Amazon Operations glossary.
17 seller central operations terms defined for private-label brand operators. Cross-linked to related concepts.
See also: full glossary
FBA— Fulfillment by Amazon
FBA is the Amazon logistics service where sellers ship inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers and Amazon picks, packs, and ships orders to buyers. Enables Prime eligibility, customer-service handling, and pan-marketplace coverage in exchange for storage and pick-pack fees.
Related: fnsku, asin, pan-eu-fba
FBM— Fulfillment by Merchant
FBM means the seller fulfills orders directly instead of using FBA. Useful for oversized items, slow movers, or brands with existing 3PL infrastructure. Loses Prime eligibility unless enrolled in Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP).
Related: fba
ASIN— Amazon Standard Identification Number
ASIN is Amazon's unique 10-character alphanumeric identifier for each catalog item. Every product variation has its own ASIN. Used in PPC targeting, listing references, and account-level catalog management.
FNSKU— Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit
FNSKU is the unique barcode Amazon assigns to each FBA inventory item, distinct from the manufacturer UPC. FBA-bound inventory must be labeled with FNSKU stickers (or use the Amazon Stickerless commingled program, rarely recommended).
Brand Registry— Amazon Brand Registry
Amazon Brand Registry is the program that gives trademark holders elevated tools: A+ Content, Brand Story, Sponsored Brands ads, Brand Analytics search-term reports, and IP enforcement against hijackers. Requires registered trademark in the marketplace country.
Related: a-plus-content, brand-story, sponsored-brands
Amazon DSP— Amazon Demand-Side Platform
Amazon DSP is Amazon's programmatic advertising platform for eligible advertisers. It is separate from the Sponsored Ads scope BFarm publishes for its Advertising Optimization service; current access, inventory, activation, and pricing details must be verified with Amazon Ads.
Related: sponsored-display, ppc
Pan-EU FBA— Pan-European Fulfillment by Amazon
Pan-EU FBA is the Amazon program that distributes inventory across multiple EU fulfillment centers (DE, FR, IT, ES, PL, CZ) for faster delivery and reduced cross-border fees. Requires VAT registration in each storage country. Alternative is European Fulfillment Network (EFN) — single-country storage with cross-border shipping.
EFN— European Fulfillment Network
EFN is an Amazon fulfillment option for cross-border European orders from inventory stored in an enabled country. Eligibility, fees, delivery promises, and tax obligations vary; sellers should verify current Amazon and professional tax guidance for their configuration.
Related: pan-eu-fba, fba
SKU— Stock Keeping Unit
The seller-defined identifier for an offer. Unlike the ASIN, which is catalog-level and shared, SKUs are private to the account. Deliberate SKU naming that encodes supplier, cost batch, or launch date stays readable years later, where ad-hoc names lose their meaning.
IPI— Inventory Performance Index
Amazon's score of how efficiently an account manages FBA inventory, driven by excess stock, sell-through, and stranded inventory. Low scores can bring storage-volume limits. The thresholds change, so track the dashboard instead of remembered numbers.
Related: stranded-inventory, fba, monthly-storage-fee
Stranded Inventory— Stranded FBA Inventory
FBA stock sitting in fulfillment centers with no active listing selling it. Listing errors, policy takedowns, and pricing problems are the usual causes. It accrues storage fees while earning nothing, and the Stranded Inventory report lists a fix reason per SKU.
Related: suppressed-listing, ipi, removal-order
Removal Order— FBA Removal Order
An instruction for Amazon to return or dispose of FBA inventory instead of storing it. The standard exit for aged stock before a surcharge date arrives. Per-unit fees apply, and processing stretches to weeks in peak season, so removals need planning well ahead of the deadline.
Related: aged-inventory-surcharge, stranded-inventory, fba
Featured Offer— Featured Offer (Buy Box)
The offer that wins the Add to Cart box when multiple sellers list the same ASIN, awarded per page view based on price, fulfillment quality, and seller metrics. Private-label brands normally hold it by default and lose it during pricing errors or hijacks.
Related: listing-hijacking, fba, asin
Brand Analytics— Amazon Brand Analytics (ABA)
The report hub for Brand Registered sellers: search query data, demographics, market basket, and repeat purchase behavior. First-party data that replaces guesswork about what shoppers search and buy together. SQP is its deepest report.
Related: search-query-performance, brand-registry
AWD— Amazon Warehousing & Distribution
Amazon's upstream bulk storage network that replenishes FBA automatically. Bulk storage rates run below FBA rates, and upstream inventory does not consume FBA capacity limits. Terms and rates change, so verify the current program pages.
Related: fba, monthly-storage-fee, ipi
FBA Liquidations— FBA Liquidations Program
A recovery option that sells excess or returned FBA inventory to liquidators for a fraction of the sale price instead of paying for disposal. It recovers some value from stock that would otherwise be written off entirely.
Related: removal-order, aged-inventory-surcharge
Seller Central— Amazon Seller Central
The web console where third-party sellers run their Amazon business: catalog, inventory, orders, advertising, reports, and account health. Distinct from Vendor Central, which serves first-party suppliers selling wholesale to Amazon.
Related: fba, account-health-rating
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