Today, I’m going to show you the top 10 newest, most helpful Amazon FBA features you need to know in order to sell in 2022.

I have been selling on Amazon since 2014. And in that time, I have tried and tested just about every Amazon seller tool and resource there is.

1. Amazon came out with their own product research software.

No, it’s not Helium 10, Jungle Scout, AMZScout, or even Just One Dime’s Niche Hunter. And no, Amazon did not just buy one of these products for themselves, either.

Amazon created their own product research software called the Product Opportunity Explorer tool. And it comes free with your $39.99 monthly subscription to a professional seller account. 

Much like other product research softwares, Amazon’s Opportunity Explorer offers invaluable insights into current listings and consumer shopping habits. But it also promises data we have never seen before, including new metrics like: 

• The number of successful product launches within a product niche over the last year
• The average seller out of stock rate within a product niche 

It will even show you a product niche’s average seller age…which, while interesting, is not something that is particularly helpful. At least not now.

But that does go to show you the sheer level of data Amazon possesses. And that’s just the beginning of all the ways Amazon is helping sellers.  

2. You can now split test your product listing.

If you’re a more seasoned Amazon seller, you know this is a big deal!

Previously, sellers had to rely on third party tools for this. Now, sellers who are brand registered can split test A+ content!

This means you can simultaneously present two different descriptions on your listing to shoppers. And if you see shoppers are buying more often when you show one description over the other, you know that description has higher conversions. 

You don’t have to pay anything to take advantage of this. And it’s not the only new perk for brand registered sellers, either. 

3. You can now get more money back on returned goods.

You read that right. 

Thanks to Amazon’s new FBA Grade and Resell Program, you no longer have to lose every single dime on partially-used, returned products. 

Imagine you sell pet slings FBA. 

Let’s say that customer “Bobby McGee” buys it, uses it, and adds a little wear and tear to it. And then Bobby returns it. And per Amazon policy, you have to issue a refund. 

Since Bobby used the product, the item is not fit for resale. It goes back with the rest of your inventory on a fulfillment center shelf, where it accrues FBA storage fees. To keep it from incurring long-term storage fees, you must pay Amazon to remove it. 

Or at least that was your only option. 

With the Grade and Resell Program, you can now resell that gently-used pet sling. 

To take advantage of this opportunity,

1. On Seller Central, click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
2. Under Inventory, click Manage FBA Inventory.
3. Click on your unfulfillable units.
4. Submit those units to the program. 

Amazon evaluates the condition of these unfulfillable units as either “Like New”, “Very Good”, “Good”, or “Acceptable” and then creates a child listing for them. 

You get to set a price and sell them as used versions of your existing product. And you’ve made back some of the money you lost when Bobby first made the return. 

Currently, FBA Grade and Resell is by invite-only. However, the program is expected to be open to all brand registered FBA sellers by the end of 2022.  

But, that’s not the only way you can remove otherwise unsellable products. 

4. Donate instead of dispose.

Let’s go back to our example: Bobby McGee purchased your pet sling, used it, abused it, and returned it. Now imagine that 49 other customers did the same thing. If you don’t want to resell those units, or you don’t have access to the Grade and Resell program just yet, and you don’t want to throw them away, there is another option. 

Enter Amazon’s FBA Donations Program. 

Amazon partnered with Good360 to distribute donated FBA inventory across their network of US non-profits. 

However, the charities cannot trade, barter, or resell the donated items. Don’t worry: you’re not creating more competition for yourself through your philanthropy!

To take advantage of this program, you must first request that Amazon dispose of the units in question. Then, donations are automatically enabled unless you disable them. 

When you request unit disposal, you will still pay disposal fees. Amazon will then make the items available to select US charities. This allows Amazon to donate to a worthy cause rather than dumping the units in the garbage. And it lets you feel good about disposing of unsellable inventory. Afterall, you never know which animal shelters might have use for some gently-worn pet slings! 

You can, however, opt out of the program by disabling it in your account’s FBA settings. Perhaps you’d rather make back at least some of the money you’ve lost on those products. 

5. Salvage funds on unsellable products.

If you have inventory sitting in a fulfillment center that is just not selling, there is an option to get rid of the product entirely: liquidation. 

With Amazon’s FBA Liquidation program, Amazon will contract a wholesale liquidator to remove your stock. That company, in turn, will pay you 5-10% of that product’s average retail price per unit. This allows you to recoup some money if you’ve created a product with not enough demand, or that is too similar to your competition, or isn’t selling for any other reason.

When you create a removal order for these products, you will see an option for the program. You enroll your unfulfillable units and voila. They’re out of your hands. 

But what if your product sells so quickly, you have the opposite issue: keeping inventory in stock?

