Amazon Seller News: Incoming Changes to Business Hour Delivery Rate Requirements
In addition to the other major changes that Amazon has made throughout 2026, further policy changes are being made to the standards that seller fulfilled shipments are held to. Starting in late September, Amazon is implementing strict limits on the percentage of shipments that must be made during business hours for the convenience of customers. In this blog, we walk you through these changes, how they can create enforcement issues, and the basics of enforcement appeals on Amazon.
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Business Hour Delivery Rate Changes
So far in 2026, Amazon has made several changes to how delivery rate metrics are used to make enforcement actions on your seller account. Most prominently, the On Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) metric is now used as a major justification for the removal of listings, with Amazon utilizing this pressure to switch more sellers to their Fulfillment By Amazon Services. The reason behind changes like this is Amazon’s desire to appeal to customer satisfaction as much as possible, delivery expectations viewed as a core part of the experience on Amazon.
Now, more changes are coming, specifically to the area of business hour delivery rate. This metric tracks how often your products are delivered during business hours, which Amazon believes is key for customer satisfaction and safe delivery. Starting on September 30th, Amazon will be alerting sellers whose business hour delivery rate falls below 90%, giving them suggestions on how to improve this rate. Then, sellers who fail to make adequate changes can face enforcement actions starting on October 30th, including potential pulling of listings especially for Amazon business customers.
Importantly, these policy changes are specifically aimed at sellers whose orders are fulfilled by merchant. For those utilizing Fulfillment by Amazon, you will not be affected according to Amazon’s announcement of this policy. This is another move by Amazon that seems to be aimed at pushing more independent sellers to use Fulfillment by Amazon over other shipping options.
Suspension of Account – How Policy Changes Can Hurt Your Business
If your business hour delivery rate falls outside of the minimum range, your account and products may face enforcement actions. From individual product suspension to full blown account suspension, handling these cases delicately is key to getting you back to business as normal. Though Amazon has only announced that action will be taken against individual products, failure to meet account health standards can lead to account suspension that shuts down all of your listings.
Appeal Account Amazon
If you are suspended on Amazon, the first step is typically creation of a Plan of Action (POA) appeal. These are documents that include several sections detailing why you or your products were suspended, and why they should be allowed back on the platform.
The first part of a POA is the root cause analysis, which discusses the reasons you believe led to your suspension, even if you think the accusations are not justified. Next, detail the actions that you have taken to correct the suspension, including issuing refunds or anything relevant to your suspension. Finally, discuss the measures you have taken to prevent future suspensions, such as changing how your products are shipped to customers.
Contact Amazon Sellers Lawyer Today!
If you are currently facing suspension on your Amazon or other e-commerce seller account, contact the team at Amazon Sellers Lawyer today! We have been focused exclusively on seller legal issues for over a decade and have seen the wide range of policy changes that Amazon has made targeted independent sellers. Give our team a call at 212-256-1109 or fill out our online form linked here.
About the Author
CJ Rosenbaum, Esq.
CJ Rosenbaum is the founding partner of Amazon Sellers Lawyer. He’s been practicing law since 1995, and since 2016 his firm has focused exclusively on helping Amazon sellers deal with issues like suspensions, intellectual property disputes, and withheld funds.
CJ has written six books on Amazon seller legal issues including the Amazon Sellers’ Guide to Copyright Law. He has spoken at major industry events like the Prosper Show, Global Sources Summit, Retail Global. CJ also works with the Amazon Sellers Lawyer team to provide free content for Amazon sellers. This is available through their online blog and YouTube channel, frequently covering major Amazon updates and important topics relevant to the seller space.
Through BrandProtectionAmazon.com, the firm also supports brands in protecting their products. This gives the team the unique opportunity to learn from case wins on both sides of the fence, strengthening protection for both the sellers and brands that Rosenbaum & Segall P.C. represents.
Amazon repeatedly rejecting your Plan of Action? Amazon Sellers Lawyer handles suspension appeals and account reinstatement cases – including arbitration against Amazon when they’re withholding seller money. Contact us to discuss your situation and figure out the best path forward.