Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime

Changes are coming to Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) starting June 29, 2025 – and Amazon sellers need to be ready. While some may view these changes as a challenge, SFP remains one of the most strategic fulfillment options available. 

It gives sellers greater control over their logistics, allows Prime badge eligibility without using FBA, and can improve customer loyalty. 

In this post, we’ll break down what’s changing, why it matters, and how to adjust your operations to stay competitive and compliant. If you’re running your own fulfillment, this is a must-read.

What Is Seller Fulfilled Prime?

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) is Amazon’s fulfillment model that allows qualified sellers to offer Prime shipping benefits while shipping directly from their own facilities. 

Unlike Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) – where Amazon stores, packs, and ships products on the seller’s behalf – SFP lets merchants retain control over their inventory and logistics while still displaying the Prime badge.

This is especially valuable for sellers who prefer to manage their own warehousing and shipping, or who want to reduce reliance on Amazon’s storage and fulfillment fees. By participating in SFP, sellers commit to meeting Prime-level delivery promises – like fast, two-day shipping at no cost to the buyer – without Amazon handling the physical fulfillment.

Note. Several new requirements and policy updates for SFP will go into effect in June 2025. We’ll cover those in detail later in this article.

How Seller Fulfilled Prime Works

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) allows Amazon sellers to display the Prime badge on eligible listings – while shipping orders themselves, without using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). 

Here's a breakdown of how the program works, step by step.

Enrollment and trial period

To join SFP, sellers must first pass a 30-day trial. During this trial, sellers are required to:

• Ship at least 100 Prime orders
• Meet all program metrics, including on-time delivery and valid tracking
• Use a Professional selling account in good standing
• Fulfill orders from a U.S. domestic address

During the trial, the Prime badge will not appear on listings until the seller successfully completes the trial. There’s a maximum of three trial attempts per calendar year, and graduation is restricted around high-volume sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday.

Shipping requirements

Sellers must commit to zero-day handling time, meaning orders placed before the configured cut-off times (2:00 PM local time on weekdays and 10:30 AM on weekends) must be shipped the same day. 

Shipping speed standards

• Same-day, one-day, and two-day delivery in eligible regions
• Nationwide free standard shipping within 1–5 days to the contiguous U.S.
• Weekend delivery and operations are required – sellers must process and ship orders on Saturday and/or Sunday.

You can monitor your SFP delivery speed in the Seller Fulfilled Prime performance dashboard by downloading Speed report.

Performance standards

To maintain SFP eligibility, sellers must meet strict performance metrics, reviewed weekly.

SFP performance requirements

• 93.5% on-time delivery rate
• 99% valid tracking rate with an Amazon-integrated carrier
• ≤ 0.5% cancellation rate
• Meet delivery speed thresholds based on item size (e.g., 70% of standard-size listings must offer 2-day delivery or faster)

You can monitor your SFP performance metrics in the Seller Fulfilled Prime performance dashboard. Failure to meet these standards may lead to removal from the program or suspension of Prime privileges.

Prime badge visibility

Once approved, sellers can assign Prime shipping templates to eligible products. The Prime badge will only be shown when Amazon determines that the listing meets Prime shipping expectations. Longer delivery promises may result in suppressed Prime badge visibility even if SFP conditions are technically met.

Customer service and returns

All post-order customer service – including returns, refunds, and delivery disputes – is handled by Amazon. However, sellers are responsible for:

• Covering the cost of return shipping
• Processing refunds within two business days of receiving the item
• Maintaining accurate return addresses and handling policies in their account settings.

Amazon may override return policies on a case-by-case basis to protect customer trust.

Order limits and fulfillment volume

Each seller sets a daily Prime order limit, representing how many SFP orders they can reliably fulfill. If sellers fall below 100 SFP shipments/month or show inconsistency, Amazon may reduce their order cap. Reinstatement requires resuming consistent shipping volume.

Protections and appeals

Sellers benefit from On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) protection if they use both Amazon Shipping Settings Automation and Amazon Buy Shipping services. These tools help maintain compliance and may shield sellers from delivery-related penalties caused by network disruptions.

If performance issues arise, sellers can submit up to three appeals per quarter, with a 14-day window to dispute a failed metric.

What’s Changing in Seller Fulfilled Prime in 2025

Starting June 29, 2025, Amazon will implement significant updates to the Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program – aimed at tightening performance standards and ensuring Prime-level consistency across all fulfillment channels. These changes impact both new applicants and current SFP sellers.

Stricter trial enrollment rules

• Sellers will now have only three chances per calendar year to pass the 30-day SFP trial.
• You must pre-qualify before each attempt. Past failures before June 29, 2025, won’t count toward this limit.

