Overview

Amazon is reminding sellers to keep a close eye on their Account Health Rating (AHR) as the holiday rush approaches. The AHR, measured on a 0‑to‑1,000 scale, determines whether a seller’s account remains active or risks suspension. A dip below the critical 100‑point line during peak demand can halt sales and cause weeks of recovery work.

Key Points

• Score range — AHR runs from 0 (worst) to 1,000 (best), with 100 serving as the deactivation trigger.
• Three‑factor formula — Amazon evaluates open policy violations, the severity tier of each (critical, high, medium, low), and the negative impact on buyer experience.
• Point loss — New violations subtract points; a critical breach removes far more points than a low‑severity issue.
• Recovery bonus – Every 200 orders fulfilled without a complaint adds four points back to the rating.
• Peak‑season risk – High order volume raises the odds of defects, listing errors, and IP complaints, all of which can generate new violations.
• Buffer advantage – Sellers entering the season with a strong AHR have a safety margin that absorbs occasional setbacks.
• Dashboard visibility – The Account Health dashboard lists every open issue and its severity, enabling quick prioritization.
• Time sensitivity – The longer a violation stays unresolved, the longer it drags the score down, increasing deactivation risk.

How Account Health Rating Works

1. Violation detection — Amazon’s automated systems scan listings, shipments, and customer feedback; when a policy breach is found, a violation record is created. Example: A mismatched product image triggers a “listing accuracy” violation.
2. Severity assignment — Each violation is tagged as critical, high, medium, or low based on potential buyer harm. Example: Shipping a counterfeit item is marked critical, while a minor title typo is low.
3. — The system subtracts a severity‑based amount from the seller’s 0‑1,000 pool.