, and have sole discretion in determining, all post-order customer service to Prime items including customer returns, refunds, and adjustments to Seller Fulfilled Prime items (such as return-less refunds, partial or full refunds, changes to the shipping speed, and shipping price for an order, refunds of the shipping charge, cancellation of an order, or returns including a refund outside the stated return window).

As a part of participation in Seller Fulfilled Prime, sellers agree that Amazon may charge the costs of any returns, refunds, or other adjustments and concessions related to Seller Fulfilled Prime items to your account.

Sellers remain responsible for pre-order buyer inquiries, inquires related to the products, and any order-related questions from CS. You agree that you will be respectful in handling all such contacts and meet the Prime high performance bar related to customer service and customer experience.

Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policies

Amazon provides and has sole discretion in determining all post-order customer services, including customer returns, refunds, and adjustments related to Prime items. You agree that Amazon may charge the costs of any returns, refunds, or other adjustments and concessions related to Prime items to your seller account. Visit the customer service section in Program Terms and customer service for Seller Fulfilled Prime for more information.

Normally, you are responsible for issuing a refund for a return on a Seller Fulfilled Prime order. However, in certain situations, Amazon may issue a refund to the customer on your behalf. When Amazon issues a refund to a customer and you think that you should not be held financially responsible for the charge, you may file a claim for reimbursement via the Seller Assurance for ecommerce Transactions (SAFE-T).

Frequently Asked Questions on Seller Fulfilled Prime Returns

1. What should I do if a customer contacts me on an issue related to a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

• If the customer asks a product-related question, answer the question directly to the customer.
• If the question is related to a refund for a return and you have already received the return, process a refund to the customer immediately.
• If you have not received the return, inform the customer that you will refund them as soon as you receive the product.
• If the question is on any other topic, such as the return window or how to leave a review, direct the customer to CS who should be able to resolve the customer issue.

2. What should I do if CS contacts me on an issue related to a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

In general, CS will try not to contact you about Seller-Fulfilled Prime orders. In some cases, Amazon still needs your help to solve customer problems. If CS contacts you on behalf of a customer:

• Try to solve the customer's problem as quickly as possible. You are required to respond to the customer within two business days.
• Respond to CS and the customer with the resolution steps that you have taken via buyer/seller messaging. The customer will be copied into the email exchange.

3. Will I still authorize return requests for Seller Fulfilled Prime returns?

No, all in-policy return requests are auto-authorized. You do not need to take any action to authorize returns.

4. How much time do I have to refund after I have received a return on a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

You have two business days to refund the item after you have received the return at your warehouse.

5. Who issues a refund for a return on a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

It is your responsibility to issue a refund to the customer upon the receipt of a return. However, CS reserves the right to provide a refund on customers' request in exceptional situations (refer FAQ No.6 below).

6. When will CS provide a full refund to the customer?

Amazon has sole discretion on providing refunds for customers within SFP, however these are the most common scenarios where CS would issue a refund

1. If the order is delayed beyond the promised date.
2. If the customer does not need the product any more.
3. If the order does not have tracking information.
4. If the customer complains that the product is defective/damaged, has missing parts or a wrong product is received.

Sellers are notified of refund decisions by Customer Service with information on why that refund has been issued (see FAQ No. 12).

7. Will CS contact me to resolve customer issues before issuing a refund?

Ordinarily, CS associates will resolve issues without contacting you. However, CS may contact you via buyer/seller messaging when the customer has a specific product question that the CS associate is unable to answer.

8. What happens if CS refunds the customer but I do not receive the product back?

Ordinarily, Customer Service will ask the product to be returned before initiating a refund. In certain cases, Customer Service may make an exception and ask the product not to be returned. Amazon may reimburse you if your claim meets the criteria in the Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.

9. Can I work with the customer to repair the product, if it stops working as intended?

At this moment, repair functionality is not available in SFP. Please accept the return and provide a full refund to the customer.

10. Why was a return request accepted or refund provided to the customer outside the return window?

In certain cases, Customer Service may accept a return or provide a refund to the customer even outside the return window. These exceptions are made on a case-to-case basis depending on the customer situation.

11. I received a return for an order that was shipped more than a month ago. Since this is outside the return window, can I refuse the return and send it back to the customer?

No, if the customer was able to return the product it is because Customer Service provided an exception to the customer and accepted the return request outside the return window. You are required to accept all such returns. Amazon may reimburse you if your claim meets the criteria in the Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.

