Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) FAQ

What details should I provide when I am confirming shipments for seller-fulfilled orders?

To confirm shipment, go to Manage Orders and click Confirm shipment adjacent to your order. On Order details page, go to Confirm dispatch section. During this process for every seller-fulfilled order, you must provide:

1. The carrier name
2. The delivery service (optional but recommended)
3. The tracking ID or unique parcel ID for shipments delivered with a tracked delivery service

The tracking ID or unique parcel ID is located above the 2D barcode on the label if you use the Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail 48, Royal Mail first, or Royal Mail second class delivery methods. For more information on Royal Mail delivery services and VTR, go the specific sections in this FAQ.

If your carrier is not available in the drop-down options:

1. Select "Other" in the drop-down under Carrier. Enter your carrier name in the field.
2. Select "Other" in the drop-down under Delivery Service. Enter your delivery service in the field.
3. Enter the tracking or parcel ID if available under Tracking ID.

Enter the above information as soon as you hand over your package to the carrier, as it takes up to 72 hrs for the valid tracking rate (VTR) report and metric to reflect the tracking information changes. If you provide tracking or parcel IDs post-delivery, the shipment will be counted as a VTR defect.

For more information, go to Tracking FAQ.

Are partially-tracked delivery methods accepted as valid tracking IDs to calculate valid tracking rate for domestic shipments?

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

What happens if my carrier fails to scan my packages?

Speak to your carrier: Try and find a resolution with them. You must also review your labels to ensure that you are using the right delivery method and that labels are being printed correctly.

Check your tracking or parcel ID: Always make sure that you or your integrator provides the correct name of your carrier, the delivery service used and the tracking or parcel ID. You may receive a valid tracking rate warning as a result of low scan rate. However, we will validate unscanned tracking or parcel IDs with the integrated carrier before 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 such as Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail 48, Royal Mail first class, or Royal Mail second class. Postage stamps and other untracked services are exempted when measuring your valid tracking rate. For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR).

Buy Shipping: Consider using Buy Shipping, which allows you to buy shipping labels through the Seller Central interface. With Buy Shipping, the carrier, delivery method and tracking ID are automatically provided by the carrier to us, and all tracking IDs received by us 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 rates or, for Royal Mail, you can link your accounts to benefit from your own rates. For more details on how to use Buy Shipping, go to Use Buy Shipping services.

Can I confirm seller-fulfilled shipments without adding the carrier name and delivery service?

No, you will not be able to confirm shipments without adding an acceptable carrier name. For more details on acceptable carrier names and how to provide a carrier name during the confirm shipment process, go to Tracking FAQ.

Delay in confirming shipments can affect your late dispatch rate (LDR) which may lead to account suspension. For more information, go to Late dispatch rate. Also, we will automatically cancel shipments when seven days have passed since the expected dispatch availability date if you have not yet confirmed the shipment. For more information, go to Order cancellations.

What is the policy for cross-border shipments?

If you’re a UK based seller delivering to customers in the EU, you’re exempt from providing tracking information unless you use a tracked delivery method. When you select your carrier and delivery method, you’ll be prompted to provide the tracking ID if the delivery method is tracked. For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR).

What should I do if I do not use an integrated carrier or use self-delivery?

If your preferred carrier name doesn’t appear in drop-down under Confirm dispatch section, select Carrier name as "Other" and enter the name of your non-integrated carrier and delivery service. The Delivery Service will automatically populate as "Other". You can enter a valid delivery service. Provide the tracking information if available so that the customers can track their shipments through the carrier website. Shipments sent through non-integrated carriers will not be considered while calculating valid tracking rate performance. For more details on acceptable carrier names and how to provide a carrier name during confirm shipment process, go to Tracking FAQ. If you deliver shipments through your own logistics, select "Self Delivery" as Carrier and Delivery Service when you confirm shipment.

I am unable to confirm shipment even after entering a correct tracking ID. What should I do?

If you use an integrated carrier, ensure that you enter the tracking ID correctly and confirm the shipment according to the guidelines. For additional details, go to Tracking FAQ.

If you are unable to confirm shipment despite entering a correct tracking ID, ensure that you have selected the correct delivery service against your carrier. If the issue persists, select "Other" as Delivery Service and leave the text field blank to confirm the shipment. If you are confirming the shipment through bulk feed, APIs, or integrators, leave the delivery method blank. In both the cases, contact Selling Partner Support for further assistance.

I am unable to confirm shipment even after entering a carrier name. What should I do?

