Overview

Amazon has refreshed its guidance on preserving a solid Account Health Rating (AHR), the numeric score that determines a seller’s ability to stay active on the marketplace. The rating spans 0‑1,000, and accounts that dip below 100 risk immediate suspension, making proactive management essential for every seller.

Key Points

• Score 200‑1,000 — Indicates compliance with Amazon’s performance standards; a seller with a 750 rating can comfortably absorb occasional spikes in returns.
• Score 100‑199 — Flags the account as “at risk”; Amazon may impose listing restrictions or issue warning notices, as seen when a seller’s rating fell to 150 after a holiday‑season surge in late shipments.
• Score ≤ 99 — Triggers deactivation risk; an account that slid to 85 due to repeated A‑to‑Z claims was suspended within days.
• Shipping & Delivery — Late deliveries weigh heavily; an FBM seller who missed promised delivery windows on 12 of 50 orders saw a 40‑point drop in AHR.
• Customer Messaging — Responses slower than 24 hours directly subtract points; a merchant who answered only half of buyer inquiries within the window lost 30 rating points.
• Order Cancellations — Pre‑fulfillment cancellations signal inventory issues; a seller with a 5 % cancellation rate experienced a 25‑point penalty.
• Negative Feedback — Each verified negative review can shave up to 5 points; a vendor that resolved a defective product complaint with a refund avoided a potential 10‑point loss.
• Listing Accuracy — Misleading titles or images raise return rates; a brand that corrected inaccurate photos reduced its return percentage from 12 % to 7 %, stabilizing its AHR.

How Amazon Calculates Account Health Rating

1. Shipping Performance Evaluation — Amazon compares the handling time you promise with the actual shipment date and checks for a valid tracking number. For example, a seller promising two‑day handling but shipping on day 4 for three orders will see those orders flagged and the AHR reduced.