Overview

Amazon has announced that the Inventory Performance Index (IPI) minimum of 400 will stay in effect for the 2026 fiscal year across all UK and EU marketplaces. Sellers whose scores dip below this level will encounter limits on the amount of inventory they can send to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, which can suppress product availability and sales. Keeping the IPI well above the floor is essential for any FBA business that wants to maintain steady stock levels and avoid capacity penalties in the coming year.

Key Points

• 400‑point floor unchanged — The baseline score required to sidestep storage caps remains the same as in previous years, giving sellers a stable target for planning.
• Quarterly enforcement — Amazon reviews scores at the start of each quarter and applies restrictions to any account that falls short, affecting inbound shipments for the entire three‑month period.
• All size categories impacted — Limits cover standard‑size, oversize, apparel and footwear items, so no product line is exempt from the rule.
• Healthier range advised — Amazon recommends aiming for an IPI of 550‑600 or higher to ensure a buffer against seasonal spikes and unexpected demand shifts.
• Pan‑European sellers face multiplied effect — For accounts using the Pan‑European FBA program, a low score triggers capacity constraints in every European hub where inventory is stored.

How the IPI Score Is Calculated

1. Excess‑stock ratio — Amazon measures the proportion of inventory that exceeds projected demand; for example, if a seller holds 2,000 units of a toy that is forecast to sell 1,200, the surplus 800 units drags the score down.
2. Sell‑through velocity — The system tracks how quickly stock leaves the warehouse relative to the amount on hand; a seller moving 500 units per week from a pool of 1,000 will score higher than one moving only 100 units from the same pool.
3. Stranded‑listing percentage — Units stored without an active, purchasable listing are flagged; a common case is a product whose price was accidentally set to zero, causing it to be hidden while still occupying space, which sharply reduces the IPI.