Valid Tracking Rate (VTR)

Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) measures how often you use valid tracking numbers on your orders. 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. Below are the requirements for Valid Tracking Rate:

1. You will need to provide the information mentioned below during dispatch-confirm:
   
   1. The name of the delivery service provider used for all merchant fulfilled orders; and
   2. The tracking ID for merchant fulfilled orders that are dispatched with a tracked delivery method/delivery service or the unique parcel ID (located above the 2D barcode on the label) in case you use the Royal Mail 24^®/48^® delivery methods.
   3. Ensure that you enter the above information as soon as you hand over your package to the delivery service provider, as tracking information normally takes up to 72 hrs for the VTR report and metric to reflect the changes. Providing tracking numbers post-delivery will be counted as a VTR defect.
   Please refer to the Tracking FAQ help page here for more information.
2. You will be required to reach 95% Valid Tracking Rate (VTR):
   
   1. Domestic Deliveries: From 19 April 2021, your domestic deliveries through Amazon.co.uk over a rolling 30-day period (i.e. if you dispatch from an address in the UK to a delivery address in UK). We will measure the VTR for merchant fulfilled deliveries at a category level. VTR will be measured on all domestic deliveries delivered through integrated delivery service providers including any orders delivered with Royal Mail 24^®/48^® delivery methods. However, please be aware that for calculating VTR, we can only exclude orders from untracked delivery methods if you provide the name of an untracked delivery method that is identical to one in the Delivery service drop-down menu of the Confirm dispatch page (you can also refer the carrier and delivery method list here).
   2. Deliveries out of China directly to customers: From 9 August 2021, you are required to use a delivery service provider that is delivery-track-integrated with Amazon for all items purchased on Amazon.co.uk that are dispatched to customers directly from China; and
      • For all orders with a value below 5 GBP, including delivery charges, use a tracked delivery method that provides at least one carrier scan;
      • For all packages with a value of equal to or above 5 GBP, including delivery charges, use a fully tracked delivery method that provides at least two scans (including a delivery scan/attempt).

      We require a Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) of 95% or more over a rolling 30-day period measured on all your merchant fulfilled packages dispatched from China. We will measure the VTR for merchant fulfilled deliveries at a category level and per Amazon store (e.g. Amazon.co.uk). We may suspend merchant fulfilled offers in a category in that you do not reach a VTR of 95%. This will neither affect the merchant fulfilled offers in other categories nor your FBA offers. If any of your listings get suspended, you can submit a Plan of Action and apply for reinstatement by emailing op-pso-vtr-appeals@amazon.co.uk . If your appeal is approved, your merchant-fulfilled listings in the affected category will be restored.

      Carriers that are integrated with Amazon are shown in the drop-down menu in Confirm delivery page. Some correct carrier names for CN out-carriers are (case-sensitivity applies): 4PX, China Post, DHL eCommerce, JCEX, SFC, SF Express, Yanwen, Yun Express, WanbExpress, Chukou1, Fedex, UPS, TNT, DHL.

VTR only applies to seller fulfilled orders.

Calculating VTR

To calculate this metric, we take the number of packages you deliver with a valid tracking number and divide it by the total number of packages you have delivered and confirmed. VTR is expressed as a percentage. For example, if you confirmed delivery for 200 packages, and 190 of those packages delivered with Amazon integrated delivery service providers had a valid tracking number, your Valid Tracking Rate would be 95% (190 ÷ 200 = .95 or 95%)

We use promised delivery date to determine which orders are included in the performance metric. Your Valid Tracking Rate has a two-week latency period, which allows the data enough time to be statistically relevant.

The following items are not included in the VTR calculation:

• Domestic packages delivered by carrier/delivery service provider not integrated with Amazon
• Domestic packages delivered with untracked delivery services/delivery methods (e.g. stamps/franking)
• Digital products, e.g. audio book
• International deliveries (excluding deliveries that are dispatched from China): International packages that are ordered on Amazon.co.uk but dispatched from outside the UK or China
• Deliveries that are delivered using labels purchased on Amazon’s Buy Shipping services (also known as MSS), the delivery service provider, delivery method and tracking ID are automatically provided by the delivery services provider to Amazon

From 31 March 2021, you can monitor your category-level VTR in this dashboard here

Amazon Integrated Carriers

Sellers are encouraged to use carriers from the following lists to deliver their packages as these carriers provide real-time tracking status to Amazon. This helps reduce buyer contacts and improve seller feedback ratings. Carriers that are integrated with Amazon are shown in the drop-down menu in Confirm delivery page. Some correct carrier names for domestic deliveries are (case-sensitivity applies): Arrow XL, BJS, DPD, DX FREIGHT, Fedex, GLS, Hermes, Panther, Parcelforce, Royal Mail, TNT, TUFFNELLS, UPS, Yodel

Viewing VTR Metric & Report

• To view your VTR metric:
  • From the Performance menu, select Account Health.
  • Locate Delivery Performance section and click on view details.
  • You can see your VALID VTR Metric here. Note that only orders included in your current VTR defect report are counting against your metric. If the report contains no orders, it means that all your orders have a valid tracking.
• To download the VTR defect report:
  • Click on Download Report in the Delivery Performance section.
  • Filter by carrier and/or product category.

