Overview

Amazon is extending the fairness commitments it pledged to the European Commission in 2022 to its newly launched Irish marketplace. Starting later this year, the same rules that govern Prime eligibility, Buy Box placement and performance metrics in other EU sites will apply to sellers on Amazon.ie. The change matters for any vendor already selling in Europe or planning to enter the Irish market because it reshapes visibility, pricing competition and compliance requirements.

Key Points

• Uniform Prime badge criteria — All sellers, whether they ship through Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) or manage their own logistics, must meet identical Prime standards on the Irish store.
• Buy Box neutrality — Amazon’s algorithm will no longer give preferential treatment to its own retail listings or to FBA offers; placement will be based on price, delivery speed and seller performance alone.
• Strict performance thresholds — Sellers need at least a 92 % on‑time delivery rate, 99 % valid tracking coverage and a cancellation rate of 0.5 % or lower to keep Prime status.
• 30‑day grace period — The platform will give sellers a minimum of one month’s notice before the new metrics affect their Prime eligibility, together with a dedicated dashboard for monitoring.
• Independent oversight — A trustee from Alcis Advisers will receive and assess formal complaints about Amazon’s compliance, providing an external escalation route for sellers.

How the New EU Fair Competition Rules Work

1. Prime eligibility assessment — Amazon checks each product tier for nationwide availability, free shipping and free returns for Prime members. For example, a seller of home‑textiles must offer free delivery across Ireland and a free‑return option, regardless of whether the items are stored in an Amazon fulfillment centre or a third‑party warehouse.
2. Performance metric verification — The system continuously monitors four key indicators: delivery speed (varying by tier), on‑time delivery (minimum 92 %), tracking provision (minimum 99 %) and seller‑initiated cancellations (maximum 0.5 %). If a seller of electronics ships from a regional depot and records a 90 % on‑time rate, the account will be flagged for improvement before Prime status is revoked.