• If you are confirming shipment through Seller Central, select the carrier name from the drop-down list under Carrier. If your preferred carrier name is not listed, select "Other" and enter the carrier name in the text field.
• If you are confirming shipment using bulk feed, enter the "carrier-code" against each line item. If you mention "Other" in the "carrier-code" field, enter relevant value in the "carrier-name" field. Ensure that the "carrier-code" you provide matches the list of carriers available in the drop-down under Confirm dispatch section on Order details page. For more information, go to Confirm multiple deliveries with feeds.
• If you are using integrators, configure your integrators to provide us with the carrier name. If you have not already configured your integrator to provide these fields, we recommend that you contact your integrator to understand how to share carrier name while confirming shipment. Ensure that the "carrier-code" you provide matches the list of carriers available in the Seller Central drop-down. For more information on how to use an integrator and how to provide this information, go to Shipment request details.
• If you are using Buy Shipping, there is no action required. We automatically collect data on the carrier and delivery method used through this system.

Which carriers provide tracking information to Amazon?

You can choose the carrier from the drop-down under Confirm dispatch section on Order details page among other non-integrated carriers. You can navigate to the Confirm dispatch section by going to Orders > Manage Orders > Confirm shipment adjacent to your order.

Go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) for a complete list of integrated carriers.

Can I confirm seller-fulfilled shipments without adding a tracking ID?

• If you use an untracked delivery service, you can confirm shipments without a tracking ID.
• If you use a tracked delivery method, tracking IDs are required for all shipments. Additionally, you must provide tracking IDs from Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail 48, Royal Mail first or Royal Mail second class delivery service.

How can I edit my tracking information?

You can edit order tracking information before the delivery date by following these steps:

• Go to Orders > Manage Orders.
• Check whether Order ID is selected for Search. Enter the order ID and click Search.
• Once you find the correct order, click Edit shipment and provide the revised tracking information.
• Re-confirm the shipment.

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

What are the best practices to successfully upload tracking information?

Verify tracking number:

• Enter the tracking number correctly and on time (before delivery).
• Do not leave the tracking information blank.
• Do not enter special characters such as punctuation, which our system cannot recognise in the tracking information.

Verify carrier name:

• Select the correct carrier and delivery service, if applicable, from the drop-down when you confirm shipment on Seller Central.
  Note: Select "Other" under Carrier drop-down and enter a carrier name in the text field only when the carrier you are using is not listed in the drop-down.
• While confirming multiple shipments with feeds, enter 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.

The carrier name you enter is associated with the tracking number you enter. For example, if you use Royal Mail to ship a package, but enter "DPD" as the carrier name, the tracking will be marked as invalid.

Confirm and update shipment:

• Confirm or update the tracking information before the order is delivered.
• If the tracking information is confirmed or 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 be calculated under your valid tracking rate.

What are the benefits of providing tracking information?

• Fewer buyer contacts: Approximately 40% of buyer contacts relate to delivery status. The "where’s my stuff" contact rate is 35 times greater for untracked deliveries than it is for tracked deliveries. If you provide tracking numbers, you can help reduce the amount of time you spend answering delivery-related questions.
• Decreased order defects: The order defect rate for untracked orders is 1.7 times greater than the rate for tracked orders.
• Protection from A-to-z guarantee claims: Without tracking, you will automatically lose any "Order not received" A-to-z guarantee claims. Tracking helps you represent yourself against these claims and may prevent loss.
• 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 order costs: Tracking can significantly reduce the costs associated with a lost order. If a package is lost in transit, you can use tracking to find out where it was lost and then determine responsibility.
• Improved conversion: When you use tracking on 98% of your orders and your on-time delivery rate is 97%, you become eligible to reduce handling and transit promise times. This is proven to increase conversion and revenue.
• Reduced lost shipment costs: If a package is lost in transit, you can use tracking to find out where it was lost and then determine responsibility.

My carrier does not provide tracking IDs. What should I do?

If you use a tracked delivery method, we recommend that you contact your carrier and provide us with the tracking IDs.

If you use an untracked delivery method, you’re not required to provide us with a tracking ID for domestic and cross-border deliveries. However, it is ideal to provide a tracking ID for good customer experience.

How does Amazon know a package has valid tracking information?

Tracking numbers are considered valid if one of the following applies:

• You bought the label through Buy Shipping where the tracking number is provided by the delivery service provider to us.
• Your tracking number provides at least one physical carrier scan recorded to us.

Where can I find my VTR and download VTR report?

To view your VTR and download VTR report:

1. Go to Performance > Account Health > Delivery Performance.
2. On Delivery Performance tab, click Valid Tracking Rate. All details related to your VTR are mentioned in this section.
3. To download your VTR report, click Download Report. You can filter by carrier or product category or both.

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

Why does my VTR in the Account health dashboard show as "N/A"?

In situations where all you seller-fulfilled shipments in the 30-day time window analyzed are considered exempted shipments, the VTR will display a "N/A" (Not applicable) message. The following shipments are considered as exempted shipments:

• Domestic orders shipped through a carrier which is not integrated with us
• Digital products, such as audio books
• Cross border shipments in EU such as shipments that are ordered on the UK store and are shipped from an EU country other than the UK
• Domestic deliveries shipped through untracked delivery methods such as Royal Mail Stamps/Franking
• Deliveries that are shipped using labels bought on our Buy Shipping services

For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR).