12. How do I get notified of a refund issued by Customer Service on a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

• Go to Seller Central>Settings>Notification Preferences>Return and Claim Notifications.
• Pending Returns: Enable notification when a return request is either auto-approved or approved by Amazon CS.
• Refund Notifications: Enable notification when a refund is issued to the customer.

13. Can sellers dispute CS decision to refund the customer?

To dispute a refund amount issued by Customer Service, please refer to Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.

14. What happens, if CS refunds the customer but I don't think I should be held responsible for the refund?

In certain cases, Amazon may reimburse you if you claim you should not be held responsible for the refund. You can create a SAFE-T claim to ask for reimbursement, please visit Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy to get more information about SAFE-T claims.

15. What happens if Customer Service refunds the customer but the responsibility lies with the carrier?

In the case where the refund happened because of poor carrier delivery performance, typically lost or damaged items, you should contact the carrier directly providing them full details of the case and seek compensation from them directly.

Frequently asked questions on Seller Fulfilled Prime reimbursements

1. Can I be reimbursed if Amazon processes a return on my behalf?

You might be eligible for reimbursement if a customer has been refunded by Amazon for one of the following reasons and the amount reimbursed to the customer has been taken from your seller account.

Below are the scenarios that you might be eligible for a reimbursement. This list does not guarantee a reimbursement, and Amazon maintains all rights to determine what reimbursement value, if any, is issued:

• Buyer said they never received Item, but I have proof: You are eligible for reimbursement if you purchased delivery shipping label through the Buy Shipping services, and the tracking shows the item is delivered but the customer claims they did not receive the package. If you did not purchase a delivery shipping label through the Buy Shipping services, you must provide signature confirmation of delivery to be eligible for a reimbursement on your SAFE-T claim.
  Note: This does not apply to items that are deemed Hazmat or Non-returnable by Amazon systems unless the return reason is the customer’s fault. Visit here to learn more about when a return reason is considered as the customer’s fault.
• Buyer returned damaged item: You are eligible for reimbursement if an item is returned to you in unsellable condition and Amazon determines you were not at fault. (Send appropriate photo evidence linking the return to the purchased product).
  Note: Per Restocking fee policy, if the product is damaged by the customer, the reimbursement will be limited to a maximum of 50% of the order value of the product.
  Note: Attach all necessary support documentation (example: supportive images of damaged item, image of the return mailing label, tracking ID, delivery proof, or any additional information you see necessary to review your claim.
• Buyer returned item that was not what I sent: You are eligible for reimbursement if a materially different item is returned to you and Amazon determines you were not at fault.
• The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement, the customer sent back an incorrect item or the original item (not in sellable condition) or Amazon issued a refund to the customer.

  You may be eligible for reimbursement for a free replacement if:

  • The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement and the customer sent back the incorrect item or the original item in an unsellable condition.
    Note: You must submit the reimbursement claim for the replacement order within 60 calendar days after receiving the original item.
  • The customer requested a free replacement via the Online Return Center, you shipped the replacement and Amazon issued a refund to the customer.
    Note: You must submit the reimbursement claim for the original order within 60 calendar days of a refund being charged to your account for the original item. Provide the tracking information, image of the returned item, and image of the return label for the replacement order while filing a claim. Note that Returnless Replacements are not eligible for SAFE-T claims.
    Note: After requesting a replacement order, the customer should send the original item back to you within seven days after the replacement request date. You will receive a notification from Amazon to ship the replacement item after the original item is returned. You will only be eligible for a reimbursement claim for the replacement order if the original item is sent back to you in a different condition. Orders that are in transit are not eligible for a SAFE-T claim. For more information, visit Replacements for seller-fulfilled returns.
• Buyer returned item after the return period: You are eligible for reimbursement if Amazon initiated a return on behalf of a customer for an item that is outside of the return window.
  Note: Amazon calculates the return window for Seller Fulfilled Orders based on maximum estimated delivery date and three days additional time for postmarking the item.
• Amazon issued a refund to the customer for return delivery label, even though the customer was responsible for paying for return delivery: You are eligible for reimbursement if return reason is listed at customer fault in Return reason codes for prepaid returns.

