Amazon Reopens Seller Fulfilled Prime Enrollment After Extended Pause

Amazon has announced that it has reopened enrollment for its Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program as of October 1, 2023. The SFP program allows sellers to independently handle the fulfillment of their products while still offering one-day and two-day delivery speeds for Prime customers.
Amazon paused new seller enrollment for SFP in 2021 in order to make improvements to the program and ensure that it was meeting the expectations of both sellers and customers. Some of the changes that Amazon has made to SFP include:

• Clearer program requirements: Amazon has established clearer standards for SFP sellers, including requirements for on-time shipping, delivery coverage, and customer service.
• More support for sellers: Amazon has added new resources and support for SFP sellers, including a dedicated SFP team and a new training program.
• Removed program fee: Amazon has removed the planned 2% fee for SFP sellers.

Qualifications for Seller Fulfilled Prime

In order to enroll in SFP, sellers must meet the following qualifications:

• Have a Professional Seller account
• Have a Seller Rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Have self-fulfilled at least 100 packages
• Have an on-time shipping rate of at least 99%
• Have a cancellation rate of less than 2.5%
• Have a return rate of less than 10%
• Be able to ship all standard-size products to all 50 states within two business days
• Offer weekend pickup and delivery

Pros and Cons of Seller Fulfilled Prime

There are both pros and cons to enrolling in SFP. Here is a summary:
Pros:

• Increased sales: SFP sellers tend to see higher sales than sellers who do not offer SFP.
• Enhanced customer experience: SFP customers expect fast and reliable delivery, and SFP sellers are able to meet those expectations.
• Increased brand visibility: SFP products are displayed with the Prime badge, which can help sellers to attract more customers.
• More control over fulfillment: SFP sellers have more control over the fulfillment process than sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).

Cons:

• More complex fulfillment process: SFP sellers are responsible for all aspects of fulfillment, including picking, packing, and shipping orders. This can be more complex and time-consuming than using FBA.
• Higher costs: SFP sellers are responsible for all of the costs associated with fulfillment, including shipping, packaging, and labor costs.
• Stricter performance requirements: SFP sellers must meet strict performance requirements in order to maintain their eligibility for the program.

Whether or not to enroll in SFP is a decision that each seller must make based on their individual circumstances and business goals. Sellers should carefully consider the pros and cons before making a decision. Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

• SFP is not a requirement for success on Amazon. Many successful sellers do not offer SFP.
• Sellers can enroll in SFP and FBA at the same time. This can give sellers the best of both worlds: the increased sales and brand visibility of SFP, with the convenience and expertise of FBA.
• Amazon offers a variety of resources to help SFP sellers succeed. These resources include training programs, support teams, and access to Amazon's shipping network.

SFP is a powerful too, but If you are considering enrolling in SFP, we encourage you to do your research and talk to other SFP sellers to get their insights.

Maintenance Requirements

Customer serviceAll post-order contacts from Prime customers regarding Prime items will be directed to Amazon Customer Service. Amazon will provide, and have sole discretion in determining, all post-order customer service, including customer returns, refunds, and adjustments, related to Prime items. Amazon has sole discretion over whether to charge the costs of any returns, refunds or other adjustments and concessions related to Prime items to the seller's account. Sellers remain responsible for pre-order buyer inquiries and inquiries related to their products.
Minimum handling timesFor orders received before order cut-off, sellers must ship same-day, one-day, and two-day orders the same day that they are received (zero-day handling time). Handling time for standard shipping to Prime customers must be 1-day or same-day/0-day.
Minimum order cut-off timesSellers must configure order cut-off times to 2:00 p.m. or later local time Monday-Friday and 10:30 a.m. or later Saturday and Sundays.
Offer listingsSellers cannot create separate offers for the same ASIN and list one of them as a Seller Fulfilled Prime offer and the other as a Seller Fulfilled offer without Prime. Offers on the same ASIN that have the same attributes, conditions, and condition notes are considered identical offers.
Performance requirementsPerformance requirements are monitored and enforced weekly against the minimum performance thresholds. For offers and orders to Prime customers, Sellers must consistently meet the thresholds defined below for each requirement to retain their program eligibility. 

• On-time delivery: 93.5% or more of SFP units delivered to Prime customers must be delivered on-time.
• Valid tracking: 99% or more of SFP packages shipped to Prime customers must have a valid first scan from an Amazon-integrated carrier.
• Cancellation rate: Cancel no more than 0.5% of Prime customer units.
• Delivery speed: Prime customer detail page views, where your offer is featured, must meet the speed thresholds of 1-2 days, depending on the size of the package.

Beware!

If Amazon determines that a seller's actions or performance may result in harm to customer trust, violations of our terms or policies, or cause other risks to customers or Amazon, then we may, in our sole discretion, disable or remove applicable Prime item offers, Seller Fulfilled Prime eligibility, or selling privileges.  If you get into any trouble, Amazon Sellers Attorney® will draft your appeal of removal of seller fulfilled prime privileges or appeal of account suspension.  Just call, chat, email or submit your issue for a free consultation.