Overview

Amazon's Late Shipment Rate (LSR) is a critical performance metric that measures the percentage of seller-fulfilled orders confirmed as shipped after their expected ship date. Calculated over both 10-day and 30-day windows, this metric directly impacts your ability to sell on Amazon — exceeding the 4% threshold can lead to deactivation of your seller-fulfilled offers. Every seller who handles their own fulfillment needs to understand how LSR works and how to keep it in check.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• 4% is the maximum allowed rate — Amazon requires sellers to maintain a late shipment rate below 4%. Exceeding this threshold puts your seller-fulfilled listings at risk of deactivation.
• Only seller-fulfilled orders count — FBA orders are excluded from this metric since Amazon handles shipping for those. LSR applies exclusively to orders you ship yourself.
• National holidays are accounted for — Amazon adjusts expected ship dates to reflect national holidays, so you won't be penalized for delays caused by recognized holiday closures.
• Late confirmations hurt the buyer experience — Orders confirmed after the expected ship date can lead to increased A-to-z Guarantee claims, negative feedback, and more buyer contacts, all of which compound your account health problems.
• A quiz may save your account — Eligible sellers facing potential deactivation may be offered a five-question quiz on LSR policy as an opportunity to avoid the penalty.

How Late Shipment Rate Is Calculated

The formula is straightforward: Amazon divides the number of seller-fulfilled orders with shipment confirmed after the expected ship date by the total number of seller-fulfilled orders during a given period. This calculation runs on rolling 10-day and 30-day windows, giving Amazon both a short-term and longer-term view of your shipping performance. It's important to note that the metric is based on when you confirm shipment in Seller Central, not necessarily when the carrier picks up the package. This means timely confirmation is just as important as timely shipping.

Best Practices for Maintaining a Healthy LSR