Dear Sellers,
You shared many questions about the new On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) policy in our recent Ask Amazon event. To summarize the event, I've compiled a FAQ based on your most common queries.
1. What is the purpose of the policy launch?
The policy aims to enhance the Amazon customer experience by improving the accuracy of delivery promises and reducing late deliveries.
2. How is the OTDR metric calculated?
It is the percentage of tracked seller-fulfilled units delivered to customers by the promised delivery date. Starting September 16, 2025, sellers will need to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR when fulfilling Fulfilled by Merchant orders on Amazon.co.uk. The new OTDR calculation is based on a unit level, not order level. This means larger orders will have a more significant impact on your OTDR than smaller ones.
3. Is there a minimum threshold for OTDR calculation?
Yes. OTDR is only calculated for sellers who have shipped 20 or more units during the 14-day measurement period. If you ship fewer than 20 units in this period, your will not be enforced for OTDR miss.
4. My carrier does not scan the package on delivery, how will this impact my OTDR? What about self-delivery orders? What if I do not use tracked services?
Only units with a valid delivery scan will be included in the OTDR metric calculation.
5. Why isn't using Buy Shipping alone enough to exempt units from OTDR calculation?
Buy-shipping alone does not ensure that accurate delivery promises are set up initially.
6. How do customer-related delivery issues affect OTDR?
If a buyer is not present on the delivery date or reschedules, it won't negatively impact your OTDR. The metric will consider either the first delivery attempt date or the customer's rescheduled date.
7. How can I account for customs clearance times in my delivery promises?
To manage variable customs clearance times, we recommend that you:
Note: Using all three tools together (Shipping Settings Automation, Automated Handling Time, and Buy Shipping) will result into your specific units meeting OTDR.
8. Are there exemptions for external factors affecting deliveries?
Yes, the policy includes exemptions for:
- Major weather events
- Carrier issues, labor strikes, or elections
- Customer availability issues
This means that you will not be enforced for orders missing OTDR for above reasons, even though they will still count against OTDR is the metric calculation.
If you believe your units were affected but not exempted (you have been enforced for those), contact Seller Support.
9. Why am I responsible for on-time delivery when it is the carrier that makes the delivery?
As a seller, you're responsible for choosing a reliable carrier and setting accurate delivery promise dates based on your chosen carrier's performance. This ensures customers receive realistic expectations for their deliveries.
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As a reminder, you will start receiving informative warnings as of today with your current OTDR and recommendations on how to improve if your OTDR is under the expected thresholds, however, the policy enforcement will start February 2nd 2026.
The MFN team is also currently working on publishing a comprehensive FAQ in the Help pages.
Don't forget to 👍 this post if you found it helpful or 👎if you think I've missed important information. Also, if you have more questions about OTDR, please don't hesitate to share them in the comments below.
Your feedback helps us improve our seller resources!
Ange
