Amazon Vendor Central Glossary: Essential Terms Every Supplier Needs to Know for Success
Updated Jan 2025
Understanding Amazon Vendor Central's terminology is essential for any supplier aiming to navigate this competitive marketplace effectively. From managing purchase orders (POs) and shipments to understanding unique identifiers like GS1 and SSCC, vendors need a clear grasp of these specialised terms to optimise their Amazon operations. This glossary breaks down complex Amazon Vendor Central and Direct Fulfilment terms into simple, actionable insights. With examples for each term, this guide is designed to help vendors manage inventory, streamline logistics, and communicate smoothly with Amazon’s systems, making it a must-read for those working within Amazon’s vendor ecosystem.
General Terms:
Term |
Meaning |
---|---|
EDI |
(Electronic Data Interchange):A standardised digital format for exchanging documents like purchase orders and invoices between Amazon and its vendors. See also: Amazon Vendor EDI vs API. |
ERP |
(Enterprise Resource Planning): Software that helps vendors manage essential business functions like inventory, ordering, and accounting. |
WMS |
(Warehouse Management System): Software managing daily operations in a warehouse, from receiving stock to order picking and packing. See also: Shipping to Amazon Vendor - Streamlining the Warehouse. |
API |
(Application Programming Interface): A set of rules enabling different software systems to communicate, allowing automation and data sharing. |
Vendor Central |
Amazon’s platform where first-party vendors manage orders, pricing, and stock directly with Amazon. |
Seller Central |
Amazon’s platform for third-party sellers to list and sell items directly to consumers on the Amazon marketplace. |
Vendor Code |
A five-character code Amazon assigns to each vendor account to uniquely identify it within a region. |
AVS |
(Amazon Vendor Services): A paid programme providing vendors with a dedicated Amazon contact for support on orders, catalogue updates, and account management. |
CRaP |
(Can’t Realise a Profit): Refers to products Amazon cannot sell profitably, often due to low prices or high shipping costs. |
MAP |
(Minimum Advertised Price): The lowest price a manufacturer allows a product to be advertised for, ensuring market consistency. |
OTB |
(Open-to-Buy): A budgeting concept for managing funds available for new inventory purchases. |
Direct Fulfilment |
Vendors ship products directly to customers, reducing stock in Amazon warehouses and speeding up delivery. |
Vendor Flex |
A programme where vendors store Amazon products in their own warehouses but allow Amazon to manage orders and shipping. |
PICS |
(Pan-European Inbound Consolidation Service): This service helps European vendors streamline shipments by consolidating them across fewer fulfilment centres, providing cost efficiencies by allowing Amazon to cross-dock the goods upon arrival. |
SSCC |
(Serial Shipping Container Code): A barcode used to identify and track shipping containers across the supply chain. |
AMZNCC |
(Amazon Container Code): Amazon’s internally generated barcode when a vendor manually submits carton level information. |
GS1 |
(Global Standards 1): A non-profit global organisation setting standards for product barcodes, widely used across Amazon’s platforms for product tracking. Common GS1 Identifiers include GTINs, SSCCs and GLNs. |
GLN |
(Global Location Number): This is a GS1 term and rather than a Zip or Postal code, is a number that refers to a unique location in the world. |
GDSN |
(Global Data Synchronisation Network): This enables a vendor to upload their product information and catalogue to a centralised repository where a trading partner can connect to import all their information, easing data flow between trading partners. |
Order Management:
Term |
Meaning |
---|---|
PO(s) |
(Purchase Order): Amazon’s official request for products from a vendor, usually issued on scheduled days (e.g., Mondays and Wednesdays). |
POA |
(Purchase Order Acknowledgement): Vendors confirm receipt and acceptance of Amazon’s purchase order. |
Shipping Window |
The specified delivery timeframe for a PO, including start and end dates. |
DC/FC |
(Distribution centre/Fulfilment Centre): Amazon’s warehouses where products are stored, packed, and shipped to customers. |
Price Discrepancy / Purchase price variance |
The difference between the expected and actual price paid by Amazon. |
B2R |
(Born to Run): A programme where vendors can request an initial PO for new products to test demand. The vendor should forecast the total demand for a 10-week period and send in the stock to launch that product. |
LTSF |
(Long-Term Storage Fee): Fees Amazon charges for inventory stored over 365 days in its fulfilment centres. |
Shipments:
Term |
Meaning |
---|---|
ASN |
(Advance Shipment Notification): A pre-shipment alert sent to Amazon detailing an order’s contents and estimated arrival. |