Restricted graduation periods

• Sellers cannot graduate from the trial during key sales periods like Prime Day and Black Friday.
• If you complete your trial during a restricted window, your Prime badge will be held until after the event ends.

Minimum fulfillment activity requirement

• Amazon will limit your Prime order volume if you don’t ship at least 100 SFP packages per month or fail to ship consistently throughout the month.
• This is designed to ensure sellers stay operationally “Prime-ready.”

Performance issue grace period

• If your Prime eligibility is suspended after a second performance warning, Amazon won’t revoke your enrollment immediately if you choose to keep Prime offers disabled and resolve the issues first.
• This gives sellers time to improve without losing SFP status outright.

Prime re-enablement monitoring

• Once you re-enable Prime offers, your performance will be tracked for the entire week (Sunday to Saturday), not just from the reactivation day.
• Re-enabling at the start of the week gives you more room to meet metrics.

Product misclassification enforcement

• Misclassifying product size tiers (e.g., labeling oversize as standard) will now trigger policy enforcement.
• Repeat or intentional violations may lead to blocked listings or revoked SFP privileges.

Protection from external disruptions

• Amazon will not penalize sellers for SFP performance failures during verified major network disruptions (e.g., natural disasters affecting carriers).
• Sellers are encouraged to pause Prime or reroute inventory during such periods.

Tighter appeal process

• You now have 14 days to file a performance appeal after a notice.
• You may only submit three appeals per quarter, excluding cases where Amazon overturns a decision.

Pros and Cons of Seller Fulfilled Prime

While Seller Fulfilled Prime offers sellers a way to tap into Amazon’s Prime customer base without using FBA, it’s not the right fit for everyone. Below is a breakdown of the key advantages and trade-offs sellers should consider before joining or scaling the program.

Pros of Seller Fulfilled Prime

More control over inventory and operations

SFP gives sellers complete autonomy over their warehousing, packaging, and shipping workflows. This is ideal for businesses with established logistics operations or unique storage needs that don’t align with FBA.

Access to Prime customers without FBA fees

SFP lets you earn the trust-boosting Prime badge and the visibility that comes with it – without paying Amazon’s storage or fulfillment fees. This can lead to higher profit margins, especially for high-value or bulky items.

Flexible shipping strategies

You can tailor your shipping zones, carriers, and delivery options based on what works best for your business. For experienced shippers, this means more room to optimize cost and speed.

Cons of Seller Fulfilled Prime

High performance standards

To stay in the program, sellers must meet strict metrics every week – like a 93.5% on-time delivery rate and 99% valid tracking. Failure to meet these standards can quickly result in paused Prime offers or even removal.

Operational complexity and cost

Unlike FBA, you’ll be handling same-day or next-day fulfillment, including weekends. This requires staff, systems, and carrier relationships that many small businesses may struggle to maintain consistently.

Limited margin for error

SFP has very little tolerance for missed deliveries, incorrect classifications, or inconsistent volume. Amazon can reduce your order cap or revoke eligibility if performance drops, leaving little room for recovery.

Who Is SFP Best For?

Seller Fulfilled Prime isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s a demanding program that rewards operational strength and consistency. Below are the seller profiles most likely to benefit from it.

Established sellers with their own logistics

If you already run a warehouse or 3PL operation that handles fast, reliable fulfillment, SFP lets you leverage that setup while gaining Prime exposure – without handing over control to Amazon.

Sellers focused on profit margins

Because you avoid Amazon’s storage and fulfillment fees, SFP can improve profitability – especially for high-value items where fulfillment cost is a large percentage of unit price.

Sellers with bulky, heavy, or fragile products

Products that are bulky, require special handling, or incur high FBA fees can often be shipped more cost-effectively through SFP. You avoid long-term storage fees and packaging constraints typical of FBA.

Merchants with seasonal or regional demand

SFP gives flexibility in how and where you ship. If your demand peaks regionally or during certain seasons, you can customize delivery regions and timing without being locked into FBA’s national distribution model.

How to Enroll in Seller Fulfilled Prime

Getting started with Seller Fulfilled Prime involves more than flipping a switch – you’ll need to meet Amazon’s strict performance standards and prove your operational readiness through a trial period. Here’s a step-by-step guide to joining the program.

Steps to enroll in SFP

Step 1. Check if you qualify

• Start by ensuring you have an active Professional seller account. Then, visit the SFP registration page to find out if you're eligible for the trial. Eligibility is based on your recent fulfillment history – Amazon looks at your shipment volume, late shipment rate, valid tracking rate, and cancellation rate.
• If you don’t qualify yet, you can track your progress through the Account Health dashboard or your Business Reports, and try again once your metrics meet the criteria.

