What Is Amazon Buy Box: Your Complete Seller Playbook

Over the years, we’ve seen different kinds of Amazon sellers. Some struggle to make a handful of sales. Some start well, but vanish from the scene. And then there are a few who consistently dominate the marketplace and rake in a perennial stream of revenue. So what sets them apart from the other two? 

It’s simple. They have mastered the mechanics of winning the Amazon Buy Box. Now, what is a Buy Box on Amazon? Why is winning it the breakthrough factor for sellers? In this article, we will answer these questions plus give you some valuable tips on how to win it. 

What is the Buy Box on Amazon?

A Buy Box on Amazon is the ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Buy Now’ button on Amazon product pages that lets you instantly purchase the product. Only a single seller will be linked to this button for a particular product, and clicking it will place an order only with that seller. 

The alternate scenario is the buyer scouring through the list of sellers of the product and selecting one from the list.

 In this era of quick commerce and instant gratification, the chances of people clicking on “other sellers” is slim as everyone wants to get done with their order in minimum possible time. And as you would have rightly guessed, the seller who wins the Buy Box experiences much higher sales than others.

The Buy Box has been recently renamed as Featured Offer and not all sellers are eligible for it. Before we understand more about the eligibility criteria, let’s understand why it is important to win it. 

Why is Winning the Amazon Buy Box so Important for Sellers? 

Winning the Amazon Buy Box is crucial for sellers because roughly 80 % of shoppers hit that default “Add to Cart,” so landing there grabs the bulk of sales, puts your offer front and center, and propels your listing up the search ranks—fueling a virtuous cycle of even more traffic and revenue. It’s also the only ticket to run Sponsored Products ads, so if you miss the Buy Box, you’re left fighting over leftovers, while securing it (with help from a PPC tool like atom11) keeps your growth engine humming.

Here are the reasons in detail:

More Sales

This is the most obvious benefit. 80% of all Amazon purchases happen through the Buy Box. So if you’re not in the Buy Box, you’re competing for the small fraction of buyers who manually scroll down to find other sellers. And that’s a much tougher game to play.

Higher Visibility

When you win the Buy Box, your product is going to get prime placement on the product page. This means it is going to be the first, most visible option for buyers. This boosts your visibility without compromising on conversions since customers tend to go with the default option rather than searching for alternative sellers.

Better Amazon Rankings

Amazon prioritizes products that sell well. Since Buy Box winners are going to secure more Amazon sales, their listings will obviously rank higher in search results. This results in a virtuous cycle: The more you win the Buy Box, the better your rankings, the more the sales, the higher the chances of winning the Buy Box…

Scale Growth with Ads

You read that right. If you’re planning to run Amazon PPC ads, winning the Buy Box is essential. Why? Because Amazon only allows Buy Box winners to advertise their products via ‘Sponsored Products’ ads. So for other sellers, this limits their ability to scale sales through paid marketing, even if they want to. 

Remember, the timeframe for which you hold the Buy Box can vary and we have seen some sellers holding it for a very short time, losing a great opportunity to improve their sales via Sponsored Products ad. This is where you need the help of an advanced Amazon PPC software like atom11. 

Atom11 can improve your ad performance by automating most of the tasks related to advertising, and at the same time offer valuable retail insights that can help you master your advertising strategy.

How Does Amazon Decide Who Gets the Buy Box?

Amazon’s “Buy Box” algorithm looks at several factors at once and picks the seller it thinks will give shoppers the best deal and smoothest experience. These factors include the landed price, product availability, FBA registration, seller health, and sales history on Amazon.

• Landed price: This is the item price plus shipping and tax, because shoppers like low totals. 

• Product availability: Amazon makes sure the item is in stock and can be shipped fast; offers handled by FBA usually score well here because Amazon controls the packing, delivery, and customer service.

• Seller health: This includes order-defect rate, late shipments, cancellations, and buyer feedback. Sellers who keep these numbers low show they take care of customers. 

• Sales history: A longer, solid sales history on Amazon can give you a small edge. 

But remember: winning the Buy Box is not permanent. It’s a continuous competition, with different sellers frequently rotating in and out. To maximize sales, you must strive to win the Buy Box as often as possible, but first, you must meet Amazon’s Buy Box eligibility criteria.

How Do I Qualify for Amazon Buy Box?

To win the Buy Box, you need a professional seller account selling new products, a consistent inventory, and favourable seller metrics.

