Reference
Amazon Seller Glossary
30+ essential terms every Amazon seller should know. From ASIN to Wholesale.
A
ASIN
Amazon Standard Identification Number. A 10-character alphanumeric code (e.g., B08N5WRWNW) that uniquely identifies each product on Amazon.
A+ Content
Enhanced product descriptions available to brand-registered sellers. Includes rich media, comparison charts, and brand stories to improve conversion rates.
B
BSR
Best Sellers Rank. A numerical ranking showing how well a product sells relative to others in its category. Lower BSR = more sales.
Buy Box
The 'Add to Cart' button on Amazon product pages. Only one seller wins the Buy Box at a time. Factors include price, fulfillment method, seller metrics, and shipping speed. Read: Buy Box strategies →
C
COGS
Cost of Goods Sold. The total cost of sourcing a product, including purchase price, shipping, taxes, and any discounts (like gift cards).
E
EFN
European Fulfillment Network. Amazon's service that lets FBA sellers fulfill orders across European marketplaces from a single inventory pool.
F
FBA
Fulfillment by Amazon. You ship inventory to Amazon's warehouses and they handle storage, picking, packing, shipping, and customer service. Read: FBA repricing guide →
FBM
Fulfilled by Merchant. You store, pack, and ship products directly to customers. Lower fees but more work, and harder to win the Buy Box. Read: FBM repricing guide →
FNSKU
Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. Amazon's internal barcode for FBA inventory. Each FNSKU is unique to your seller account and product.
G
Gated Category
A product category or brand that requires Amazon approval before you can list products. Common gated categories include Grocery, Health, Beauty, and Toys (during Q4).
H
Hijacker
A seller who lists on your product detail page selling counterfeit or unauthorized goods. Brand Registry and transparency codes help prevent hijacking.
I
IP Complaint
Intellectual Property complaint filed against a seller for alleged trademark, copyright, or patent infringement. Can result in listing removal or account suspension.
IPI Score
Inventory Performance Index. Amazon's measure of how efficiently you manage FBA inventory (0-1000). Scores below 400 may result in storage limits.
K
Keepa
A third-party tool that tracks Amazon price history, sales rank, and Buy Box data. Popular for product research and sourcing decisions.
L
Lightning Deal
A time-limited promotional offer on Amazon (usually 4-6 hours). Products appear on the Today's Deals page. Requires invitation or payment.
M
MAP
Minimum Advertised Price. The lowest price a brand allows retailers to advertise. Violating MAP can result in losing authorized seller status.
MFN
Merchant Fulfilled Network. Another term for FBM — seller handles fulfillment instead of Amazon.
O
OA
Online Arbitrage. The practice of buying products from online retailers (Target, Walmart, etc.) at a discount and reselling them on Amazon for a profit. Read: OA beginner's guide →
OAXRAY
A popular browser extension for online arbitrage that overlays Amazon sales data on retailer websites to help identify profitable products.
OOS
Out of Stock. When a supplier or your Amazon listing runs out of inventory. Repricefy detects OOS at suppliers and can automatically zero-out your quantity. Read: OOS consequences →
P
PPC
Pay-Per-Click. Amazon's advertising model where you pay each time a shopper clicks your Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, or Sponsored Display ad.
Prep Center
A third-party service that receives, inspects, labels, and ships your inventory to Amazon FBA warehouses. Popular among OA and wholesale sellers.
R
RA
Retail Arbitrage. Buying discounted products from physical retail stores (clearance, sales) and reselling them on Amazon.
Repricing
The process of automatically adjusting Amazon listing prices based on competition, costs, and rules. Repricefy offers 8 configurable strategies. Read: Repricing guide →
ROI
Return on Investment. Calculated as (Revenue - Cost) / Cost x 100%. Amazon sellers typically target 30-100%+ ROI depending on turnover speed. Read: Profit margin guide →
S
SFP
Seller Fulfilled Prime. A program allowing FBM sellers to display the Prime badge by meeting Amazon's shipping and service standards.
SKU
Stock Keeping Unit. A seller-defined identifier for each product. Unlike ASINs, SKUs are unique to your seller account and can be any alphanumeric string.
SP-API
Selling Partner API. Amazon's modern API that enables applications like Repricefy to manage listings, prices, orders, and inventory programmatically.
Stranded Inventory
FBA inventory in Amazon's warehouse that is not linked to an active listing. Common causes: listing errors, safety complaints, or category restrictions.
U
UPC
Universal Product Code. A 12-digit barcode used to identify retail products. Required for creating new Amazon listings unless you have a GTIN exemption.
Ungating
The process of getting Amazon's approval to sell in a restricted (gated) category or brand. May require invoices, brand authorization letters, or application fees.
V
VA
Virtual Assistant. A remote worker who helps with Amazon tasks like listing creation, customer service, sourcing, and repricing. Repricefy automates many VA tasks.
W
Wholesale
Buying products in bulk directly from brands or authorized distributors at wholesale prices, then reselling on Amazon. Higher volume, lower margins than arbitrage.