Overview

Amazon’s Order Handling Capacity (OHC) tool lets sellers set a daily ceiling on the number of orders they can ship within their advertised handling window. Once the limit is reached, Amazon automatically adds an extra day to the delivery promise shown to shoppers, giving sellers a buffer against late‑shipment penalties. The feature is especially useful during traffic spikes, and it helps sellers keep their performance metrics healthy while still offering fast handling times.

Key Points

• Professional plan prerequisite — Only accounts enrolled in Amazon’s Professional selling plan can access the OHC setting.
• Configurable daily cap — Sellers specify the maximum count of seller‑fulfilled orders that must ship within the chosen 0‑ to 2‑day handling window each calendar day.
• Automatic promise extension — When the daily cap is met, Amazon extends the estimated delivery date for any subsequent shoppers by one day, without requiring manual intervention.
• Late‑shipment protection — The extra day acts as a safety net, lowering the likelihood of late‑shipment violations during unexpected order surges.
• Enables aggressive handling times — With a cap in place, sellers can confidently list same‑day or next‑day handling, which improves competitiveness in the Buy Box.
• Peak‑season advantage — The tool shines during events like Prime Day or Black Friday, where order volume can double or triple normal levels.

How Order Handling Capacity Works

1. Enable OHC in Settings — The seller navigates to the “Shipping Settings” page, toggles the OHC feature on, and enters a daily order limit (e.g., 150 orders per day for a 1‑day handling promise).
2. Real‑time order monitoring — Amazon continuously tracks incoming seller‑fulfilled orders against the set threshold. If the count stays below 150, the standard delivery promise (e.g., “Arrives tomorrow”) remains visible to shoppers.
3. Threshold breach triggers extension — On the moment the 151st order arrives, Amazon automatically shifts the delivery estimate forward by one day (e.g., from “Arrives tomorrow” to “Arrives in 2 days”) for all new customers viewing the product. Existing orders retain their original promise.