Is valid tracking rate mandatory now?
The news feed today has a bit about confirming tracking on time. There’s a ‘learn more’ option, and there it states at the bottom:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/help.html?itemID=G200197960
Important:
We do not recommend confirming shipments without tracking numbers. You’re required to provide valid tracking numbers for 95% of shipments in all categories.
Tracking is also required to qualify for exclusive programmes, including Premium Shipping options and guaranteed delivery date.
Without a valid tracking number, you’re more vulnerable to an A-to-z Guarantee claim.
So, is tracking mandatory now? I’m seller fulfilled. My items are low value and tracking costs more than the item. I’m worried that if I were to switch to FBA, they would impose a minimum order price on my customers for free shipping, preventing them from buying just one item (as the vast majority do).
At them moment I offer free shipping with no minimum order. This would be a horrible downgrade for my buyers, especially in europe. It would either raise my prices substantially, or I would have to use FBA and take away free shipping. Either way, the buyer ends up being forced to pay extortionate prices to cover a service that could be free 
Is valid tracking rate mandatory now?
The news feed today has a bit about confirming tracking on time. There’s a ‘learn more’ option, and there it states at the bottom:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/help.html?itemID=G200197960
Important:
We do not recommend confirming shipments without tracking numbers. You’re required to provide valid tracking numbers for 95% of shipments in all categories.
Tracking is also required to qualify for exclusive programmes, including Premium Shipping options and guaranteed delivery date.
Without a valid tracking number, you’re more vulnerable to an A-to-z Guarantee claim.
So, is tracking mandatory now? I’m seller fulfilled. My items are low value and tracking costs more than the item. I’m worried that if I were to switch to FBA, they would impose a minimum order price on my customers for free shipping, preventing them from buying just one item (as the vast majority do).
At them moment I offer free shipping with no minimum order. This would be a horrible downgrade for my buyers, especially in europe. It would either raise my prices substantially, or I would have to use FBA and take away free shipping. Either way, the buyer ends up being forced to pay extortionate prices to cover a service that could be free
62 replies
Seller_EJIX7rqDNQJi2
No it’s definitely not mandatory. Just recommended.
Seller_EHYOwAkoZV3Hb
Not aware if now mandatory. One would imagine that such a major change would have a formal announcement and even a reasonable notice to enable sellers to implement and review pricing. But this is Amazon so who knows.
May I ask what “news feed” you are talking about? Are you talking about the “News” section in Seller Central? Mine shows the main headline as “Keep your Late Shipment Rate low by confirming shipments”
Seller_kHIYvQFgzwVAy
Don’t really fancy spending an hour or 2 entering tracking numbers or paying that additional fee, if they expect us to do that, lower the selling fees.
Seller_Um75lpkae2TCH
This is going to be mandatory soon or later. This is how it started on amazon USA and a few months later it became compulsory to upload tracking details.
Seller_SHpe5c4eREBFN
Now here’s a thing. Royal Mail ‘Signed For’ for example, does not provide tracking, only signature on delivery. Tracking and delivery confirmation are two different things as any courier will tell you and many will have options of various combinations of these two services. So what does Amazon want and what will they accept?
Seller_gir9vW9ZGl74E
Royal mail offer a tracked non-signed service guys. It’s much cheaper than normal tracked and is fully trackable.
You need Royal Mail account though.
As a customer I do hope it becomes mandatory, offers a much better service.
We already ship via Royal Mail tracked so no change for us tbh.
Seller_8XO2tpVvj0ZaV
Most of my items can go out to the post office with stamps on them as they are low value and low postage.
If a customer spends enough the postage goes up and I send ‘Signed For’. I do offer free postage on larger orders.
I probably have around another 100 items that I can list that are low value and low postage but have held off listing these in case tracking becomes mandatory. I’m like others who sell items that would be lower in value than the postage especially if I have to add the £1.10 ‘Signed For’ fee to all orders. My post office does not offer 2d tracking so that is an option that is not available.
As feedback is so rare customers have no real idea about turnarounds, etc… which would make it hard to gain customer trust at point of sale especially if postage was put up to around £2 where it is currently 85p (quite a few orders have cost me £1.26 to post where 85p is charged).
If it wasn’t for the fact that my Amazon sales have been growing since I started selling here I would be tempted to stop using this platform. In the three years I have been selling here I have only had one customer who claimed not to receive and one A-Z (which was a farce) but only a feedback of 37 at the moment.
Seller_HRqC7Eq5Rjcr4
Is this just another little nudge to force sellers down the Prime or at least Seller Fulfilled Prime route?
Seller_WeWektiY4a6Qn
ebay use the royal mail 2d delivery confirmation as valid tracking and it’s works well,
amazon don’t seem to accept the 2d tracking which I don’t understand,
It’s all very well bringing in tracking as compulsory but most businesses will use 2d barcode tracking so i don’t get why amazon don’t support it. we upload the 2d barcode number automatically and our valid tracking rate is 9% on amazon
ebay have managed to implement a system that supports it and they’ve been using it for the last 12 months, amazon seem to be on another planet. I raised this with seller support about 6-8 months ago and they ended up closing the case after repeated ‘thankyou for your patience’ emails.
I just don’t understand why amazon don’t support 2d tracking as valid tracking