Step 2. Complete the 30-day trial

• Once prequalified, you can enroll in the Seller Fulfilled Prime trial. For 30 days, you’ll need to ship at least 100 Prime-eligible orders while maintaining all required service levels.
• You won’t see the Prime badge on your listings during this trial – but pass it successfully, and your approved products will start showing the Prime branding automatically.

Step 3. Keep your performance on track

• After joining, continued access to SFP depends on consistently meeting Amazon’s delivery and service standards. Use the Control Prime order volume tool to limit the number of Prime orders you accept per day, based on what your team can realistically fulfill.
• Keep a close eye on your performance metrics through the Seller Fulfilled Prime performance dashboard, and adjust operations as needed to stay compliant with program expectations.

What to Sell with Seller Fulfilled Prime

Fulfillment is at the core of success with Seller Fulfilled Prime – but before you can ship anything, you need the right products to fulfill. Finding profitable inventory and dependable suppliers is often one of the most challenging and time-intensive parts of selling on Amazon.

To speed up this process and uncover high-margin opportunities, many wholesale, online arbitrage, and dropshipping sellers turn to advanced sourcing tools like Seller Assistant. Whether you're just getting started or refining your existing catalog, the strategies below are designed to help you identify products and brands that work well with the SFP model.

Note. Seller Assistant is a comprehensive product-sourcing software that helps Amazon sellers quickly find high-profit deals. It combines three extensions: Seller Assistant Browser Extension, and IP-Alert Chrome Extension by Seller Assistant, and VPN by Seller Assistant, Amazon seller tools: Price List Analyzer, Brand Analyzer, Seller Spy, Bulk Restrictions Checker, and API integrations, and features: Storefront Widget, Side Panel View,  FBM&FBA Profit Calculator, Quick View, ASIN Grabber, UPC/EAN to ASIN converter, Stock Checker, IP Alert, and Restrictions Checker.

It offers a robust toolkit of over 20 features built to streamline every part of the sourcing process  – from bulk scanning wholesale supplier sheets for high-margin leads to deep product research and advanced brand and competitor analysis. By using this FBA and FBM product sourcing software, you can easily identify products that have the potential to be sold well on Amazon.

Strategy 1. Scan bulk supplier lists for fast product discovery

What it is

Scanning bulk supplier lists involves uploading large product catalogs from wholesalers or retailers and analyzing them automatically to uncover profitable inventory. This method is ideal for wholesale, online arbitrage, and dropshipping sellers who work with high-volume product data and need to move fast. 

Wholesale sellers can analyze wholesale price lists they get from suppliers, while online arbitrage sellers and dropshippers can parse supplier websites with web scraping apps and process this data to find profitable deals.

What is achieved

You can quickly pinpoint high-margin, low-risk products from massive supplier lists – cutting down manual work and avoiding costly sourcing mistakes.

How it works

Use Seller Assistant’s Price List Analyzer. Just upload a supplier’s wholesale spreadsheet into the tool. It automatically matches those products to Amazon listings, calculates profitability, flags potential issues (like high competition or product restrictions), and surfaces all relevant performance metrics. Advanced filters let you zero in on deals that fit your specific criteria.

How to research effectively

• Sales performance

Review Best Sellers Rank (BSR). Products ranked between 1 and 200,000 are typically good sellers.

• Competition level

Avoid listings with more than 15 sellers or ones where Amazon dominates the Buy Box.

• Buy Box chances

Identify who owns the Buy Box and evaluate whether you can realistically compete.

• Pricing and profitability

Review ROI, margin, profit, and breakeven price to confirm profitability.

• Restrictions and risks

Check for selling eligibility, IP complaints, product restrictions, hazmat status, meltable conditions, fragility, and other red flags that could result in losses or extra costs.

Who is it good for

• Wholesale sellers analyzing large product lists from suppliers
• Online arbitrage sellers scraping and processing inventory data
• Dropshippers looking to evaluate thousands of products across multiple supplier feeds with speed and precision.

Read more

Strategy 2. Research profitable brands with automation

What it is

Automated brand research is a method for discovering profitable, low-competition brands that are open to third-party resellers. This approach is ideal for sellers aiming to build long-term sourcing partnerships and ensure the brands they work with are viable on Amazon. It’s equally useful for dropshippers who want to work with consistent, scalable product lines.

What is achieved

This strategy helps you identify brands with strong market potential – those offering good margins, reliable demand, and limited Amazon competition. You’ll also filter for brands that meet Amazon’s compliance and selling criteria, helping you avoid wasted effort on restricted listings.

How it works

With Seller Assistant's Brand Analyzer, enter a brand name to see detailed metrics such as sales volume, average price points, competition density, and customer satisfaction. The tool flags whether Amazon is dominating the listings so you can steer clear of highly competitive brand spaces.

