Amazon has its own language. From Seller Central dashboards to PPC reports and fulfillment settings, sellers constantly encounter amazon acronyms like ASIN, FBA, ACoS, and BSR. For new Amazon sellers, these abbreviations can feel overwhelming and confusing.
Understanding Amazon acronyms is not optional—it directly impacts how you manage listings, control costs, run ads, and protect your account. Misinterpreting even one term can lead to poor decisions, wasted ad spend, or compliance issues.
This Amazon glossary is designed to simplify that learning curve. It provides clear, beginner-friendly explanations of the most common Amazon acronyms and abbreviations, all in one place. Whether you are selling via FBA or FBM, running Amazon PPC campaigns, or scaling your brand globally, this guide will help you understand Amazon terminology with confidence.
Use this guide as a reference whenever you see unfamiliar Amazon abbreviations inside Seller Central. Mastering these terms will help you operate more efficiently, avoid costly mistakes, and grow your Amazon business faster.
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Why Understanding Amazon Acronyms Is Important for Sellers
Amazon uses a highly structured system filled with abbreviations and shortened terminology. These Amazon acronyms appear throughout Seller Central, advertising dashboards, inventory reports, performance metrics, and support communications. For new sellers, not understanding these terms can quickly lead to confusion, misinterpretation of data, and costly mistakes.
Improves Decision-Making Accuracy
Many critical business decisions on Amazon rely on metrics represented by amazon acronyms such as ACOS, IPI, ODR, and CTR. Misunderstanding even one of these can result in incorrect pricing strategies, inefficient advertising spend, or inventory mismanagement. Knowing what each Amazon abbreviation means allows sellers to interpret reports correctly and take informed actions.
Helps Navigate Seller Central Efficiently
Seller Central is built around abbreviations. From listing creation to performance notifications, Amazon rarely explains terms in detail. Sellers familiar with the Amazon acronyms list can move faster, troubleshoot issues independently, and manage their accounts with greater confidence.
Reduces Risk of Account Health Issues
Account health warnings and policy notifications often include acronyms related to performance metrics and compliance requirements. Not understanding terms like ODR, VTR, or LSR can cause sellers to overlook serious issues that may lead to listing suppression or account suspension. A strong grasp of Amazon glossary terms helps sellers remain compliant and proactive.
Optimizes Advertising and Profitability
Amazon advertising dashboards are heavily acronym-based. Metrics such as CPC, ROAS, TACOS, and CVR directly impact profitability. Sellers who understand these terms can optimize campaigns more effectively, reduce wasted ad spend, and scale profitably.
Improves Communication with Amazon Support
Amazon Seller Support frequently uses abbreviations in case responses and policy explanations. Sellers who understand Amazon acronyms can communicate more clearly, resolve issues faster, and avoid misinterpretation during appeals or account reviews.
Supports Long-Term Business Growth
As a seller grows, operations become more complex, involving logistics, branding, analytics, and multi-channel fulfillment. Understanding Amazon abbreviations early builds a strong foundation, making it easier to scale operations, onboard team members, and work with agencies or service providers.
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Fulfillment & Logistics Amazon Acronyms
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
A service where Amazon stores your products in its warehouses and handles storage, picking, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns. Enrolling in FBA means sellers send inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and “we’ll pick, pack, and ship orders” for you. For example, using FBA lets a seller offer Prime two-day delivery.
FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant)
The seller (merchant) fulfills orders themselves. Products are shipped directly from the seller’s location to the buyer, instead of Amazon handling fulfillment. FBM (also called Merchant Fulfilled Network, MFN) allows sellers more control but requires managing their own shipping and customer service.
MFN (Merchant Fulfilled Network)
Synonym for FBM. Refers to the network of seller-fulfilled orders.
SFP (Seller Fulfilled Prime)
A program letting sellers earn the Prime badge while shipping from their own warehouse. Sellers must meet Amazon’s performance standards (fast, reliable delivery). Once approved, SFP listings show “Prime” even though fulfillment is by the seller, which can boost visibility and sales.
