General SOP: Definition and Overview of Amazon's Programs (Part 2)

Affiliate Marketing

• Affiliate Marketing has become a favored marketing strategy adopted by several Sellers and Vendors on Amazon. An affiliate, being the third party, markets the product or service and receives a commission on each sale generated from their promotion. Many Amazon sellers have teamed up with various individuals and influencers who promote their products through blogs, websites, and social media channels to drive traffic to their Amazon product listings, thereby boosting sales. The affiliate earns a commission on each sale made through their unique affiliate link.

Brand Registry

• The Amazon Brand Registry program was created to help sellers and manufacturers of their own branded products maintain the integrity of their brands on the Amazon website. To register for Brand Registry, you will need a Vendor or Seller Central Account, or you can create a new one. You must also have valid copyright and trademark registrations to prove that you own the brand and trademark. The purpose of the registry is to protect your products from intellectual property rights violations and to provide you with greater control over how your products are presented on Amazon, including images, product names, and descriptions.

Brand Gating

• Amazon's Brand Gating program is designed to protect the integrity of a brand's products by blocking unauthorized retailers or sellers from selling them on Amazon. In the past, many companies have faced issues with unscrupulous resellers selling their products without their knowledge, resulting in poor representation and brand erosion. This occurs when products are poorly presented or sold at prices well below their actual value. To combat this problem, Amazon created Brand Gating, which enables manufacturers and authorized resellers to retain control over their brands and labels. This program is offered to protect brand owners from unauthorized sellers and ensure that their products are presented in the best possible light on Amazon.

Drop-Shipping

• Drop-shipping is a business model in which the seller, in this case, Amazon, sells products without stocking inventory or physically handling the product. Instead, the manufacturer or distributor ships the products directly to the customer, typically in the seller's branded packaging. This approach is often used by third-party sellers on Amazon who wants to sell products without the hassle of storing and shipping inventory. Drop-shipping can be more cost-effective for both the seller and the customer and can result in a better overall experience for the customer since the product is shipped directly from the manufacturer or distributor.

Amazon Prime Services

• Amazon Prime is a subscription service provided by Amazon that offers several benefits to its members. Prime members have access to free two-day shipping, and in some areas, two-hour delivery through Prime Now. Additionally, Prime members can stream music, movies, and television shows through Prime Music and Prime Video. They can also access a rotating selection of Kindle e-books through Prime Reading. Prime Pantry is another exclusive service for Prime members in which they can order non-perishable grocery items for a flat fee of $6.
• Amazon also offers Prime Now, which provides one- or two-hour delivery on selected items. Prime Samples is a program that allows members to receive free samples of various products, and Prime Wardrobe lets members try on clothing, shoes, and accessories before purchasing. Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe is a styling service exclusively for Prime members that provides personalized recommendations for fashion.
• Prime Book Box Kids delivers curated selections of children's books to subscribers every one, two, or three months for an additional fee. Prime Photos offers unlimited photo storage for Prime members, and Twitch Prime offers premium Twitch features and ad-free viewing, including one free subscription per month to a partnered channel.
• Finally, Amazon Key allows Prime members to receive in-home deliveries by Amazon Flex contractors who gain entry using a one-time code. Amazon Prime offers various benefits that enhance the shopping and entertainment experience for its members.

Subscription and Discovery Boxes

• Amazon Subscription and Discovery Boxes provide a range of subscription-based products, including but not limited to food boxes, beauty boxes, grocery and snack boxes, lifestyle boxes, and toy boxes.

Amazon Associates

• The Amazon Associates Program is a popular affiliate marketing network that enables publishers, content creators, and website owners to earn commissions by promoting Amazon products to their audience. It offers easy-to-use link-building tools that Associates can use to direct their readers to Amazon.com, where they can earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Associates can choose from millions of products available on Amazon and may earn commissions not only on the products they promote but also on any other products their readers purchase during the session. Additionally, Associates can leverage reporting tools to track and analyze their performance and optimize their campaigns to increase earnings.

Amazon Advertising

• Amazon Advertising is a collection of advertising programs offered on the Amazon DSP (previously known as the Amazon Advertising Platform). This suite of advertising programs includes a variety of options such as Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display (in beta), Stores, Display Advertisements, Video Advertisements, Custom Advertisements, and Amazon DSP.