How to research effectively

• Sales potential
• Review average revenue and trend consistency across the brand’s catalog.
• Competition level
• Avoid brands where Amazon owns more than 30% of the Buy Box share or where seller saturation is high.
• Product range
• Look for brands with 500+ products to maximize sourcing potential.
• Customer feedback
• Prioritize brands with strong ratings – 4 stars or higher – and consistent positive reviews.
• Restrictions
• Use Bulk Restriction Checker to confirm resell eligibility. Upload your product list from Brand Analyzer – green lock means sellable, red lock means restricted, and red lock with an exclamation indicates blocked on your account.

Who is it good for

• Wholesale sellers seeking dependable brand relationships
• Online arbitrage sellers targeting vetted brand names
• Dropshippers wanting to align with reputable, easy-to-sell product lines.

Read more

Strategy 3. Spy on competitors to sell what already works

What it is

Competitor research means analyzing what other Amazon sellers are listing – and using that intel to build your own winning product lineup. It’s an effective strategy for capitalizing on proven demand, especially when you want to move fast. For dropshippers, this is a quick way to align with what’s currently selling without long product testing cycles.

What is achieved

You’ll uncover top-performing products and high-velocity brands already being sold by competitors. This helps you avoid guesswork and focus on inventory that’s already validated by the market.

How it works

With Seller Assistant’s Seller Spy, you can track any Amazon seller’s store to see what products they’re offering, which ones they’ve added or removed recently, and how they price them. This lets you identify patterns, source the same products, and fine-tune your pricing strategy.

How to research effectively

• New product monitoring

Keep an eye on what competitors are adding – these are likely current or emerging trends.

• Product removals

Take note of what’s disappearing from competitor stores; it may signal declining demand or restricted items.

• Seller feedback

Check ratings and reviews to understand which competitor listings are satisfying customers – and which aren’t.

• Pricing strategies

Watch pricing changes to stay competitive and protect your profit margins.

Who is it good for

• Online arbitrage sellers who want to skip trial-and-error by following proven sellers
• Wholesale sellers seeking to replicate success in their product line
• Dropshippers who need to move quickly on trending items with low upfront risk.

Read more

FAQ

What is Seller Fulfilled Prime on Amazon?

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) is a program that allows sellers to display the Prime badge while fulfilling orders from their own warehouse. Sellers must meet strict shipping and service standards to maintain Prime eligibility.

What is the difference between Amazon FBA and MFN?

FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) means Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping, and customer service. MFN (Merchant Fulfilled Network) means the seller takes care of all fulfillment operations independently.

What carriers are approved for Seller Fulfilled Prime?

Amazon requires the use of Amazon-integrated carriers that support valid tracking and meet performance expectations. These include major services like UPS, FedEx, USPS, and regional carriers supported via Amazon Buy Shipping.

What is the difference between SFP and FBA?

With FBA, Amazon handles all logistics and customer service, and every item is automatically Prime-eligible. SFP gives sellers Prime exposure while allowing them to ship directly from their own facility, under strict Amazon-defined requirements.

Who are the couriers for Seller Fulfilled Prime?

Approved couriers include Amazon-partnered carriers such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, and others integrated into Amazon’s Buy Shipping service. Sellers must use these carriers to meet tracking and delivery performance standards.

What are the performance requirements for pre-qualification, the trial, and enrollment in Seller Fulfilled Prime?

To pre-qualify, sellers must have shipped 100+ packages in the past 90 days with strong metrics: <2.5% cancellation rate, >95% valid tracking, and <4% late shipments. During the 30-day trial, sellers must ship 100 Prime orders and meet all program standards; to remain enrolled, they must maintain metrics weekly—like 93.5% on-time delivery and 99% valid tracking.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to dropship on Amazon the right way can unlock a powerful, low-risk business opportunity – but only if you stay compliant and work efficiently. With Amazon’s strict policies and the need to analyze thousands of products, doing everything manually is no longer practical.

That’s where Seller Assistant comes in. Its automated tools help you find profitable, compliant products quickly and scale your catalog without risking your account. By combining smart sourcing with automation and prep center fulfillment, you can simplify dropshipping and focus on growing your Amazon business with confidence.

Seller Assistant is an all-in-one product sourcing software offering all the features vital for product sourcing. It combines three extensions: Seller Assistant Extension, IP Alert, and VPN by Seller Assistant, tools: Price List Analyzer, Brand Analyzer, Seller Spy, Bulk Restrictions Checker, and API integrations, and features: Storefront Widget, Side Panel View,  FBM&FBA Profit Calculator, Quick View, ASIN Grabber, UPC/EAN to ASIN converter, Stock Checker, and other features that help quickly find high-profit deals. Seller Assistant also offers integration with Zapier allowing to create custom product sourcing workflows.