Amazon are updating their Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy: from the 1st of March 2023. Seller-fulfilled shipments sent using untracked Royal Mail 1st and 2nd class letter stamps and franking will be exempted from the Valid Tracking Rate calculation… but there’s a kicker, the exemption only applies if you buy your postage through Amazon Buy Shipping.
Royal Mail 1st and 2nd class letter stamps and franking can be bought through Amazon Buy Shipping at no extra cost… unless you are using PPI style contracts in which case you can’t.
This policy change won’t affect your metrics until the 31st of March and will hopefully give you sufficient time to adapt to this new update. One real big plus point, is that with the CWU having won another strike ballot, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if more strikes were in the offing. At least if you buy your Royal Mail postage through Amazon then you have some protection from the VTR calculation, although that still won’t ensure anything actually gets delivered.
This update allows Amazon to confirm whether an untracked ship method was used and if the shipment can be exempted from your valid tracking rate. If you don’t buy through Amazon then it’ll be assumed you simply didn’t upload tracking.
Providing tracking details for your shipments improves customer experience, reduces the likelihood of negative feedback, and helps protect your account health including the order defect rate. While assessing A-to-z claims, a valid tracking ID also helps confirm if your shipment was delivered.
– Amazon
VTR related Amazon help pages
“Valid tracking rate”:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/G201817070
“Changes to program policies”:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/help/hub/reference/GQHQGBTD7XB7EECN
Buy Shipping services:
https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/gc/grow-your-business/buy-shipping?ref=em-mfn-gen-mss20&returnFromLogin=1&&&v
3 Responses
Does anyone know how the “use by date” works on the Royal Mail postage labels bought from Amazon? I usually drop my parcels into a letter box and most of the time they get picked up that day but sometimes it takes a day or two – what will happen in this case?
The label says “post by” so as long as you have put it in the postbox by the date (and they usually add at least one day to the date, at the weekend I think it’s two) then you are fine.
Royal Mail currently offer free parcel pickup from click and drop. Amazon charge for this, so basically ripping us off!
Were now forced to take the parcels 10 miles to the nearest sorting office as the PO won’t take Amazon bought postage!
This unneeded policy has had quite a costly and negative impact on our business.
Good job Amazon don’t care about sellers or they might rethink this.
As the untracked large letters and parcels have delivery confirmation I really don’t see an issue keeping things as they were