Selling Coach

• The Amazon Selling Coach is a unique widget offered by Amazon to assist and support sellers on its platform. Unlike other generic support platforms, the Selling Coach provides personalized advice and suggestions from Amazon itself, tailored to the specific needs and interests of the seller. This insider perspective helps sellers optimize their business on Amazon and avoid common pitfalls. Additionally, Vendor Central offers a similar widget called the Business Advisor to assist its users.

Business Advisor

• The Amazon Business Advisor is a tool designed to provide personalized guidance and support to vendors who sell on Amazon's platform. It offers insider advice and suggestions tailored to each vendor's specific needs and goals, helping them navigate the virtual marketplace more effectively. While vendors may receive generic advice from other support platforms, the Business Advisor provides unique and customized recommendations from Amazon itself. Amazon Seller Central has a similar tool called the Selling Coach.

Amazon Fresh

• AmazonFresh is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, an American e-commerce company based in Seattle, Washington, that provides a grocery delivery service. Currently, it is available in select U.S. states, London, Tokyo, Berlin (including Potsdam), Hamburg, and Munich. Along with a subset of items from the main Amazon.com storefront, AmazonFresh offers various grocery items for sale. Customers can place an order and receive same-day or next-day home delivery, depending on the time of the order and truck availability.

Dash Button

• The Dash Button is a device that allows Amazon Prime members to quickly reorder household items they frequently use. It is a small, gum-stick-sized device that can be placed on any surface in your home, and it connects to your home's Wi-Fi network. Using the accompanying mobile app, you can set up the Dash Button to order your preferred brand of product, such as detergent or paper towels, with just the push of a button. Amazon's Virtual Dash Button Service (VDBS) enables device makers to integrate the Dash Button experience into their connected devices, allowing customers to easily reorder products with just a tap. Dash Buttons are personalized shortcuts that allow customers to view product details and place 1-click orders on tens of millions of products that ship with Prime. Customers can find and manage their Dash Buttons on the Amazon home page or at Your Dash Buttons. If you frequently reorder a product on Amazon, a Dash Button for that product will be automatically created for you. Additionally, you can add new Dash Buttons from the product details page of any Prime-eligible item.

STEM Club Toys

• STEM Club is an Amazon subscription service that delivers a new toy or game with a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) focus to your child everyone, two, or three months, at a price of $19.99 per box, plus tax. STEM Club is available for children between ages 3-4, 5-7, and 8-13, and the toys or games included are chosen according to age range and specific STEM topics. These may include science, technology, engineering, or math, such as nature, biology, programming, or mathematics. The primary goal of STEM Club is to encourage learning through play and exploration, providing children with a fun and engaging way to discover and advance their knowledge in STEM subjects.

Project Zero

• Amazon's Project Zero aims to eradicate counterfeit products from its platform. By participating in the program, approved brands can directly flag and remove counterfeit listings of their products from Amazon. Previously, companies had to submit a request to Amazon, which would then evaluate the claim and remove the listing. With Project Zero, companies have the power to remove products without Amazon's approval, marking a significant change in the management of this process. However, Project Zero is currently an invite-only program, meaning only Amazon's selected brands can join and remove listings.

Transparency

• Amazon introduced the Transparency Program in 2017 as a means to support brand owners in safeguarding their retail businesses from the sale of fake products and unauthorized sellers.
• The program assures that only genuine items are available for purchase on the Amazon platform.
• Once a brand owner enrolls in the program, they acquire unique codes for their products, which they then use to produce barcode labels that are attached to each item.
• Every product has its individualized label that customers can use to verify its authenticity using the Transparency app, accessible on both Android and iPhone devices.
• By leveraging the Transparency program, brands now have greater control over the distribution of their products on Amazon and are better equipped to prevent the sale of counterfeit products.
• Overall, the shopping experience is enhanced as consumers are able to purchase products with more confidence in their authenticity and the brand they are buying from.

Amazon IP Accelerator

• Amazon IP Accelerator is a program that facilitates the faster acquisition of intellectual property (IP) rights and brand protection for businesses selling on Amazon's platform. It offers a network of reputable IP law firms to assist businesses in obtaining high-quality trademark registration services at competitive rates. Moreover, Amazon provides brand-building features and brand protections to businesses enrolled in IP Accelerator, allowing them to safeguard and expand their brand on Amazon's marketplace before their trademark registration is officially approved.

