Overview

Amazon has widened its Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) policy for seller‑fulfilled orders so that every shipment, regardless of carrier, now contributes to the VTR metric. The adjustment also brings cross‑border parcels into the calculation, with a narrow exemption for low‑value letters. Sellers must keep a 95 % VTR across product categories, but the pool of orders that affect the score has grown substantially.

Key Points

• All carriers counted — Orders shipped with any carrier, even those not linked to Amazon’s tracking system, are now measured for VTR.
• International shipments included — Packages moving between European marketplaces are added to the VTR pool, removing the previous blind spot for cross‑border routes.
• Letter‑class exemption — Cross‑border shipments classified as “letter” mail and valued under €20 (excluding VAT and shipping) are excluded from VTR calculations.
• 95 % minimum unchanged — The required VTR threshold remains at 95 % per category, but the expanded scope means more orders must meet the standard.
• Higher stakes for A‑to‑Z claims — Lack of a valid tracking number now influences Amazon’s decision‑making on guarantee claims more frequently.

How the Expanded VTR Policy Works

1. Carrier eligibility check — When an order is marked as seller‑fulfilled, Amazon scans the shipment’s tracking number regardless of the carrier’s integration status. For example, a parcel sent via a regional postal service that only provides a basic tracking code will still be evaluated for validity.
2. Cross‑border inclusion — If the destination is in another European country, the order is automatically added to the VTR tally. A seller shipping a laptop from Germany to France now sees that order counted, whereas it previously might have been omitted.
3. Letter‑class exemption assessment — Amazon examines the declared value of the shipment. A €15 letter‑type mail sent from Spain to Italy will be excluded, but a €25 parcel on the same route will be required to have a trackable number.