3PL (Third-Party Logistics)
An external company that handles storage and shipping for sellers. Using a 3PL means outsourcing warehousing, order fulfillment, or even returns management. It is commonly referenced when discussing supply-chain partners outside Amazon’s network.
FC (Fulfillment Center) / DC (Distribution Center)
Amazon warehouses where inventory is stored and orders are processed. Amazon often calls its large warehouses “FCs.” (Some sellers also see “DC” used generically for any distribution center). When you ship inventory to Amazon, you’re sending it to an FC/DC.
FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit)
A unique barcode Amazon prints for each seller’s item in FBA. When you send products to FBA, each unit gets an FNSKU so Amazon can track which seller it belongs to. (This is distinct from your own SKU or the product’s UPC.)
LTL (Less Than Truckload)
Freight shipping term. LTL shipments are larger loads that don’t fill a full truck trailer. Amazon uses LTL trucking for FBA shipments over 150 lbs. LTL shipments share trailer space and usually cost less than a full truckload, though Code3 notes they can increase per-unit costs and impact profitability.
SPD (Small Parcel Delivery)
FBA inbound shipments delivered by parcel carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc.), typically used for packages under 50 lbs. Sellers choose SPD for smaller inventories.
LTSF (Long-Term Storage Fees)
Extra FBA storage fees charged for inventory stored in Amazon’s warehouses for over 365 days. If a product sits unsold for a year, Amazon imposes LTSF to encourage removal. Sellers monitor the Inventory Age reports to avoid these fees.
SIOC (Ships In Own Container)
A packing designation indicating an item’s retail package is strong enough to be the shipping carton, eliminating extra packaging. SIOC (now called SIPP for “Ships in Product Packaging”) means the customer’s box “serves as the primary shipping container”. Qualifying for SIOC can reduce packaging waste and Amazon’s prep fees. For example, a board game in a sturdy box might be labeled SIOC so Amazon won’t put it in a brown overbox.
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Advertising & Marketing Amazon Acronyms
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
The Amazon Ads model where you bid for ad placement and “pay a fee each time” a shopper clicks your ad. Sellers use PPC to drive traffic (e.g., Sponsored Products, Brands, or Display ads). It’s the foundation of Amazon’s advertising system.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
The cost you pay each time someone clicks your ad. As Amazon’s Ads Guide explains, “CPC… determines how much advertisers pay for the ads” based on clicks. For example, if you bid $1.00 CPC, you pay up to $1.00 for each click on your ad (though the actual charged amount may be less due to auction dynamics).
CPM (Cost Per Mille)
Cost per thousand impressions. Used less on Amazon (mostly in display ads), CPM means you pay for ad views rather than clicks.
VCPM (Viewable Cost-Per-Mille)
A pricing model for Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) ads. You pay for every 1,000 viewable impressions (ad seen on-screen), not just any delivery. In other words, you pay only when ads are actually viewable by shoppers, which can make brand campaigns more efficient.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The ratio of ad clicks to impressions, measuring how compelling your ad is. For example, a 1% CTR means 1 out of 100 impressions got clicked. AIhello explains that “CTR is the ratio of shoppers that click on your ad to the number of times it is shown”. Sellers monitor CTR in Campaign Manager to gauge ad effectiveness (a higher CTR usually means relevant targeting and attractive creatives).
CVR (Conversion Rate)
The percentage of clicks that convert into sales. For example, a 10% CVR means 10% of people who clicked bought the product. This reflects listing quality and price competitiveness after the click.
ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale)
A metric showing advertising efficiency. It’s calculated by dividing total ad spend by ad-attributed sales (shown as a percentage). For instance, a 20% ACoS means you spent $0.20 on ads for every $1 of sales from those ads. Sellers use ACoS to evaluate campaign profitability.
TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale)
A broader sales metric: (Total Ad Spend ÷ Total Revenue)×100. Unlike ACoS (which considers only ad-attributed sales), TACoS includes all revenue (ads + organic). As Helium 10 notes, “TACoS acronym stands for total advertising cost of sales” and it equals “Total Advertising Cost / Total Revenue”. TACoS helps sellers understand how ads contribute to overall sales growth.
ROAS (Return on Advertising Spend)
Revenue earned per dollar of ad spend. In other words, how many dollars in sales you get for each dollar spent on ads. Junglescout defines it as “a metric that measures how much revenue you’ve made in sales for each dollar you’ve spent on ads”. For example, a ROAS of 5 means $5 of revenue per $1 spent. A higher ROAS indicates more efficient ad spend.
DSP (Demand-Side Platform)
Amazon’s self-service or managed programmatic advertising solution for display and video ads. Through Amazon DSP, sellers can buy ads both on and off Amazon. Adspert defines DSP as “the software used to access and decide against digital advertising inventory”, noting “the solution for Amazon Ads is Amazon DSP”. DSP campaigns are used for retargeting or brand-awareness efforts beyond keyword ads.
TOF / MOF / BOF (Top/Mid/Bottom of Funnel)
Terms describing stages of the buyer journey. TOF (Top of Funnel) ads target broad audience awareness, MOF (Middle) focus on interest/consideration, and BOF (Bottom) target buyers ready to purchase. Sellers may tailor campaigns and creatives for each stage to maximize reach and conversion.
DSA (Demand-Side Auction)
Amazon’s ad auction mechanism (not a commonly used acronym in Seller Central, but relevant behind the scenes for bidding).
GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
Total sales dollar volume. Some analytics reports use GMV (total product revenue) vs “profit” or “net sales.”
COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)
The seller’s cost for products sold. While not an Amazon report term, sellers use COGS to calculate true profit margins alongside Amazon-reported revenue and costs.
LTV (Lifetime Value)
In business analytics, not directly on Amazon, but sellers may calculate Customer LTV for retention marketing.
BSR (Best Sellers Rank)
Amazon’s algorithmic rank for each product in its category. A low-number BSR (e.g. #1) means a top-seller. Sellers track BSR to gauge sales velocity but it’s a trailing metric (Amazon doesn’t show BSR in Seller Central, but it’s visible on product pages and via reports or third-party tools).
Sessions and Unit Session %
Seller Central’s Business Reports show sessions (visitors) and unit session percentage (conversion rate). These metrics tell how much traffic (sessions) your listing gets and how often they buy (Unit Session %).
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Account Health & Compliance Amazon Acronyms
ODR (Order Defect Rate)
The percentage of orders with a defect, where a defect includes negative feedback, an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, or a chargeback. For example, if 1 out of 100 orders had one of these issues, ODR is 1%. Amazon requires ODR <1%; exceeding that risks account suspension. Monitoring ODR in Seller Central is crucial for maintaining account health.
A-to-Z (Amazon A-to-Z Guarantee)
Amazon’s customer protection program. It lets buyers claim a refund if a product isn’t delivered on time or isn’t as described. Sellers see A-to-Z claims in Account Health; a higher A-to-Z claims rate can trigger warnings. (ODR accounts already include A-to-Z claims.) Resolving these proactively is important for account standing.
VTR (Valid Tracking Rate)
The percentage of shipped orders with valid tracking numbers. Amazon requires sellers to provide trackable shipping info. VTR is calculated as (orders with valid tracking ÷ total orders)×100. As one guide explains, “VTR is a percentage of the orders confirmed to be shipped… it measures how often a seller uses a tracking ID with which a buyer can track their order”. Sellers must typically maintain VTR ≥95% (few sellers want VTR below that or risk policy violations).
LSR (Late Shipment Rate)
Percentage of orders shipped late (after the expected ship date). This is monitored in Seller Central performance. (Amazon requires LSR <4%.) No standard abbreviation, but sometimes seen as “Late Ship Rate.”
PFR (Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate)
The rate of seller-cancelled orders before shipment. Sellers aim to minimize PFR; a high PFR hurts the ability to win the Buy Box.