Please allow 72 hours for the report and metric to reflect any updates.

Editing Tracking Information

Before the delivery date, you can edit order tracking information.

• Go to Orders, and then Manage Orders.
• Check Order ID is selected for Search, enter the Order ID, and click on Search.
• Once you have found the correct order, click on Edit delivery and provide the revised tracking information.
• Re-confirm the order.

Allow 72 hours for the report and metric to reflect the changes.

Best Practices to Successfully Upload Tracking Information

• Tracking number – Verify:
  • You entered the tracking number correctly and on time (before delivery).
  • You did not leave the tracking information blank.
  • You did not enter special characters (such as punctuation), which our system cannot recognise in the tracking information.
• Carrier Name – Verify:
  • You selected a carrier and delivery service, if applicable, from the drop-down menu in the Manage Orders page.
  • Confirm multiple order dispatches with feeds
  • You entered the correct carrier name
    • If the carrier name is misspelled, entered in a different language or contains any extra words, the tracking will be marked as invalid.
    • If you’ve confirmed your delivery on the Manage Orders page, check that you have selected a carrier and delivery service from the drop-down menu on the page.
      Note: Only manually add a carrier name in the free-form text field ‘Other’ when the carrier you are using is not present in the drop-down.
  • The carrier name you entered is associated with the tracking number you entered
    • For example, if you use Royal Mail to deliver a package, but enter ‘DPD’ as the carrier name, the tracking will be marked as invalid.
• Dispatch confirmation and Update:
  • Make sure to confirm/update the tracking information before the order is delivered.
    • If the tracking information is confirmed/updated after the order is delivered, that means the buyer was not able to track the order. This is not useful to the buyer, and the order will not count toward your Valid Tracking Rate metric.

FAQ

1. How do I obtain parcel ID if I use Royal Mail 24^®/48^®?

If you use Royal Mail 24^®/48^® to deliver your packages, then you must provide the unique parcel ID, located above the 2D barcode on the label. This will allow us to provide customers with a delivery scan event. If you are using a Royal Mail 24^®/48^® product that does not have a barcode, please ensure you contact your Royal Mail account manager, or contact Royal Mail here, to set up these services. You will not be able to dispatch confirm an order using a Royal Mail 24^®/48^® delivery method unless you provide the parcel ID.

2. Are scan events provided for Royal Mail 24®, Royal 48®, Royal Mail 1st Class, and Royal Mail 2nd Class?

Yes. If you are using a Royal Mail 24^®, Royal Mail 48^®, 1st Class or 2nd Class product that offers a delivery confirmation, Amazon will receive this once the product is scanned on delivery. This will provide visibility to sellers, customers and Amazon of delivery. If you are using one of these products without a barcode, please ensure you contact your Royal Mail account manager, or contact Royal Mail directly, to set up these services. You will not be able to confirm delivery of an order using a Royal Mail 24^®, Royal Mail 48^®, 1st Class or 2nd Class delivery method unless you provide the parcel ID.

3. Are Royal Mail 1st or 2nd class stamps considered for VTR?

Postage stamps are not a tracked service. If you are delivering your orders using an untracked delivery method, you are not required to provide us a tracking ID for domestic and cross-border deliveries.

4. Can I confirm merchant fulfilled orders without inputting a tracking ID?

You can dispatch confirm orders without a tracking ID for untracked delivery methods. Tracking IDs are required for all orders delivered with a tracked delivery method for delivery service providers integrated in Amazon systems. Additionally, you must provide us the tracking IDs from RM 24/48 delivery methods.

5. What happens if my delivery service provider fails to scan my packages?

• Speak to your Delivery Service Provider: Try and find a resolution with them. You should also review your labels to ensure you are using the right delivery method and that labels are being printed correctly.
• Check your tracking/parcel ID: Always make sure you or your integrator provides the correct name of your delivery service provider, the delivery service used, and the tracking or parcel ID. You may receive a VTR warning as a result of low scan rate. However, we will validate ‘unscanned’ tracking or parcel IDs with the integrated delivery service provider prior to suspending your offers in the affected category. Your offers will not be suspended if you have provided valid IDs, including for all parcels that have not been scanned by the carrier. This includes delivery confirmation only delivery methods (e.g. RM 24 / 48 or 1st Class 2nd Class). As mentioned in FAQ 3, postage stamps and other untracked services are not taken into account when measuring your VTR.
• Buy Shipping: Consider using Buy Shipping, which allows you to buy shipping labels through the Seller Central interface. With Buy Shipping, the delivery service provider, delivery method and tracking ID are automatically provided by the delivery services provider to Amazon, and all tracking IDs received by Amazon through Buy Shipping are considered valid. In the UK, DPD, Hermes, Amazon Shipping and Royal Mail delivery methods are available through Buy Shipping. You can access Amazon-negotiated rate cards or, for Royal Mail, you can link your accounts to benefit from your own rates. For more details on how to use Buy Shipping, see the Use Buy Shipping services Help page.

