New handling time requirements for seller-fulfilled products
Fast and accurate delivery builds customer trust and is a key factor in purchase decisions. In fact, every one day improvement in promised delivery time leads to an average 5% increase in sales. As such, we’re implementing a new handling time requirement to help you set the most accurate delivery promises possible.
Handling time, which can be set at the account level or with SKU-specific overrides, is an important input to promised delivery dates. Our data shows that over 87% of seller-fulfilled orders received in the US are handled within one day. However, many sellers set longer SKU-specific handling times than needed, leading to overestimated delivery promises.
Starting June 29, 2026, you’ll need to ensure that your seller-fulfilled SKUs have accurate handling times. Your handling time is considered accurate when the actual handling time consistently matches your configured handling time for each SKU. There are two ways you can comply with this new requirement:
- (Recommended) Enable Automated Handling Time (AHT): AHT sets handling time for your SKUs based on your recent shipping history and provides late shipment rate (LSR) protection. We recommend enabling AHT to comply with the handling time requirement without having to monitor individual SKUs. You can enable AHT now in your Shipping settings.
- Maintain accurate SKU-specific handling time: You can also manually set handling time at the SKU level, as long as it stays accurate. We'll monitor these SKUs over 30 days to make sure your stated handling time matches your actual shipping speed. If a SKU is consistently shipped at least one day faster than stated, it will be flagged, and you'll have 30 days to update. If accurate handling time is not provided, we'll start managing the SKUs on your behalf and provide LSR protection for 180 days. To learn more, go to Modify handling time.
For more information about the new handling time requirement, go to Handling time requirement. This requirement does not apply to custom, handmade, and Heavy & Bulky less-than-truckload shipments.
We also recommend you review your Handling time settings to prepare for this change.
New handling time requirements for seller-fulfilled products
Fast and accurate delivery builds customer trust and is a key factor in purchase decisions. In fact, every one day improvement in promised delivery time leads to an average 5% increase in sales. As such, we’re implementing a new handling time requirement to help you set the most accurate delivery promises possible.
Handling time, which can be set at the account level or with SKU-specific overrides, is an important input to promised delivery dates. Our data shows that over 87% of seller-fulfilled orders received in the US are handled within one day. However, many sellers set longer SKU-specific handling times than needed, leading to overestimated delivery promises.
Starting June 29, 2026, you’ll need to ensure that your seller-fulfilled SKUs have accurate handling times. Your handling time is considered accurate when the actual handling time consistently matches your configured handling time for each SKU. There are two ways you can comply with this new requirement:
- (Recommended) Enable Automated Handling Time (AHT): AHT sets handling time for your SKUs based on your recent shipping history and provides late shipment rate (LSR) protection. We recommend enabling AHT to comply with the handling time requirement without having to monitor individual SKUs. You can enable AHT now in your Shipping settings.
- Maintain accurate SKU-specific handling time: You can also manually set handling time at the SKU level, as long as it stays accurate. We'll monitor these SKUs over 30 days to make sure your stated handling time matches your actual shipping speed. If a SKU is consistently shipped at least one day faster than stated, it will be flagged, and you'll have 30 days to update. If accurate handling time is not provided, we'll start managing the SKUs on your behalf and provide LSR protection for 180 days. To learn more, go to Modify handling time.
For more information about the new handling time requirement, go to Handling time requirement. This requirement does not apply to custom, handmade, and Heavy & Bulky less-than-truckload shipments.
We also recommend you review your Handling time settings to prepare for this change.
197 replies
Seller_Y262O9Ep3I1RD
How are we supposed to make handmade products and ship them the next day?
Seller_qNZygxM50hxje
This is so unbelievably stupid. We fix our handling time longer than anticipated specifically in case we run into problems. I would much rather under promise and over deliver than vice versa. There are always unpredictable issues with a small business: labor doesn't show up for a day or more, you or your loved ones get sick and you have to take a couple of days off, stock runs out in store and we have to pull from back stock at our storage facility, adding a day of handling. There are I'm sure way more reasons that don't pop into my head immediately that make this an absurd policy. I don't want Amazon dictating my handling time and over-promising to my customers on my behalf. I'm so sick of these type of changes.
Seller_INboukWZva3cl
Since you are automatically changing the HT, if a late shipment happens within that difference in Handling Time that you pushed forward, it is unfair for me to face penalties for a change that you made against my will
Seller_OvL8C4BJWiuS9
This whole AHT and OTDR is ridiculous as every seller has hurdles and obstacles to jump to get their product out as fast as possible, but more importantly, making sure the quality is top notch. STOP telling sellers how to run their businesses! Rather than making all these strict rules, take that money and energy and revamp your seller support and customer service departments!!!
Seller_rm9hHP0vFkJHG
Hello! Please check my post. 30 days without amazon response
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/f9715aaa-7558-43e3-ad5b-b112c3f2d602?postId=5d20edbe-cc1d-43e0-a8fd-04c54970f2fd
Seller_Ylhd1bnpjlS1k
We ship until 11am Monday through Thursday. Our shipping staff do not work on Fridays. Orders received after 11 will ship the next working day but orders received before 11 often ship the same day. Amazon do you want us to hold onto all orders for 1 day to have consistent handling time? Or we should we ship erery order as soon as we can? How will AHT know that a 9:00am Thursday order will ship the same day but a 1:00pm Thursday order won't ship until Monday?
Seller_yitSORjsQdQlM
So, just so we're clear:
If we under-promise, and we over-deliver, we're punished.
If we over-promise, and we under-deliver, we're punished.
If we maintain a perfect-promise, we're fine, but that's physically impossible.
So ultimately, we're just punished..... Thanks Amazon, you never cease to amaze.
Seller_gatjkdfPmzT4O
I can't believe how stressful it has become selling on this platform the past decade. It's bad enough we are getting hammered with damaged or false returns by buyers with almost zero way of recouping our losses as well as the astronomical increases in shipping costs for all sellers online, but now we have to wait almost a month for our rightfully earned money and comply with your ridiculous delivery and timing requirements all for the sake of YOUR buyers as you all like to put it.
Seller_oqzWC9VybVZRM
I'm an individual seller. I've spent the last half hour going through your process of trying to follow links to see what my stated handling time is. I can't find it. It won't let me edit anything. There's nothing to edit. All of your links go to the wrong places or I get "Oops!" errors.
Because I'm not a "professional" seller, I guess I don't have the option to change my stated handling times anyway.
Oh well. I'll just hope for the best.
Thanks, Amazon!