RDR (Return Dissatisfaction Rate)
An internal metric (not widely referenced by sellers) similar to ODR but focusing on returns and complaints.
IP (Intellectual Property)
While not an Amazon-created acronym, IP issues (copyright/trademark) appear in Account Health notices.
IPI (Inventory Performance Index)
A performance metric (0–1000 scale) indicating how well inventory is managed in FBA (balancing in-stock vs excess stock). An IPI above ~400–500 is considered good. (Amazon may use a higher threshold now.) IPI appears under FBA “Inventory Performance.” It’s not an account suspension metric, but low IPI can reduce storage limits.
BCS (Buy Box Ownership %)
The percentage of page views where the seller’s offer is the featured offer (Buy Box). Amazon tracks Buy Box percentage (e.g., 25%, 50%). Higher is better; helps drive sales.
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Inventory & Catalog Management Amazon Acronyms
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number)
A 10-character alphanumeric code unique to each product listing on Amazon. Every item in Amazon’s catalog has one ASIN. Sellers use ASINs to add offers to existing listings or to find product pages. For example, a listing URL often contains the ASIN after /dp/. ASINs are Amazon’s own SKU system to track products. As Amazon’s seller blog notes, “ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number”, acting like Amazon’s internal barcode.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
A seller-defined alphanumeric code for each product variant in inventory. It identifies items in your inventory system. Amazon’s code3 guide describes an SKU as “a combination of letters and numbers used to identify items in a seller’s inventory”. Each offer you create in Seller Central has a unique SKU you assign. (The guide also notes sellers often think SKU equals ASIN, but an ASIN is Amazon’s product code.)
UPC (Universal Product Code)
A 12-digit barcode used on retail products (common in the US). UPCs identify specific product attributes (brand, item, size, color). When listing a new product on Amazon, you often must supply its UPC (unless it’s a book/ISBN or the brand has an exemption). Amazon uses UPCs to match or create product detail pages.
EAN (European Article Number)
A 13-digit barcode used primarily outside North America (especially Europe). It serves the same purpose as a UPC. Amazon often accepts EANs as product IDs when listing on international marketplaces. (A UPC can often be converted by adding a zero to make an EAN.)
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
A generic term for any standard product ID (UPC, EAN, ISBN, etc). On Amazon, GTIN refers to a 14-digit code that uniquely identifies the exact product. Code3 explains “Global Trade Item Number. A globally unique 14-digit number used to identify all products sold on Amazon”, and usually this is just the product’s UPC/EAN padded or an ISBN for books.
ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
A 10- or 13-digit code used for books. On Amazon, ISBN acts as the GTIN for books (each book edition has its own ASIN/ISBN). Sellers in books category use ISBNs to list titles.
MPN (Manufacturer Part Number)
A code used by the manufacturer. Not always required on Amazon, but some categories use MPN along with brand to match products.
Parent ASIN / Child ASIN
Used for product variation listings. A parent ASIN is a “non-buyable” parent that groups related variants. Each child ASIN is an individual variation (e.g. a T-shirt in size M/red). As one guide notes, the parent listing “is a ‘non-buyable entity’ used to relate child products”, and the children “vary in some way…such as by size or color”. In Seller Central, parent/child relationships appear under “Manage Inventory” where one ASIN shows dropdowns for its variants.
A+ Content
(Also called Enhanced Brand Content) – A feature available to Brand-registered sellers. It allows adding rich multimedia to product descriptions (videos, detailed images, comparison charts) to boost conversion. Amazon defines A+ Content as a tool where you can showcase products with “videos, enhanced images, customized text placements” on the detail page. Using A+ Content (under “Advertising” → A+ Content in Seller Central) can increase sales by 8–10% or more according to Amazon’s data.
EAN / GTIN Exemption
A policy term: sellers without a UPC/EAN for certain products can apply for GTIN exemption in Seller Central, letting them list without a barcode by brand/name.
