These updates auto-edit your own delivery estimates – and might mean more pressure and less buffer for you…
If you’ve padded your Amazon shipping templates to give yourself a little breathing space on delivery, this is for you.
Amazon has started to notify some Sellers that they’ll soon begin automatically adjusting the standard transit time ranges in domestic shipping templates – their new times to be based on your recent delivery performance.
Why the change?
Amazon says the changes are to “better match shoppers’ expectations” by aligning the delivery window shown on listings with your real-world carrier data.
And what does it mean in practice?
So…
- Say your shipping template is set to 5–7 days, but your actual delivery time is typically 4 days, Amazon may shorten it to 3–5 days.
- If your template says 2–3 days, but your carrier is regularly taking 4 days, Amazon may extend it to 3–5 days.
Premium, expedited and international templates won’t be changed.
No manual action is required on your part – but Amazon is clear that you remain responsible for keeping those settings accurate (even though they’re changing them on your behalf).
Who might find this a Problem?
For lots of Sellers, especially those who’ve deliberately added some wiggle room to their delivery windows to reduce WISMO (“Where is my order?”) queries or account penalties, we know this isn’t a welcome shift.
Less buffer time means:
- More pressure to meet tighter delivery windows.
- Higher customer expectations.
- Greater risk of negative feedback or missed SLA penalties.
And unfortunately, although Amazon is writing to affected Sellers upfront, brands won’t be notified of each update – so those impacted will need to keep a close eye on Shipping settings to make sure nothing has changed without you knowing.
How can we stay ahead?
Our experts suggest you spend some time now and:
- Monitor your Shipping Templates now, and then check them regularly to spot if Amazon has made changes — and be ready to revert them if needed.
- Audit your actual Carrier Performance – so you can make sure your chosen services are consistently meeting the delivery expectations set on your listings.
- Get ahead of customer expectations – if your delivery times are being shortened, think about updating your comms and messaging to better manage buyer expectations.
- Don’t be afraid to escalate if you need to. If your transit times are being changed in a way that negatively impacts you, raise it with Amazon Support – and document everything so you’ve got a trail of the conversation.
The Bottom Line
This move might come at a cost for Sellers who rely on realistic (or slightly cautious) delivery windows to keep their operations smooth and their customers happy.
So, if you start seeing a spike in queries or missed delivery expectations, head to your Shipping settings first and check whether the rules have changed without you even knowing – and then react accordingly!
But forewarned is forearmed, as they say.
If you need a strategic view now on how you can protect both your operational performance and the satisfaction of your customers, our team’s ready to help. Get in touch today.