• Professional Seller Account: Only Professional Seller accounts are eligible for the Buy Box. Individual Seller accounts are not eligible.

• Type of Items: The Buy Box is only available for new products. So if you are selling used or refurbished products, you are automatically excluded.

• Consistent Inventory: Amazon favors sellers with stable inventory levels. It particularly pays attention to the Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score. The IPI measures the efficiency of your inventory management practices within Amazon's fulfillment centers.

• Seller Metrics: The following metrics can impact the chances of you winning the Buy Box:

  • Order Defect Rate (ODR): Amazon evaluates ODR based on negative seller feedback, successful A-to-Z claims, and credit card chargebacks. The total occurrence of these issues must remain under 1% to maintain a strong seller rating. In other words, you must have a low order defect rate at all times. 

  • Pre-Fulfillment Cancellation Rate: High seller-initiated cancellations can not only make you stay away from the Buy Box but also lead to account suspension. Amazon closely monitors order reliability. Keep this rate below 2.5%.

  • Late Shipment Rate (LDR): The Late Dispatch Rate tracks orders where shipping confirmation was posted after the expected ship date. Keeping this rate below 4% helps avoid warnings or account restrictions.

    
    

How Do I Check whether I Qualify for the Buy Box?

Here are the steps to checking your Buy Box eligibility: 

• Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account.

• Click on the "Inventory" tab and then select "Manage Inventory."

• Click on the "Preferences" tab.

• Choose the "Featured Offer Eligible" option.

• The "Featured Offer Eligible" column will show whether each of your ASINs is eligible for the Buy Box.

  
  

How to Win an Amazon Buy Box

To boost your odds of winning Amazon’s Buy Box, enroll in FBA, keep inventory consistently in stock, maintain a high seller rating, and set a competitive landed price

Here are the battle-tested tips in detail: 

Sign up for Amazon FBA

While this is not a mandatory requirement, we have seen sellers who have adopted Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA) winning the Buy Box more frequently. This is understandable. After all, Amazon will handle everything from storage to packaging and shipping to customer support for these sellers. In other words, you are able to offer reliable shipping and prompt customer service - both of which adhere to Amazon’s basic commitment to prioritizing customer experience over everything else. 

Plus, better shipping speed and reliability has a positive impact on your shipping metrics, which, in turn, will bolster your chances of winning the Buy Box. Finally, Amazon’s customer service manages returns and inquiries. This enhances your seller rating and response time as they are crucial Buy Box factors.

Maintain Sufficient Inventory

The idea is simple - if you frequently run out of stock, Amazon is going to offer the Buy Box to another seller who has the item available for immediate purchase. Amazon always prefers sellers with consistent stock levels as it ensures a seamless shopping experience for their customers. Amazon also considers your IPI to check your ability to manage inventory. If you are unable to manage inventory manually, you can use Amazon’s Restock Inventory tool to predict demand and replenish stock before it runs out.

Pro Tip: Avoid overstocking items that don’t sell quickly. This can increase your storage fees.

Maintain a Good Seller Rating

Amazon uses a 0-100 rating system to evaluate sellers. Sellers with higher ratings have a higher chance of winning the Buy Box. This rating is typically influenced by metrics related to order cancellations, A-to-Z claims, customer feedback, order defect rate, late shipment rate, etc. 

Additionally, your response time to customer inquiries plays a key role. Amazon closely tracks how quickly you reply. Delayed responses can negatively impact your seller rating, reducing your chances of securing the Buy Box.

Focus on Product Pricing

Pricing is another critical factor that influences your chances of winning the Buy Box. Amazon always considers your landed price for awarding the Buy Box. It typically includes the product cost, shipping, and taxes. The goal is to have a competitive price that balances affordability with quality service. But don’t think that by offering the lowest price you will win the Buy Box. Strong seller metrics can outweigh a slight price difference. Products with consistent pricing and fewer fluctuations also tend to perform better in the Buy Box.

Pro Tip: Monitor competitors’ prices and adjust accordingly—but don’t undercut so much that you lose margin.

Why Do You Lose the Buy Box on Amazon?

You can lose the Buy Box on Amazon by pricing that is even a little higher than rivals, sticking with FBM instead of FBA (which scores better on shipping metrics), ignoring reviews and complaints that drag down ratings, resting once they win and letting prices or metrics slip, and using banned buzzwords like “#1 rated” that can get listings suppressed.