NIS (New Item Setup)
Amazon’s internal code for creating a new catalog entry (when a matching ASIN isn’t found). Sellers sometimes hear “NIS creation” when Support opens a new product.
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Financial & Payments Amazon Acronyms
Referral Fee
A fee Amazon charges per sale (percentage of item price) for the privilege of selling in its store. Though not abbreviated as an acronym, sellers often discuss “referral fees” as part of total selling fees.
Subscription Fee
The monthly fee for a Professional selling account (about $39.99 in the US). Individual sellers avoid the subscription fee but pay $0.99 per item sold instead. Sellers might abbreviate Professional vs Individual plans.
FBA Fees
Charges associated with using FBA. This includes fulfillment fees (per-item pick/pack/ship fees based on size and weight) and storage fees (monthly fees based on cubic volume). For example, jungle scout notes sellers can calculate FBA fees using tools. These appear on payment reports as separate line items. Sellers must factor FBA fees into pricing and profit calculations.
SAF – Shipping Accrual Fee (if applicable)
In some regions, Amazon may levy additional fees labeled “SAF.” For example, Germany implemented a “Shipping Accrual Fee” for certain product categories (an environmental fee on packaging). If you see “SAF” on a European disbursement report, it likely refers to such regional packaging fees. (Note: this is not a standard term in all markets, so check local Seller Central documentation for precise meaning.)
VAT (Value-Added Tax)
Tax applied to sales in regions like the UK and EU. Amazon collects VAT on fees and can collect VAT on sales if you’ve opted into Amazon’s VAT Calculation Service. You’ll see VAT charges on Amazon invoices. In Europe, sellers often track VAT (e.g. 20% UK VAT).
GST (Goods & Services Tax)
Similar to VAT, but in countries like India, Australia, etc. Amazon collects and remits GST on seller fees and, if applicable, on sales. In India, sellers must be GST-registered and Amazon provides invoices showing integrated GST (IGST) or CGST/SGST.
PAN (Permanent Account Number)
In India, a tax identification number for businesses. Required to enroll for GST and pay taxes. While not an Amazon-defined acronym, Indian sellers often mention PAN when referring to tax documents.
ACR (Amazon Collection Rate)
The percentage of Amazon fees actually collected on your account (usually 100%). Rarely an issue unless account holds cause shortfall.
AFC (Amazon Fulfillment Credits)
Occasionally Amazon issues credits labeled AFC, but not a common seller acronym.
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Global Selling Amazon Acronyms
AGS (Amazon Global Selling)
Amazon’s official program that helps sellers expand to international marketplaces like the UK, EU, Canada, UAE, Australia, and Japan. AGS provides tools for listings, currency conversion, and global fulfillment.
GSL (Global Selling Launchpad)
A support framework under Amazon Global Selling that helps sellers onboard to new international marketplaces with guidance, resources, and local insights.
NARF (North America Remote Fulfillment)
Allows U.S. sellers to fulfill Canadian and Mexican orders using inventory stored in U.S. fulfillment centers—without shipping inventory abroad.
EFN (European Fulfillment Network)
Enables sellers to store inventory in one EU country and fulfill orders across multiple European marketplaces (UK excluded post-Brexit).
Pan-EU (Pan-European FBA)
An advanced EU fulfillment program where Amazon distributes your inventory across multiple European countries to enable faster local delivery.
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Conclusion: Amazon Acronyms
Amazon selling has its own language, and understanding Amazon acronyms is no longer optional—it’s a competitive advantage. From fulfillment terms like FBA, FBM, and FNSKU to advertising metrics such as ACoS, ROAS, and CTR, each abbreviation represents a decision point that directly impacts profitability, visibility, and account health.
For new sellers, this Amazon glossary removes confusion and shortens the learning curve. Instead of guessing what a dashboard metric means or misinterpreting a policy notification, you can make informed, confident decisions. For experienced sellers, having a complete Amazon acronyms list serves as a quick reference to optimize campaigns, manage inventory efficiently, and stay compliant with Amazon’s ever-evolving rules.
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