Today I have received notification that our 'Valid Tracking Rate' is below 95%.

I use buy shipping via Amazon for all orders which has 100% valid tracking.

Amazon are now flagging orders which are not scanned.

Is this a fault within Amazon's automated system or are non scanned shipments now classed as not having valid tracking?

Just a heads up. I was warned that my 'Valid Tracking Rate' had fallen to 91%, way below the required rate. This made no sense at all, because I use the Seller App to confirm postage as soon as it goes. (I'm selling CDs, mostly, sent 2nd class, signed for, which is the cheapest I can do while still providing a reference number). It turned out that Amazon only recognises the class of postage if it is inserted using the drop down list, which is not available on the app - you have to type it manually.

I was still fairly puzzled, because I had been using the app for about three years and if they had appleid this rule properly, 100% of my sales would have failed their metric!

Just received the following email. Does this now mean everything has to be sent with tracking? It seems very vague as it states "we will update the Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy for seller-fulfilled orders to allow customers to see tracking over a higher number of their orders" and I cannot find any updates in the "Changes to programme policies" section that the email refers you to. We use letter postage purchased through Amazon buy shipping since all our items are low value. Will this still be exempt from VTR?

Hello,

Starting on January 15, 2025, we will update the Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy for seller-fulfilled orders to allow customers to see tracking over a higher number of their orders. 

• VTR will be measured on orders shipped through all shipping service providers and will no longer be limited to those that are integrated with Amazon to provide scan information. 
• All cross-border shipments to and from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Austria or Sweden will be included in the VTR calculation, unless the order value is below €20 (including shipping, excluding VAT) and a ‘letter’ ship method was used.

As a reminder, you are required to maintain a minimum of 95% VTR at a category level. Providing tracking information improves the customer experience and reduces the likelihood of negative feedback. This information also helps protect your account health metrics and is taken into consideration in addressing A-to-z Guarantee claims. 

For more information, please go to Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) FAQ. This VTR policy update is also reflected in Changes to programme policies.

The Amazon Services Europe team