Not Keeping the Price Competitive

Many sellers keep their total prices higher than their competitors. It could be due to a genuine reason like higher cost of production. But your chances of winning the Buy Box become slimmer. Unless you find ways to reduce the cost of goods sold and keep your prices lower than your competitors by 1-2% (or at least the same), you can forget about winning the Buy Box.

However, there are situations when you can increase your product price and still win the Buy Box. The best example would be when your competitor runs out of stock. You can take advantage of this situation as they would be ineligible for the Buy Box at that time. You can win it even if you’re charging more than you normally would.

Using FBM instead of FBA

Many sellers adopt Fulfilled By Merchant as it is more economical. Sure, FBA does not come cheap and can eat into your margins. And there is also no mandate that using FBA is essential for winning the Buy Box. But it can definitely help. 

You need to stop thinking of FBA as a cash burner and start thinking of it as an investment. Apart from improving your fulfilment metrics (which improves the chances of winning the Buy Box), FBA also offers numerous other benefits like better visibility, improved trust, the ability to operate with a leaner workforce, etc., all of which can help you grow as a seller. 

Not Focusing on Customer Reviews

Customer reviews can significantly influence your seller ratings, which, as you know, impacts your eligibility for the Buy Box.  Many sellers make the mistake of not actively managing their reviews, leading to lower ratings and reduced visibility. Failing to respond to negative reviews individually can harm your reputation. Amazon values a positive customer experience, and unresolved complaints signal poor service. Additionally, sellers who don’t encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews miss out on opportunities to boost their credibility.

Not Maintaining the Buy Box

This is a mistake made by Buy Box winners. More often than not, they become complacent after winning and forget that winning the Buy Box once doesn’t guarantee that they'll keep it. They forget about monitoring their seller metrics or optimizing their listings. Continuous improvement in these areas is the key to consistently retaining the Buy Box.

Using Restricted Keywords

Amazon has strict guidelines on restricted words. Words or phrases like “100% satisfaction guaranteed," "top-rated," "#1 rated”, etc. can trigger listing suppression or even account suspension. Many sellers unknowingly include these terms in backend keywords, titles, descriptions, bullet points, etc. and risk losing their eligibility for the Buy Box. So carefully review Amazon’s restricted keyword list and ensure your listing stays away from such keywords.

Wrap Up

Securing the Amazon Buy Box isn’t just about increasing conversions. It also helps you accelerate your sales velocity via PPC campaigns and strengthen market dominance. When you win the Buy Box, you can run sponsored ads, leading to higher visibility and long-term success on Amazon.

To maximize your PPC performance and make the most of your Buy Box wins, atom11 offers advanced automation and optimization tools. With the help of data-driven insights, atom11 helps you fine-tune your ad campaigns, lower ACoS, and drive higher returns on investment.

Ready to take your Amazon PPC strategy to the next level? Book a demo with atom11 today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a new seller on Amazon get their first Buy Box?

A new seller on Amazon can get their first Buy Box by starting with a Professional seller account, enrolling the product in FBA for fast, reliable fulfilment, keeping the item well-stocked, pricing it at, or just below, the market average, and protecting their early seller metrics by shipping on time and responding quickly to customer messages.

What is Buy Box suppression?

Buy Box suppression is when Amazon removes the “Add to Cart/Buy Now” buttons when no offer meets its price or policy standards, forcing shoppers to click “See All Buying Options” and reducing conversion for every seller on that listing.

What does “no Buy Box” mean on Amazon?

“No Buy Box” on Amazon means Amazon has removed the Featured Offer—typically because all offers are priced above market value or violate listing policies—so shoppers must choose from the seller list. In this scenario, the product cannot run Sponsored Products ads.

What does losing the Buy Box mean on Amazon?

Losing the Buy Box on Amazon means your offer is no longer the featured option, so you lose the default traffic (and Sponsored Products ad eligibility), causing a sharp drop in clicks and sales until you regain it.

Why am I not winning the Buy Box?

Common reasons for not winning the Buy Box include pricing a few percent above rivals, running low or out of stock, using FBM with slower delivery, poor seller metrics (ODR > 1 %, late-shipment > 4 %, cancellations > 2.5 %), or lacking a Professional seller account.

How often does Amazon rotate the Buy Box?

The Buy Box can switch between eligible sellers as often as every 15–60 minutes, with frequency driven by changes in price, stock, and performance metrics.

What is a good Buy Box percentage on Amazon?

Consistently holding the Box 80 % of the time is solid; 90 % + is excellent and usually indicates optimal pricing and metrics.