Learn Amazon FBA

What Is Account Health?

Account health is Amazon’s system for ensuring that sellers provide the best possible experience for their customers. It evaluates sellers based on performance targets and policy compliance, providing a measurable way to track the health of your seller account.

The way I describe account health to someone new to Amazon is to imagine it like a health bar in a video game. You always want to stay in the green so you can continue progressing. If you’re in the yellow, things get harder, and being in the red means the game—your account—is likely nearing its end.

Amazon assigns an Account Health Rating (AHR) that ranges from 0 to 1000. When you start selling, your account health begins at 200, the lowest point of the healthy range. Falling below 200 indicates issues, while maintaining or increasing your rating reflects a healthier, more secure account. Here’s how the ranges break down:

0-100: Critical Zone (Your account is at risk of closure)
100-199: Warning Zone (Your account may face suspension)
200-1000: Healthy Zone (Where you want to be)

It’s essential to stay above 200, as falling into the yellow or red zones can lead to significant problems, including suspension or closure. Building a strong account health rating takes time and consistent effort, often taking 1–2 years or more to reach the higher end of the scale, especially if your business isn’t scaling quickly.

The Account Health Rating (AHR) on Amazon improves over time based on your sales volume and adherence to Amazon’s performance metrics. When you’re just starting out, you likely won’t see significant increases in your rating—perhaps only small increments here and there. This is normal, as Amazon’s system requires consistent sales activity to build trust. Personally, my account health rating remained fairly static in the early stages of my business, but once I started selling around 50 units per day, my rating began to climb rapidly. This increase reflects Amazon’s confidence in your ability to maintain performance standards as your sales volume grows. Keep focusing on scaling your business while staying compliant, and your AHR will naturally improve over time.

What Negatively Affects Account Health?

Account health is negatively impacted by two main factors: policy compliance and performance targets. Here are a few examples of how these factors can negatively affect your score:

Policy Compliance: Violating Amazon’s policies can hurt your account. For instance:

• Intellectual Property Complaints: If you sell a product flagged for IP infringement and fail to address it quickly, it will impact your account health.
• Product Authenticity Complaints: If a customer questions the authenticity of your product and you can’t provide valid invoices, your account health will suffer.

Performance Targets: Failing to meet Amazon’s performance standards can also harm your score. For example:

• Late Dispatch Rate: If more than 4% of your FBM orders are shipped late within a short time frame, it will negatively impact your account health rating.

These are just a few examples. There are several metrics Amazon tracks, all visible in the Account Health Section. Regularly monitoring these metrics can help you stay compliant and maintain a healthy score.

What Happens if Your Account Health Drops?

If your account health falls into the red zone and your account is permanently closed, it’s game over. Amazon does not allow sellers to create new accounts if their original account is closed. Attempting to do so violates Amazon’s terms of service, and the new account will likely be shut down within weeks. You only get one account—one life, if we stick to the video game analogy.

How to Check Your Account Health

To access the Account Health Section in Amazon Seller Central:

1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner.
2. Navigate to the Performance section.
3. Select Account Health from the menu.

I recommend bookmarking this page for quick access. Account health should be checked daily to catch and address potential issues immediately. If problems arise, deal with them promptly but thoughtfully. Rushing to respond without proper consideration can make the situation worse.

What is Account Health Assurance?

Account Health Assurance (AHA) is a benefit for sellers with a Professional selling plan who consistently maintain a high Account Health Rating (AHR). With AHA, Amazon will not deactivate your selling account as long as you engage with them within 72 hours of being contacted to address and resolve any issues. During this period, you can continue selling. For sellers with a consistently high AHR, this programme provides added peace of mind and stability.

How Can You Become Eligible for Account Health Assurance?

To qualify for AHA, you must:

– Maintain an AHR score of 250 or higher for at least six months, with no more than 10 days below 250.
– Provide a valid emergency contact number on Seller Central.
– Hold a Professional selling plan.

If eligible, you will receive an email confirming your automatic enrolment, and your status will be visible on your Account Health dashboard. To monitor your progress towards eligibility, visit the Account Health Assurance section in your Seller Central account.

Can You Lose Access to Account Health Assurance?

Yes, to remain enrolled in AHA, you must meet these ongoing requirements:

• Engage with the Account Health team within 72 hours of being notified about an issue.
• Fully resolve any issues when working with Account Health support.
• Maintain an AHR score of at least 250, with no more than 10 consecutive days below this threshold.
• Keep your emergency contact number current in Seller Central.
• Retain a Professional selling plan.
• Comply with all local and national regulatory obligations in the marketplaces you operate, including Know Your Customer (KYC) and VAT requirements.

Failure to meet any of these criteria could result in losing access to AHA.

What Happens if Your AHR Falls Below 250 Without Any Violations?

If your AHR drops below 250 but your Account Health dashboard shows no policy violations, you will remain enrolled in AHA. However, if new policy violations arise, you must appeal and resolve them within 10 days to maintain your access to the programme.

Minimum Order Volume for Maintaining AHR 250

To maintain an AHR of 250 without any policy violations contributing to your score, you must have at least 2,600 successfully fulfilled orders in the last 180 days. That’s roughly 433 orders per month.Your AHR increases with successful orders and resolved policy violations, but it decreases with new violations. For seasonal sellers or those fulfilling fewer orders, AHR may naturally fall below 250, even without violations. In these cases, resolving any violations quickly is essential to retain your enrolment in AHA.

By meeting these criteria and staying proactive, you can secure the benefits of Account Health Assurance and protect your selling privileges on Amazon.