For many Amazon sellers, Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) feels like a relief. You get to handle your inventory, take care of packaging, and manage shipping costs yourself. It’s a good choice, especially for those who already have their own warehouses or sell products that don’t work well with Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). .
But here’s the part that too many sellers underestimate: FBM is also a tightrope walk. One misstep—late shipments, inaccurate tracking, or poor communication—and Amazon won’t hesitate to suspend your account. Unlike FBA, where Amazon handles most of the heavy lifting, FBM leaves you fully accountable for meeting Amazon’s strict performance metrics.
This is not hypothetical. Over the past year, suspensions of FBM accounts have become more frequent and, in some cases, shockingly abrupt. Sellers with years of solid performance have woken up to deactivation notices because of small but cumulative lapses.
Amazon’s expectations are clear. If you choose FBM, you’re expected to deliver the same standard customers expect from Prime orders: fast shipping, real-time tracking, and impeccable service. Anything less can trigger a loss of selling privileges.
Let’s take a closer look at the key areas where FBM sellers often get into trouble—and why it’s critical to treat each order as though your business depends on it. Because, quite literally, it does.
The Risk of Late Shipments
Amazon customers are conditioned to expect speed. Whether it’s one-day or two-day delivery, the clock starts ticking the moment an order comes in.
If you confirm shipments late or fail to hand packages over to your carrier on time, your late shipment rate quickly creeps up. Amazon requires this rate to remain under 4%. Even a small volume of delayed orders can push you over the threshold. Even though a few one-time delays might be understandable, sending orders late—even just a little—over and over again can lead to your account being checked again. It’s easy to think that as long as you mostly ship on time, you’re okay. But the reality is, Amazon’s performance metrics leave little margin for error. A sudden surge in demand or a hiccup in your warehouse process can escalate into suspension territory faster than you expect.
The Importance of Valid Tracking
Amazon requires sellers to upload tracking information promptly and accurately. This isn’t optional—it’s fundamental to the customer experience.
Here’s why this matters: if you use carriers that don’t provide scannable tracking or if you upload tracking numbers after the shipment deadline, Amazon’s system flags your account. Over time, an elevated valid tracking rate (VTR) below Amazon’s benchmark can trigger warnings or deactivation.
Some sellers have tried to cut corners by entering placeholders or invalid tracking numbers to meet upload deadlines. This is a guaranteed path to suspension. Amazon can quickly spot fake tracking information, and when they do, they treat it as a major rule break. To keep your account safe, you need to use trusted shipping companies that work well with Amazon’s tracking system.
Inventory Accuracy and Order Cancellations
FBM gives you the freedom to maintain your own stock levels, but it also comes with the burden of keeping your listings accurate. If you oversell and have to cancel orders, your pre-fulfillment cancellation rate climbs. Amazon’s threshold is 2.5%. Go over it consistently, and you risk losing your ability to list offers.
In real life, this means your inventory numbers need to be exact and always up to date. Using old-fashioned spreadsheets or broken systems can lead to problems. For sellers who run multiple online stores, keeping track of stock levels becomes harder. Spending money on automatic inventory tools isn’t optional—it’s something you really need.
Customer Communication is Non-Negotiable
Amazon also checks how fast you reply to customer messages. Buyers want quick answers, and the platform wants you to respond within 24 hours, every day of the week. Not replying or taking too long—even on weekends or holidays—can hurt your account performance.
This is something some FBM sellers aren’t always ready for.
With FBA, Amazon usually handles most customer conversations, but with FBM, you have to take the lead. You need to be active, quick to reply, and careful in every message. Not responding can make customers lose trust and lead to complaints, which can lower your overall performance.
The Advantages of Using Amazon’s Buy Shipping
One of the smartest ways to protect yourself is using Amazon’s Buy Shipping service whenever you can. When you get shipping labels from Amazon, you automatically have proper tracking and built-in protection if a package is delayed or lost. It’s not a perfect solution, but it really helps lower the chance of tracking issues causing account problems and gives you an advantage if there’s a disagreement.
If you use your own shipping companies, you have to take full responsibility for showing that everything was done on time and that tracking was correct.
Using Buy Shipping is often the easiest way to follow Amazon’s strict rules.
A Personal Perspective on the Current Landscape
Over the last year, I’ve talked to a lot of sellers who thought their long track record of good performance would protect them from sudden account issues. But the reality is that Amazon has made its policy enforcement more automatic and stricter. If your account health goes below the required level, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been selling or how much money you make—Amazon will shut down your account without warning.
I strongly suggest that every FBM seller check their account metrics regularly.
Don’t wait for a warning to come in. Take the time to look at your late shipment rate, pre-fulfillment cancellation rate, and valid tracking rate. IIf any of these are nearing their allowed limits, take quick action to solve the issue.
If your business is growing and you’re struggling to keep up with fast and accurate fulfillment, consider moving some or all of your inventory to FBA or partnering with a trustworthy third-party logistics provider (3PL) that understands Amazon’s processes.
Conclusion
FBM is still a strong choice for sellers who want to manage their inventory and customer service themselves. But with that control comes a big responsibility. The marketplace doesn’t tolerate mistakes, whether they happen by accident or because of stress.
Right now, being careful with details isn’t just good—it’s essential for staying in business.
Every package you send, every tracking update you share, and every customer message you reply to plays a role. If you handle each part with care and focus, you can build a solid FBM business that runs smoothly and avoids problems.
Take a few minutes today to check your processes, fix any weak spots, and promise yourself to follow Amazon’s standards closely.
In FBM, the small things aren’t just small—they’re the key to keeping your business strong. . If you treat each part of the process seriously, you can build a solid FBM business that stays strong without always worrying about getting suspended.
Take time today to look at your workflow, fix any weak spots, and promise yourself to follow the same strict standards Amazon expects.
Because when it comes to FBM, details aren’t just small things—they’re the base of your whole business.