Amazon Seller University

• Amazon Seller University is a collection of educational resources for sellers that can be accessed through their Seller Central account.

Amazon Solution Provider Network

• The Amazon Solution Provider Network is a collection of third-party tools and services available for sellers to optimize their business on Amazon. These services cover a range of areas including account management, accounting, advertising optimization, cataloging, compliance, enhanced brand content, and FBA preparation, among others.

Fillz

• Fillz provides a set of tools designed to help sellers manage their inventory across multiple online marketplaces.

Marketplace Web Service

• Marketplace Web Service (MWS), also known as Amazon Marketplace Web Service, is an application programming interface (API) that enables Amazon sellers to exchange data with Amazon's platform programmatically. This data can include information on listings, orders, payments, reports, and more. By integrating their systems with MWS, sellers can automate various selling processes, potentially increasing efficiency and scaling their businesses.

Amazon Feed Specification (AFS)

• The Amazon Feed Specification (AFS) is a type of catalog feed that enables the automated addition and updating of products on Amazon, bypassing other self-service tools available on Vendor Central.

Amazon Custom

• Amazon Custom is a feature on Amazon.com that allows customers to personalize your products with their own text, images, or logos, or from a list of options that you provide. The customized products are listed both in your specified department and in the Amazon store.
• If you are an individual seller, you must upgrade your account and become a Professional Seller before you can register for this feature.

Amazon Exclusives

• Amazon Exclusives is a program that features sellers who sell their unique and innovative products exclusively through Amazon, giving customers access to a wide range of products that they can't find anywhere else.

Amazon Launchpad

• Amazon Launchpad is a program that offers startup companies and entrepreneurs education, global infrastructure, and merchandising opportunities to sell their innovative products to Amazon customers worldwide.
• During the launch process, Amazon Launchpad provides assistance with account setup, troubleshooting support, and more.
• Additionally, members of the program receive incremental merchandising support, such as placements on Amazon's Launchpad family of storefronts, email marketing, and inclusion in online events like the Holiday Gift Guide.
• Amazon Launchpad also provides exclusive webinars and training to support continued growth on Amazon.

Amazon Renewed

• Amazon Renewed is a program that offers tested and certified refurbished products for purchase. These products include refurbished, pre-owned, and open-box items, and have been inspected and tested by qualified suppliers to ensure they work and look like new. Each item sold on Amazon Renewed comes with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee to provide customers with peace of mind when purchasing renewed products.

Amazon Storefronts

• Amazon Storefronts is an online store and marketing tool that showcases unique and innovative products from US-based Small and Medium Sized Businesses.

Handmade at Amazon

• Amazon Handmade is a platform for artisans to sell their handmade products on Amazon. Artisans from over 80 countries can showcase their unique and handcrafted items on the platform.

Local Market by AmazonFresh

• AmazonFresh's Local Market program is designed to assist vendors in the sale of locally sourced food items.

Marketplace Growth

• The Marketplace Growth initiative is a program offered by Amazon to aid vendors in expanding their enterprises by paying for Amazon's assistance. This entails obtaining strategic counsel from a designated account manager (AM) and collaborating with various teams and programs within Amazon to boost your presence in Amazon's stores. Additionally, you will receive customized coaching and guidance to remain competitive, and you can rely on Amazon's team to assist you with time-consuming duties, allowing you to concentrate on growing your business.

Marketplace Tax Collection

• The Marketplace Tax Collection program is designed to automatically calculate, collect, and submit sales taxes on behalf of third-party sellers in specific regions. A Marketplace Facilitator refers to a platform that contracts with third-party vendors to promote the sale of physical products, digital goods, and services via their marketplace. Hence, Amazon is considered a Marketplace Facilitator for third-party sales made through www.amazon.com.
• Marketplace Facilitator legislation is a collection of regulations that shift the obligation to collect and remit sales taxes from third-party vendors to the Marketplace Facilitator. As the Marketplace Facilitator, Amazon is now accountable for calculating, collecting, remitting, and reimbursing state sales taxes for sales made by third-party sellers, in states where Marketplace Facilitator and/or Marketplace collection legislation is in force. However, Amazon is not liable for local taxes that are excluded from the Marketplace Facilitator Legislation in certain states.

