Skip to content
Calculate price

Amazon Buy Box: What is it? How do you win it?

amazon buy box

Would you like to start selling more on Amazon? Then the Amazon Buy Box is an important factor to consider. If there are multiple sellers of one and the same product, it can become a fierce battle over who manages to secure the Buy Box position.

If you choose to sell through Amazon, it’s helpful to know what factors go into getting into the Buy Box. We are therefore going to tell you all about it in this article. We also provide helpful information on how to win the Amazon Buy Box.

What is the Amazon Buy Box?

amazon buying block

The Amazon Buy Box is a buying block displayed on a specific product page. In the case of multiple sellers of the same product, the “best” will be placed in the Buy Box.

It is an important part of Amazon for both buyers and sellers. In fact, thanks to the Buy Box, only one product is shown per product page, keeping it uncluttered for buyers.

For sellers, it is an opportunity to sell more on Amazon, especially when there are multiple sellers of the same product. Only one seller can grab the Buy Box position, or “win” as Amazon puts it.

Also of interest to you: how can you best apply Amazon SEO optimization to your product pages?

Why is the Buy Box important for sellers?

For sellers, the Buy Box is an essential component because it allows their product to be shown first on the relevant product page. Because this is also often the best option for buyers, a seller’s sales will skyrocket when they manage to secure the Buy Box position.

Requirements to qualify for the buying block on Amazon

To qualify for the Buy Box on Amazon, you will have to meet a number of requirements:

  • You must have a Pro-Merchant account (professional sales account) on Amazon;
  • The product you want to win the Buy Box with must be in stock and available;
  • The percentage of products delivered on time must be at least 97%;
  • You must have a vendor rating of at least 75%;
  • Late shipments should not exceed 4%;
  • Cancellations before shipment should not exceed 2.5%;
  • The number of defective orders should not exceed 1%.

What factors affect the Amazon Buy Box position?

There are a number of factors that affect the Amazon Buy Box position. Below we have listed them for you in advance:

  • Amazon Prime badge: if your products have an Amazon Prime badge, you are more likely to win the Buy Box position.
  • Delivery times: delivery times play an important role when it comes to winning the Buy Box.
  • Inventory and sales volume: the number of products you sell, and whether or not you always have products in stock, weigh heavily in grabbing the Buy Box position.
  • Perfect Order Percentage: the “Perfect Order Percentage” (POP) is a statistic that tells something about the performance of your Amazon store. The score covers late shipments, cancellation rate, warranty claims, refunds and negative feedback. With a low POP score, it becomes difficult to get into the Buy Box.
  • Price: the price of the product offered (including any shipping costs) have the most influence on the Buy Box position.

How to win the Buy Box on Amazon

As a seller on Amazon, it can be a spirited battle to know how to secure the Buy Box position. Especially when you sell a product that involves a lot of competition.

So below we explain to you in a few simple steps how to win the Buy Box on Amazon. Or at least how you can strengthen your position over the competition to have a better chance of winning the Buy Box.

1. Keep landed price as low as possible

Since the total selling price including shipping (landed price) has the most influence on the Buy Box position, it is advisable to keep the price of your product as low as possible.

Another good approach is to offer free shipping. This lowers the landed price of your product giving you a stronger position against your competitors.

However, it is not a guarantee that you will win the Buy Box if you use the lowest price. In some cases, it may even backfire. If Amazon sees you as a cheap seller rather than a quality seller, it will come at the expense of your rating for the Buy Box.

Therefore, try to have the most competitive but competitive price. Also consider the manufacturer’s profit margins and margins.

2. Choose Fulfillment by Amazon

Sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) are favored to win the Buy Box position. This is because Amazon knows that the method and time of delivery meets its requirements.

If you opt for self-fulfillment, it often becomes a difficult task to grab the Amazon Buy Box position. It is therefore advisable to choose FBA or SFP (not yet possible in the Netherlands) to have an increased chance of getting the Buy Box on Amazon.