2. Is there any restrictions for filing a reimbursement claim for a Seller Fulfilled Prime order?

The following restrictions apply to reimbursements:

• Only refunds that issued to customers by Amazon on your behalf is eligible for reimbursements. You are not eligible for reimbursement if you issued refund to the customer.
• Reimbursement claims must be submitted within 60 calendar days of a refund being charged to your account.
• You can file only one claim per order ID.
• Reimbursements for a single order will not exceed $5000. For items valued at more than $5,000, we suggest that you purchase third-party insurance.
• FBA orders are not covered by this policy. See FBA customer returns policy for FBA reimbursement policy.
• Chargeback claims are not covered by this policy. Visit our full chargeback policy for details.
• Orders with an A-to-z Guarantee claim are not eligible for SAFE-T claims (you have the ability to Appeal an A-to-z Guarantee claim).
• If you refuse a return shipment for any reason, the order is not eligible for reimbursement.
• Items lost or damaged in transit, either outbound or return, by any carrier other than Amazon Shipping are not eligible for SAFE-T claims. Instead, you can raise a claim with the carrier for a possible reimbursement. For a lost or damaged package sent using Amazon Shipping, check how to raise the claim on this page here. For a lost or damaged package sent with a third-party carrier, ask the carrier directly about their reimbursement policy.

3. How can I file a reimbursement (SAFE-T) claim?

• From the Orders tab in Seller Central, go to Manage SAFE-T claims.
• Click File a new SAFE-T claim, in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• Enter the order ID for the return and then click Check eligibility.
• If your order is eligible, proceed to the next step. If not, please know that there is no appeal option to request the claim be filed and reviewed for the order ID.
• Select the reason best describes your case for your reimbursement claim.
• In your claim, provide detail as why you believe Amazon should reimburse you. For example, you have been overcharged for the return label or the product was returned in an unacceptable condition.
• Attach all necessary supporting documentation (e.g. supportive images of damaged item, the image of the Return Mailing Label, Tracking ID, delivery proof, or any additional information you see necessary to review your claim), if applicable, and then click Submit SAFE-T claim. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your claim, any future correspondence on your claim should be done on the Manage SAFE-T Claims page.

4. How do I check the status of my claims?

To track the status of your reimbursement claims, go to Orders>Manage SAFE-T claims.

• The navigation menu on the ‘Manage SAFE-T Claims’ has different tabs depending upon the claim status (eg. ‘Awaiting Seller Response’, ‘Resolved’ and ‘Under Investigation’). You can click on respective tabs and the claims with status change or requiring response will be highlighted. You will also get an email notification whenever the status of any claim changes. However, it will be a no-reply email and will contain a link to direct you to the respective claims on the SAFE-T Communication Center on Seller Central.
• You can search for claims in the specific time period by selecting the box next to Claim Date at the top left to select the data range.
• You can also search for a specific order ID, ASIN, RMA, or SAFE-T ID using the search box on the top right.
• For every claim, you can find the information on product name, quantity, claim amount, SAFE-T claim ID, reason, description, attachments that you provided, order date, claim date, claim status, reimbursement amount, and return request date.

5. Can I appeal a SAFE-T claim?

If you do not agree with the SAFE-T’s decision, and you have additional information and evidence to support your argument, you can appeal the SAFE-T claim within seven days of claim decision via the Manage SAFE-T claims page, through the reply option available against all resolved claims. You can appeal a SAFE-T claim only once, so study the denial reasons and provide additional information that will support your appeal.

Manage SAFE-T claims page will indicate “Reply by <Date> <Time>” against each claim. For resolved claims, the timeline to respond will be indicated as “Appeal by <Date> <Time>” against each claim.

6. Do SAFE-T claims affect my performance?

Filing SAFE-T claims do not count against your performance metrics, but any attempt to abuse the SAFE-T process or seller reimbursement policy may lead to performance action on your account.

When you file a reimbursement claim, you confirm that the details mentioned in the case are true and that any misrepresentation or deviation from the statement may lead to removal of your selling privileges, return of all earlier reimbursements, or any other appropriate action by Amazon.

How can I get a Saturday pick-up?

Saturday pick-ups and drop-offs are offered by UPS and FedEx for their Air and Express services. UPS Ground and FedEx Ground/Home pick-ups are not part of their general service offering but may be available through special operating plans and agreements with these carriers. Please contact the carriers for more information. Services provided through special operating plans will not be available through Buy Shipping and are exempted from the Buy Shipping requirement.

USPS will pick-up on Saturdays and allow drop-offs.

How can I get a Sunday pick-up?

Sunday pick-ups are not part of the general service offerings for FedEx and UPS, but may be available through special operating plans and agreements with these carriers. Please contact the carriers for more information. Services provided through special operating plans will not be available through Buy Shipping and are exempted from the Buy Shipping requirement.

USPS provides limited pick-ups on Sundays and may accept line-haul drop-offs at larger processing facilities on an appointment basis. USPS services may work for regional coverage but are likely to be insufficient to meet nationwide delivery speed metrics on their own.