Will my account be suspended if the VTR drops below 95% in one category?

No, your account will not be suspended but offers for seller-fulfilled listings in the target category may be suspended if you do not have 95% VTR where required as per policy. You can continue to sell FBA products. If any of your listings gets suspended, you can submit a plan of action and apply for reinstatement. If your appeal is approved, your seller-fulfilled listings in the affected category will be restored.

My package has tracking but is showing up in my Valid Tracking Report as lacking valid tracking information. What should I do?

A package that does not include verified tracking information will have value as "No" in the "Has Valid Tracking Number" column of your VTR report. If you have uploaded a tracking number but it is marked as unconfirmed, this might be because of the following:

• The tracking ID you provided is incorrect.
• Your tracking number is correct, but it is not associated with the carrier you specified. For example, if you use "DHL" to ship a package but enter "FedEx" as the carrier name, the tracking information will be marked as unconfirmed.
• You used an non-integrated carrier that is not listed in the Carrier drop-down list in Confirm dispatch section on Order details page. As a result, we cannot verify the tracking status and therefore the shipment does not count toward your VTR. For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR).
• The tracking number was uploaded after the order was delivered. This means it was not useful to the customer and does not count towards your VTR.

Ensure that you have entered the carrier and tracking ID for your package correctly. You can change, re-enter and update the tracking information under Manage Orders until the order is delivered. Your metrics will reflect this change within 72 hours.

If you have a package marked as "No" in the "Has Valid Tracking Number" column and you have verified that the tracking ID for the Amazon-supported carrier is correct, try submitting the tracking ID again. If this does not solve your issue, contact Selling Partner Support for additional investigation.

What does "InvalidId" mean in column F of my Valid Tracking Rate report?

When our system cannot process the tracking information you entered for a package, "InvalidId" will display in column F for that package. For example, if your order ID was 001-12345-67890 and we were not able to process the tracking information you entered for that package, column F will display 001-12345-67890-InvalidId.

This can happen if:

• You left the tracking information blank.
• You entered special characters such as hyphen or punctuation that our system cannot recognise in the tracking information.

Why are cancelled shipments showing up in my report?

If cancelled shipments are showing up in your report, it is because you confirmed shipment before you delivered the package to the carrier. A shipment is not considered cancelled when you have confirmed shipment because the buyer's credit card is charged. To cancel this kind of shipment, you have to provide refund to the buyer. To prevent this, we recommend that you confirm shipment only after the carrier has received the package.

Which Royal Mail delivery services are included in valid tracking rate calculations?

We require tracking or parcel IDs for all Royal Mail delivery services that include tracking or delivery confirmation. The shipping services where a tracking or parcel ID should be provided are outlined in the table below.

If you're not eligible for Royal Mail 24 or Royal Mail 48 and deliver only letter-sized products (100 g, 24 x 16.5 x 0.5 cm), select "Stamps/Franking" from the drop-down under Confirm dispatch section which is exempted from VTR calculations. For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR). Go to Royal Mail's website for details on permitted items for business mail letter ship methods.

Delivery service	Tracking or parcel ID required	Suitable products
Royal Mail first class	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail first class signed for	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail first class Stamps/Franking	No	Letters (max: 100 g, 24 x 16.5 x 0.5 cm)
Royal Mail 24	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail second class	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail second class signed for	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail second class Stamps/Franking	No	Letters (max: 100 g, 24 x 16.5 x 0.5 cm)
Royal Mail 48	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail special delivery Guaranteed	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail Tracked 24	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail Tracked 24 (LBT)[ED10]	Yes	Large letters
Royal Mail Tracked 48	Yes	Parcels and large letters
Royal Mail Tracked 48 (LBT)	Yes	Large letters
Stamps/Franking	No	Letters (max: 100 g, 24 x 16.5 x 0.5 cm)

Do I need a 2D scannable code?

If your delivery service is listed as "Tracking or parcel ID required" in the table, but you don't have a 2D barcode, contact your Royal Mail account manager or Royal Mail to update your services to a barcoded product (allow up to 10 days).

Are scans provided for Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48?

Yes. Royal Mail 24 or Royal Mail 48 include delivery confirmation which we will receive once the shipment is scanned on delivery. This provides visibility to sellers, customers and us. You will not be able to confirm shipment using a Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail 48, Royal Mail first class or Royal Mail second class delivery method unless you’ve provided the parcel ID.

Are scans provided for Royal Mail first class and Royal Mail second class?

Yes. Royal Mail first class and second class parcel and large letter services include delivery confirmation, which we will receive once the shipment is scanned on delivery. If you use one of these products without a barcode, contact your Royal Mail account manager, or Royal Mail directly, to update your services to a barcoded product.