3. Make sure your products have an Amazon Prime badge

Products that have an Amazon Prime badge tend to be purchased faster, as it allows customers to count on Amazon Prime’s extra service. If your products have a Prime badge, you have a better chance of getting the Buy Box position.

There are three ways you can get a Prime badge. These include signing up for Fulfillment by Amazon or self-fulfillment as a Seller Fulfilled Prime seller.

Another possibility is to be asked by Amazon as a supplier. This may be the case, for example, when you sell self-developed products. In that case, Amazon trademark registration is also interesting for you, press the link to read more about it.

4. Fast delivery times

The speed of delivery times is an important factor that is factored in by Amazon’s algorithm to determine the Buy Box “winner. However, the actual shipping time compared to the promised delivery time will weigh more heavily.

To have any chance at all at the Amazon Buy Box position, you will have to maintain a delivery time of up to 14 days. However, the faster the promised and actual delivery times are, the more likely you are to get the Buy Box.

5. High feedback score

Feedback scores you get from customers also play a role in determining which vendor gets the Buy Box position. Here the feedback scores of the past 30 days have the most influence.

Eligibility for Amazon’s Buy Box also requires a minimum seller rating of 75%. If this does not include you, then you can already say goodbye to the possibility of grabbing the Buy Box.

6. Low number of defective orders

If your percentage of defective orders is high, you can write the Buy Box on your fingers. The percentage of defective orders should not exceed 1% in order to compete for the Buy Box.

The number of defects is calculated by Amazon based on negative reviews, returns and warranty claims.

7. Responding quickly to customers

When customers are helped quickly with questions or problems with a product, it will benefit both your reputation as a seller and the Buy Box position. Quick responses to customer messages do not go unnoticed by Amazon and will therefore be rewarded.

Moreover, if you use FBA, local customer service will be taken over by Amazon, so you don’t have to worry about this.

Do you always have to try to get into the Buy Box?

Trying to get into the Buy Box is not always necessary as a seller. Especially not when you are the only seller of a specific product. In that case, you automatically end up in the Buy Box, since (almost) every product page has a Buy Box.

However, if you are selling a product offered by multiple sellers, then it is certainly interesting to win the Buy Box position. But if you cannot offer a better price or service in certain areas because of the currently lesser opportunities for Dutch sellers, don’t put too much time and effort into it.

Specifically, what does it pay to be in the Buy Box on Amazon?

Being in the Buy Box Amazon simply results in more sales. Unfortunately, Amazon is the only one who has the actual figures, as they do not share them, but it is estimated that about 80% of purchases are made through the Buy Box.

The main reason for this is that buyers naturally choose the easiest route, and that is the Buy Box. There will only be a few buyers who will research other sellers to perhaps save a few pennies to at most a few dollars.

Moreover, many purchases are made on mobile devices. And that does contribute to the number of sales of the seller who won the Buy Box. On mobile devices, other sellers are not findable at all, so the Buy Box option is always chosen.

Increase sales volume with e-tailize’s platform

Do you offer your products on multiple sales channels? Then our convenient platform, with more than 100 integrations, can help you manage multiple stores on various marketplaces.

With our platform, you centralize and automate your product management, inventory management and order fulfillment from one place. With the ability to link more than 100 different marketplaces, you always maintain an overview wherever you are.

Moreover, you can easily create and manage ads for all sales channels thanks to our advertize and analyze tool. You will then receive useful data on active ads, by the way, so you can adjust and optimize them.

With e-tailize, you can have the entire system up and running in as little as 15 minutes. So choose today to integrate all your sales channels into one convenient platform!

Sign up soon, you won’t regret it. Receive weekly blogs in your inbox
Read more
Marketplaces
Top 30 Marketplaces for Sports Read more
Marketplaces
Top 20 Marketplaces in the United Kingdom Read more
Marketplaces
Top 15 marketplaces to sell Outdoor Games Read more