R-ASN |
(Retail Advance Shipment Notification): An alert sent to Amazon about a shipment, listing items and estimated delivery time. |
ARN |
(Advance Routing Notification): A mechanism used by WePay vendors where a Vendor submits shipment information and Amazon assigns the carrier to the collection. Comprises both a request and a response. |
Collect |
Amazon handles the pickup and transport of goods from the vendor, commonly used in North America. Also called “WePay” |
PrePaid |
Vendors cover all shipping costs and deliver goods to Amazon’s designated warehouse. Also called “TheyPay”. Example: A vendor in the UK uses PrePaid, handling delivery to Amazon’s fulfilment centre. Read more: UK company using PrePaid shipments uses EDI to save hours each week in manual data entry. |
MCF |
(Multi-Channel Fulfilment): Amazon fulfils orders placed outside its marketplace, using Amazon-stored inventory and leveraging Amazon’s existing fulfilment capabilities. |
LTL |
(Less Than Truckload): Shipments that are palletised, but don’t fill a whole truck, shared with other shipments to lower costs. |
FTL |
(Full Truckload): A large shipment filling an entire truck, reducing per-unit shipping costs. This is typically 26-33 pallets depending on the pallet footprint size. Full truckload shipments must have seal numbers sent in the ASN. |
FCL |
(Full Container Load): A shipment that occupies an entire container, commonly for overseas freight. Used for Direct Import shipments. |
LCL |
(Less Than Container Load): A shipment not filling a whole container, sharing space with other shipments. |
FBA |
(Fulfilment by Amazon): Amazon manages storage, packing, and shipping for a vendor’s products, streamlining fulfilment. |
FBM |
(Fulfilment by Merchant): Vendors handle their own inventory and shipping, while Amazon manages listings and transactions. |
SFP |
(Seller Fulfilled Prime): Vendors ship directly to Prime customers while meeting Amazon’s delivery standards. |
FC Direct |
Shipping directly from Amazon’s fulfilment centres to customers, bypassing intermediaries. |
Direct Import |
Amazon buys directly from international vendors, skipping intermediaries and reducing import costs. |
Chargebacks:
Term |
Meaning |
---|---|
Chargeback |
A catch-all term referring to any deduction that Amazon makes to a supplier for non-compliance with standards pertaining to shipments, orders, invoices or other operational defect that incurred Amazon a loss. Deducted from Payments due to a vendor. |
Shortage Claim |
A claim by Amazon that what arrived at a FC was less than what the supplier claimed. This is usually seen as a “SC” suffix on the invoice remittance. Shortage claims can be disputed but this can be a lengthy process. Often prevention is better than cure. There are agencies that dispute these claims for companies. KhooCommerce helps to mitigate the root causes of shortages through high ASN accuracy compliance. |
PO On Time Accuracy |
A chargeback when a vendor makes mistakes on the PO management process. Subtypes: 1. Not on Time: shipment arrived outside of delivery window 2. Not filled: goods did not arrive at all and Amazon closed the order for the vendor. (typically 30 days after delivery window ends). 3. Down Confirmed: goods to deliver were adjusted down too late after the delivery window started. Typically any adjustment >5 days after the delivery window opens. |
Carton Information Compliance |
A chargeback related to mismatch of carton contents and label descriptor, or lack of label descriptor. Usually £0.12 or $0.20 per unit in the affected cartons. |
No Carton Content Label |
A carton was shipped to amazon with no label on it all - missing License Plate (LP) label. See also: ASN options - what you need to know.
|
ASN Accuracy |
Covers a range of issues with the ASN including: a shipment arrives at an Amazon FC with no ASN sent; PRO/BOL mismatch; missing expiry date; invalid expiry date; unit count mismatch. |
Overweight Carton |
Cartons weighing in excess of that allowed at the FC. Usually the limit for what one worker is legally allowed to lift in that country, eg 50lbs in USA. |
Oversized Carton |
Cartons in excess dimension allowed at the FC shipped to. Typically 25 inches for any dimension. |
Mastering Amazon Vendor Central terminology empowers suppliers to handle their business with precision, reducing costly errors and improving order fulfilment efficiency. By familiarising yourself with terms like EDI, ERP, and Vendor Flex, you can optimise your operations and maximise your success in Amazon’s marketplace. As Amazon continues to grow, understanding these essential terms and concepts will keep you competitive and ensure your business thrives. For more Amazon Vendor Central resources and strategies, refer to our comprehensive guides and take your Amazon vendor operations to the next level.