Standard letter-sized products for Royal Mail first class and second class (max: 100 g, 24 x 16.5 x 0.5 cm) do not include scans and are exempted from VTR policy. For more information about the list of exempted shipments for VTR calculation, go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR). When using these delivery services, select Royal Mail first class or second class Stamps/Franking from the drop-down. Go to Royal Mail’s website for details on permitted items for business mail letter ship methods.

Where do I find the parcel ID if I use Royal Mail 24 or Royal Mail 48?

If you use Royal Mail 24 or Royal Mail 48 to deliver your packages, you must provide the unique parcel ID, located above the 2D barcode on the label. This allows us to provide customers with a delivery scan. You will not be able to confirm a shipment using a Royal Mail 24or Royal Mail 48 delivery method unless you have provided the parcel ID.

How do I provide scan events to customers if I use DX Delivery?

Email the DX team at Service.Desk@DXDelivery.com to allow tracking scan events to flow to our systems. The DX team will then ensure scan events are passed to us for your shipments. Mention your DX account number available in DX invoice.

I shipped a Whistl parcel via a third party carrier such as Yodel. Which carrier should I select from the carrier drop-down ?

As you shipped your parcel via Whistl, you must select "Whistl" as the carrier name from the drop-down, regardless of which third party carrier does the final mile delivery to the customer. You must still select "Whistl" even if you have been given a third party carrier tracking ID for your shipment such as a Yodel tracking number.

Which are the full track delivery methods for CN-out shipments?

Some of the carrier and delivery method combinations that provide a full track service for CN-out shipments are as follows:

Carrier name	Delivery method name
4PX	4PX-Global Express
	4PX-PostLink priority Registered Mail-Li
	4PX-PostLink Standard Registered Mail-Li
	4PX-PostLink Standard2 Registered Mail-Li
	4PX-PostLink Economy Registered Mail-Li
	4PX-PostLink Economy SRM Registered Mail-Li
	4PX-PostLink priority Registered Mail-NOLi
	4PX-PostLink Standard Registered Mail-NOLi
	4PX-PostLink Economy Registered Mail-NOLi
	4PX-PostLink Economy2 Registered Mail-Li
China Post	China Post EMS
	China Post ePacket
	China Post Registered Airmail
	China Post e-Courier Packet
	China Post e-Courier Priority
Chukou1	CK1 Super Line (built-in battery)
	CK1 Super Line (general cargo)
	CK1 Standard Line (built-in battery)
	CK1 Standard Line (general cargo)
	CK1 Economy Line (built-in battery)
	CK1 Economy Line (general cargo)
	CK1 Special Line with Sea Freight Service
	CK1 Clothing Line
	CK1 Large Item Line
DHL	DHL Express
DHL eCommerce	PLG-Parcel International Direct Goods
	PLT-Parcel International Direct-Standard
	PPS-Packet Plus International
SF Express	E-Commerce Registered Parcel-Standard
	E-Commerce Registered Parcel-Economy
	E-Commerce Registered Parcel-Special Line
	E-Commerce Express Standard
	E-Commerce Express Priority
	E-Commerce Express CD
	E-Commerce Registered Parcel-LA
	E-Commerce Registered Parcel-LU Post
	Standard Express
	Economy Express
SFC	SFC Global Line-no battery
	SFC Global Line-with battery
WANB EXPRESS	WANB EXPRESS
	WANB Smart Track
	WANB Post – Smart
Yanwen	Yanwen Direct Line Express General
	Yanwen Direct Line Express Special
	Yanwen Air Track Packet General
	Yanwen Air Track Packet Special
	Yanwen Air Register Mail General
	Yanwen Air Register Mail Special
Yun Express	YunExpress Global Direct line (standard )-Tracked
	YunExpress Global Direct line with Battery-Tracked
	YunExpress Global Direct line non Battery-Tracked
	YunExpress JP Direct Line
	YunExpress DE SRM Direct Line
	YunExpress ME Direct Line
	YunExpress ME Direct Line-DDP
JCEX	Jia-Packet
	EUB
	Europe-DHL
	Europe-DPD
	Europe-UPS
	UPS Worldwide Saver
	UPS Worldwide Expedited
	FedEx IE
	FedEx IP
	TNT
	JP International Express
	US International Express
YDH	YDH Express Service
	YDH Standard Service
	YDH Economy Service
Sunyou	Sunyou Packet Registered
	Sunyou Packet Registered (General)
	Sunyou Packet Plus Registered
	Sunyou Express Registered
	Sunyou Express Registered(General)
CNE	AM-CNE Priority Express
	AM-CNE Standard Express
	AM-CNE Economy Express
	AM-CNE Promotion Express
	AM-CNE Global Tracked Packet