Overview

Amazon displays an estimated delivery date (EDD) on every product listing to set buyer expectations for when their order will arrive. For sellers who fulfill their own orders (merchant-fulfilled or FBM), understanding how this date is calculated — and how to configure it accurately — is essential for maintaining strong account health and avoiding late shipment penalties.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• EDD is a calculated estimate — Amazon generates the estimated delivery date by combining two factors: your handling time (how long it takes you to prepare and hand off the order) and the transit time (how long the carrier takes to deliver it).
• Handling time is seller-controlled — You set this value yourself, either through your listing tools or your shipping settings. It represents the number of business days between when a customer places an order and when you hand it to the carrier.
• Transit time is carrier-based — Amazon calculates transit time based on the shipping service level and carrier you select in your shipping rate settings (such as USPS, UPS, FedEx, and other major carriers).
• Default handling time applies if unset — If you don't specify a handling time for individual products, Amazon uses your account-level default handling time from your shipping settings.
• Tracking numbers matter — Amazon only updates the actual delivery date when you provide a valid tracking number during order confirmation. Without tracking, Amazon cannot verify on-time delivery.

How the Estimated Delivery Date Is Calculated

The EDD that customers see on your listing is the sum of two time windows. First, your handling time represents how many business days you need to pick, pack, and ship the item after an order is placed. Second, the transit time reflects how long the selected carrier and service level typically takes to move the package from your location to the buyer's address. Amazon combines these two values and displays the resulting date range to the customer before they complete their purchase. Getting both values right is critical because an overly optimistic EDD can lead to late deliveries, while an overly conservative one may discourage buyers from purchasing.