6. Sell products before they arrive at fulfillment centers.

You read that right. It’s called the In-Stock Head Start program. 

If you’ve sold products on Amazon before and/or you’re signed up for our Amazon FBA membership, you know that Amazon requires you to create a shipping plan for your inventory, complete with tracking information. This is so Amazon’s fulfillment centers can prepare for and track your shipment.

Now, however, Amazon will use this same feature to allow shoppers to buy your product if you’re out of stock but your new inventory is en-route to fulfillment centers. 

This means you will lose fewer sales due to slight inventory gaps. And this helps your Seller Account’s health, which ultimately protects your business.  

7. It just got easier to protect your business.

Much like Amazon launched their IP Accelerator program to make it easier to get a trademark through Amazon-approved attorneys, Amazon has launched a program to make it easier to get business insurance. 

It’s called Amazon Insurance Accelerator. And not only does it make the process of selecting an insurer easier, it also makes it more affordable. 

From your Seller Central Account, you can navigate to a page of insurers hand-selected by Amazon. You then choose the one you want and request a quote based on the kinds of products you sell. 

The best part is these insurers understand the type of business you want to protect and they’re set up to offer competitive rates.  

And that’s not the only way Amazon is helping you save money.  

8. If your product hurts a customer, Amazon will cover damages up to $1,000.

Remember Bobby McGee and the pet sling you sold him?

It turns out Bobby bought that carrier for his elderly chihuahua who’s tiny legs don’t work quite like they used to. 

But then, tragedy strikes. The sling snaps. 

The chihuahua falls and breaks a leg. Now his tiny legs work even less. 

Bobby is furious. Which you, of course, understand, since you know your ideal customer inside and out and the deep-rooted love they have for their smaller pets. 

But Bobby comes after you by filing an A to Z Guarantee Claim (basically telling on you to Amazon).  

Here’s a breakdown of the claims process:

1. Bobby files the claim.
2. You respond.
3. Amazon delivers the final sentence.

This typically results in the customer’s favor and you:

• Issue a full refund
• Receive a warning
• Receive a strike against your seller account 

Now, let’s say that Bobby is so mad he demands $1,000 in damages on top of his claim. Afterall, it’s not cheap to mend a broken chihuahua leg. 

But instead of making you pay a single dime, Amazon will cover up to $1,000 in damages because you purchased business insurance through Amazon’s Insurance Accelerator. So you actually pay nothing. Not to mention that the incident will not negatively affect your order defect rate (ODR). Phew!

More than 80% of Amazon claims are under $1,000. But in case you ever do receive one for more, that’s what your insurance is for. 

You can keep this scenario from happening at all, however, by ensuring that your product is up to code with all certifications and compliances.  

9. Know the certifications needed for your product before you even source it.

If you’ve ever built a product, had it shipped to a fulfillment center, optimized your listing, etc. only to have your listing suppressed by Amazon because of a mysterious missing certification they won’t identify for you, you understand true frustration. 

Fortunately, those days are gone. Enter Amazon’s new Compliance Reference tool.

This tool is designed with sellers in mind. It can give you any product’s compliance requirements in advance and help you stay current on any changes. In other words, you can now know exactly what certifications and approvals your product needs before you even pay your supplier to build it. 

You can search by keyword within the Compliance Reference tool itself. Alternatively, you can search by product type and narrow down until you find your product. 

Then choose one of the suggested Product type definitions and view specifics by clicking View help content.

And finally…

10. Amazon will pay you a 10% commission.

That’s not a joke. 

Let’s say that in order to sell your pet sling like crazy, you run Facebook ads that take shoppers to a landing page with a link to your Amazon listing so they can buy your product. 

That’s all well and good…except now you’re paying for Facebook ads to get shoppers to your Amazon listing. And that’s on top of the referral fees you already pay Amazon for the sales. 

Fortunately, it’s in Amazon’s best interest to get those customers on their site. They will pay you a 10% commission to drive outside traffic to their platform. 

Well, they’re not paying you so much as offering you a 10% discount on your referral fee. And it will show up as a credit on your payout report. 

This is a great perk that allows your product to rank faster because you are driving both Amazon and non-Amazon traffic to your listing. 

And ever better, if those same customers buy something else from your Amazon store within 14 days, you get that 10% commission on those sales too 💰.

That’s a lot of seller-friendly features. If you want a breakdown of Amazon’s newest policy updates, check out this post. 

Stay current with all of the best Amazon seller practices at JOD.com/freedom. Our Amazon FBA membership will teach you how to use different product research softwares, build your dream product, optimize your listing, move to profitability quickly, manage your inventory, and so, so much more. It’s everything you need to know about starting, building, and running a thriving Amazon FBA business.

Which update are you most eager to take advantage of? Let me know in the comments.