6. What are the benefits of providing tracking information?

Providing valid tracking numbers can have a number of benefits:

• Fewer buyer contacts: Reduce the amount of time you spend answering delivery-related questions.
• Decreased order defects
• Protection from A-to-z Guarantee claims: Without tracking, you may not be able to defend any ‘Order not received’ A-to-z Guarantee claims.
• Improved Seller feedback ratings: Buyers tell us that being able to track their packages is one of the main reasons to leave positive feedback.
• Reduced lost delivery costs: If a package is lost in transit, you can use tracking to find out where it was lost and then determine responsibility.

7. Can I confirm merchant fulfilled orders without inputting a delivery service provider name?

No, you will not be able to dispatch-confirm orders without inputting a delivery service provider name. Delay in dispatch confirming orders can impact your Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) which may lead to account suspension (find more details here). Also, Amazon will automatically cancel orders when seven days have passed the expected dispatch availability date if you have not yet dispatched and confirmed the dispatch (find more details here).

8. Where can I find Amazon integrated delivery service providers?

Please refer to the Tracking FAQ in Seller Central.

9. What should I do if I do not use an integrated delivery service provider or use self-delivery?

Please use delivery service provider name as ‘Other’ and provide us the name of your non-integrated delivery service provider and delivery method. Please also provide us with the tracking information if available so that customers can still track their orders through the delivery service provider website. Orders sent through non-integrated delivery service providers will not be considered while calculating VTR performance.

10. I am entering tracking numbers. Why are these not regarded as valid tracking IDs on Amazon?

If you use an integrated delivery service provider, please ensure that you enter the tracking number correctly, and that you confirm the order according to the guidelines. Please refer to our Tracking FAQ help page here for additional details. If you are unable to dispatch-confirm despite entering a correct tracking number, please use ‘Other’ as delivery service provider code (and provide appropriate delivery service provider and delivery method name) to dispatch-confirm the order and contact Selling Partner Support for help.

11. Will my selling on Amazon account be suspended if the VTR drops below 95% in one category?

If you do not provide a 95% VTR as required by the policy, all Merchant Fulfilled Network offers in the affected category may be suspended. This will not affect the MFN offers in other categories or your FBA offers. If any of your listings get suspended, you can submit a Plan of Action and apply for reinstatement by emailing op-pso-vtr-appeals@amazon.com . If your appeal is approved, your merchant-fulfilled listings in the affected category will be restored.

12. If my deliveries do not reach 95% VTR, when will I be suspended?

You are expected to meet 95% VTR from 19 April, meaning that we will review the first 30 days’ delivery performance on 19 May 2021. From 19 May you may receive an email notification if your VTR does not meet 95% at the category level in the last 30 days. The affected selection may be suspended in the category level if 95% in the last 30 days is not met. To reinstate suspended selection, you will need to submit a plan of action, which will need to be approved. If any of your listings get suspended, you can submit a Plan of Action and apply for reinstatement by emailing op-pso-vtr-appeals@amazon.com .

13. What is the policy for cross-border deliveries?

For example, if you are a UK based seller delivering to customers in the EU, you are not required to provide tracking information unless you are using a tracked delivery method. When you select your carrier and delivery method, you will be prompted to provide the tracking ID if the delivery method is tracked.

14. My delivery service provider does not provide tracking IDs. What should I do?

In case you are using a tracked delivery method, we recommend you contact your delivery service provider and provide us the tracking IDs. If you are using an untracked delivery method, you are not required to provide us a tracking ID for domestic and cross-border deliveries.

15. Are partially tracked delivery methods accepted as valid tracking IDs to calculate VTR for Domestic deliveries?

If the delivery method receives at least one scan it will be considered valid for the purposes of measuring VTR.

16. Which are the full track delivery methods for CN-out deliveries?

Below are some of the carrier and delivery method combinations that provide a full track service for CN-out deliveries

Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) FAQs

Please refer to the Valid Tracking Rate FAQ Help page for more information.

Tracking number FAQ

Please refer to the Tracking FAQ Help page for more information about tracking numbers and tracking IDs.