2026-06-24 · 8 min read
Amazon Seller Performance Metrics: The Numbers That Determine Your Account Standing
A complete guide to the Amazon seller performance metrics that matter: ODR, late shipment rate, tracking rate, cancellation rate, and what thresholds trigger account action.
Amazon evaluates every seller's account using performance metrics that measure how reliably you fulfill orders. When they fall below Amazon's thresholds, Amazon takes action: first a warning, then selling restrictions, then account suspension.
Order Defect Rate (ODR): target below 1%
ODR measures the percentage of orders that resulted in a negative experience for the buyer. Defects are counted in three categories: negative feedback (1 or 2-star ratings), A-to-z Guarantee claims that were not rejected by Amazon, and credit card chargebacks.
ODR is calculated over a rolling 60-day window. Problems arise when multiple defects accumulate against a smaller order volume, or when a specific product has systematic quality issues.
To monitor ODR: go to Account Health and click on Order Defect Rate. Click through to the individual orders that contributed to each defect type to identify patterns.
Late Shipment Rate (LSR): target below 4%
LSR measures the percentage of seller-fulfilled orders not shipped by the expected ship date. FBA orders are excluded.
The most common LSR problem is sellers who physically ship on time but forget to confirm shipment in Seller Central. Fix: confirm shipments in Seller Central the same day they physically go out.
Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate: target below 2.5%
This metric tracks the percentage of seller-fulfilled orders you cancelled before shipping. To reduce cancellation rate: do not list FBM products unless inventory is physically in your possession.
Valid Tracking Rate: target above 95%
Amazon requires tracking numbers for at least 95% of FBM orders. When you purchase shipping labels through Amazon's Buy Shipping tool, tracking is uploaded automatically.
How Amazon uses these metrics
Each metric has a threshold. Crossing a threshold puts your account into "At Risk" status. Staying in "At Risk" for an extended period, or crossing into the red zone significantly, triggers a performance review. The review can result in selling restrictions or account suspension.
Review your Account Health dashboard weekly. The metrics are updated daily. Catching a rising ODR or LSR in week one is manageable. Catching it in week six means you are already at risk.
The thresholds in one place
| Metric | Target | Window | Counts FBA orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Defect Rate | Under 1% | 60 days | Yes, though FBA-caused defects are usually removable on request |
| Late Shipment Rate | Under 4% | 10 and 30 days | No, seller-fulfilled only |
| Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate | Under 2.5% | 7 and 30 days | No |
| Valid Tracking Rate | Above 95% | 30 days | No |
| On-Time Delivery Rate | Above 97% | 30 days | No |
| Invoice Defect Rate | Under 5% | 30 days | Amazon Business orders only |
Two of these trip up sellers who are doing nothing wrong. Late Shipment Rate counts the confirmation, not the handover, so a parcel that left on Tuesday and got confirmed on Thursday is late. On-Time Delivery Rate depends on the carrier scan, which is why Buy Shipping protects you: orders bought through it are excluded from the metric when the carrier is the one who ran late.
Account Health Rating sits above all of it
The individual metrics feed a single score called Account Health Rating. It runs from 0 to 1000. Above 200 is healthy and shows green, 100 to 200 is at risk, and below 100 is unhealthy and is where enforcement happens. Every unresolved policy violation subtracts points, weighted by how serious Amazon considers that violation type. Points come back when a violation ages out or when you successfully appeal it, which is the part most sellers miss: an appeal that wins restores the score, so old violations are worth revisiting even when the listing behind them is long gone.
The metrics that actually suspend accounts
Fulfillment metrics get the attention, but the suspensions come from the policy side of the Account Health page. These are the categories that matter:
- Suspected intellectual property violations, raised by Amazon rather than a rights owner
- Received intellectual property complaints, raised by a brand
- Product authenticity customer complaints
- Product condition customer complaints
- Food and product safety issues
- Listing policy violations and restricted product policy violations
- Customer product reviews policy violations
One intellectual property complaint carries more weight than a month of drifting Order Defect Rate. A cluster of authenticity complaints on a single ASIN is the fastest route to a suspension that requires invoices to reverse. Check the policy tab weekly with the same discipline you give the fulfillment numbers, because the fulfillment numbers rarely end an account on their own.
What to do the week a metric turns red
Pull the underlying orders first. Account Health links each defect to the order that caused it, and the pattern is usually one carrier, one SKU or one date range rather than a general decline. Then write the plan of action in the three-part shape Amazon expects: root cause stated plainly, the corrective action you already took, and the preventive measure that stops it recurring. Vague commitments to improve quality get rejected. Specific process changes with dates get accepted.
Do not argue the metric itself unless you have evidence it is wrong. An appeal that disputes whether the defect counted reads as denial. An appeal that accepts the number and explains what changed reads as a fixed problem.
If you qualify for Account Health Assurance, the protection only holds while you respond to the outreach. Ignoring the call is what converts a warning into a deactivation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Order Defect Rate on Amazon?
Under 1% is the requirement. In practice anything above 0.5% is worth investigating, because ODR runs on a 60-day window and a small order volume makes each defect expensive. Three defects against 200 orders puts you over the line.
What is Account Health Rating and what score is safe?
A single 0 to 1000 score that combines your policy compliance and fulfillment record. Above 200 shows green and is safe. Between 100 and 200 is at risk. Below 100 is where Amazon acts. Successfully appealing an old violation restores the points it deducted.
Does Amazon count FBA orders in Late Shipment Rate?
No. Late Shipment Rate covers seller-fulfilled orders only. The most common cause is confirming shipment in Seller Central a day or two after the parcel physically went out, which is a data problem rather than a logistics one.
How long do policy violations stay on my account?
Most age off after 180 days if nothing else happens. Serious violations, particularly intellectual property and product safety, stay visible longer and continue to weigh on the Account Health Rating until they are appealed successfully.
Can Amazon suspend my account over one metric?
Yes, if the metric is a policy violation rather than a fulfillment number. One intellectual property complaint or a product safety issue can deactivate an account immediately. Fulfillment metrics normally produce a warning and a review period first.