Amazon Valid Tracking Rate from the 19th April 2021

The Amazon Valid Tracking Rate measures how often you use valid tracking numbers on your seller fulfilled orders. There are new tracking policy requirements from the 19th of April this year for which you’ll be expected to achieve 95% compliance. This will only apply to carriers integrated with Amazon and will not include items delivered via untracked services – put simply if tracking is available you need to upload it and if you use untracked services it’s business as usual.

Tracking is key to customer satisfaction, both for when things go perfectly to reassure customers that their order is on it’s way but also for when things occasionally go wrong to let consumers know Amazon are aware of the issue, that it’s all in hand and to give guidance as to the new ETA and promise to put things right if the item still doesn’t arrive.

“Amazon customers depend on tracking numbers to find out where their orders are and when they can expect to receive them. The Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) is a performance metric that reflects those expectations.”
– Amazon

Tracking Rate Requirements from the 19th of April 2021

You must provide during Ship Confirm:

• The name of the delivery service provider and the specific delivery service used for all merchant fulfilled orders; and
• The tracking ID for merchant fulfilled orders that are delivered with a tracked delivery method or the unique parcel ID (located above the 2D barcode on the label) in case you use the Royal Mail 24®/48® delivery methods.
• Tracking numbers are only considered valid if they have at least one carrier scan recorded by Amazon

You will be required to reach 95% Valid Tracking Rate:

• On your domestic orders through Amazon UK over a rolling 30-day period i.e. if you dispatch from an address in the UK to a delivery address in the UK.
• Amazon will measure the Valid Tracking Rate for non-prime merchant fulfilled orders at a category level.
• Amazon Valid Tracking Rate will be measured on all domestic orders delivered through integrated delivery service providers including any orders delivered with Royal Mail 24®/48® delivery methods.

Items not included in Valid Tracking Rate metric

The following items are not included in the Valid Tracking Rate calculation:

• Domestic items delivered by carrier/delivery service provider not integrated with Amazon
• Domestic items delivered with untracked delivery services/delivery methods
• Digital products, e.g. audio book

Popular UK couriers integrated with Amazon

DHL, DPD, Hermes, Parcelforce, Royal Mail, TNT, Tuffnells, UPS, Yodel.

Learn more in webinar

Amazon are holding a webinar on Thursday the 1st of April where you can learn more about the new Amazon tracking policy requirements and how to protect your account health. Topics will cover:

• What is VTR
• Practical Steps to insert VTR
• Integrated carriers per marketplace and valid tracking number formats
• Check your performances
• VTR FAQs

You can register for the webinar here.