Merch by Amazon

• Merch by Amazon is a service that offers on-demand t-shirt printing. It enables vendors to design and showcase t-shirts on Amazon without incurring any initial expenses. Payment is made based on the number of shirts sold. All you have to do is upload your design, pick the colors, and set a price, and Amazon will take care of the rest. The Merch dashboard is where you can upload designs, promote your t-shirt, and analyze sales. Initially, you can only list 25 designs, but after selling 25 shirts, you will be upgraded to Tier 2, which allows you to display up to 100 designs.

Merch Collab

• The Merch Collab initiative is a licensing program that enables brands to team up with designers to produce fresh and innovative products that are subsequently manufactured by authorized manufacturers and made available for sale on Amazon.

Next Generation Trade Link

• The Next Generation Trade Link program is aimed at supporting Chinese manufacturers in selling their products globally. Amazon.com Inc. offers new services to facilitate online sales for Chinese businesses and consumers across the world. The program comprises consulting and other services designed to enhance the recognition of Chinese brands abroad and facilitate sales through Amazon's shopping portals.
• Furthermore, the Amazon Business division, which specializes in business-to-business e-commerce, is part of this initiative, and it collaborates with Chinese manufacturers in categories such as office supplies, office furniture, tools, and industrial products to sell products internationally. Since its launch in the United States in April 2015, Amazon Business now operates e-commerce platforms in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and India.

Seller Credential Program

• The Third-Party Certification Program for Sellers is a program designed to provide sellers with a competitive advantage through third-party certifications.
• Certifications are seller attributes recognized or awarded by external organizations, such as government bodies or standard-setting entities.
• These certifications are highly valued by business customers with specific sourcing requirements or needs.
• Seller Certifications enable third-party sellers to assert and exhibit over 150 different diversity, ownership, and quality certifications.
• Seller certifications are prominently displayed throughout the Amazon Business store.
• Amazon recognizes several certifications, including:

- Diversity & Ownership Certifications

• Small Business
• LGBT Business Enterprise
• Minority-Owned Business
• Women-Owned Business Enterprise
• Woman-Owned Small Business
• Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses
• SBA-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business
• SBA-Certified HUB Zone Firm
• SBA-Certified 8(a) Firm
• Veteran-Owned Small Business
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
• Over 100 State Diversity Certifications

- Quality Certifications

• ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems
• ISO 13485 - Medical Devices Standards
• ISO 14001 - Environmental Management Systems
• ISO 22000 / HACCP - Food Quality Standards
• ISO/TS 16949 - Quality Management Systems - Automotive
• AS 9100 - Quality Systems - Aerospace
• AS 9120 - Quality Systems - Aerospace- Distributors

Supplier Acceleration Program

• The Supplier Acceleration Program is a program designed to help suppliers expand their business and accelerate their growth in new and existing markets.

Boost with FBA

• Boost with FBA events are Amazon-hosted events specifically designed for FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) sellers, aimed at helping them maximize their sales and growth potential on the platform.

Coming Together For U

• In 2018, the Coming Together For U event took place in Hangzhou, China, with the aim of facilitating connections between online merchants and Chinese manufacturers.

Amazon Lending

• Amazon Lending is an exclusive program for selected sellers, offering short-term loans with higher interest rates. The loan amount is repaid from the seller's future sales.

Seller Lending Network

• The Seller Lending Network is a financing tool offered by Amazon India that connects sellers with partner banks and NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) such as Aditya Birla Finance, Bank of Baroda, Capital First, Capital Float, Flexiloans, and Yes Bank to help them secure loans. The program was introduced as an update to Amazon India's earlier Seller Lending Program, which was launched in 2016.

Amazon Global

• Amazon Global is an initiative that allows customers to ship products to over 100 countries around the world.
• The program enables Amazon.com to ship products to international destinations. However, available product lines, shipping rates, and fees may vary based on the delivery address of the order.

Amazon Delivery Service Partners

• The Amazon Delivery Service Partners is a program designed to assist entrepreneurs in starting and managing their local delivery businesses, which includes specific funding for US veterans. With an initial investment as low as $10,000, this program offers access to Amazon's technology, logistics expertise, and established processes to establish and operate a successful delivery business. By relying on Amazon's growing package delivery needs, business owners can focus on building their teams and providing top-notch customer service. From comprehensive training to on-demand support, Amazon is committed to supporting business owners every step of the way. Joining the program means becoming an integral part of Amazon, the world's most customer-centric company, and delighting thousands of customers every day.