How to Maintain 95%+ Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) for Amazon FBM Sellers

VTR: The Metric That Can Kill Your Amazon Business

Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) measures what percentage of your shipments have working tracking that shows delivery. Fall below 95%, and you're risking your entire Amazon business.

What is Valid Tracking Rate?

VTR Definition: The percentage of packages shipped with valid tracking numbers that show at least one carrier scan.

The Formula:

VTR = (Packages with valid tracking scans / Total packages shipped) × 100

Why VTR Matters

VTR Level	Consequence
95%+	Good standing
90-95%	Warning, coaching
85-90%	Possible restrictions
Below 85%	Account suspension risk

Amazon's Position: They want customers to track packages. No tracking = bad customer experience = bad for Amazon.

Common VTR Killers

Problem 1: Wrong Tracking Number

Typo when entering manually
Copy/paste error
Using wrong order's tracking

Problem 2: Tracking Not Uploaded

Forgot to add tracking
Integration failure
Upload delay beyond 24 hours

Problem 3: Invalid Carrier

Using carriers Amazon doesn't recognize
Regional carriers without proper integration

Problem 4: No Carrier Scan

Package not actually shipped
Dropped off after carrier pickup
Label printed but never used

How to Maintain 95%+ VTR

#### Strategy 1: Automate Everything

Manual processes cause errors. Automate with shipping software.

With Atoship:

Tracking auto-uploads to Amazon
No manual entry
Error checking before upload
Sync confirmation

#### Strategy 2: Ship Same Day

The longer between label purchase and first scan, the higher your risk.

Best Practice:

Print labels in morning
Ship same afternoon
First scan within 24 hours

#### Strategy 3: Use Recognized Carriers

Amazon-Recognized Carriers:

Carrier	VTR Valid
USPS	✅ Yes
UPS	✅ Yes
FedEx	✅ Yes
DHL	✅ Yes
OnTrac	✅ Yes
Amazon Shipping	✅ Yes
Local courier	❌ Often No

Avoid: Small regional carriers without Amazon integration.

#### Strategy 4: Monitor Daily

Check your VTR regularly:

Seller Central → Account Health

Customer Service Performance

Valid Tracking Rate

Set alerts for when VTR drops below 97% (gives you buffer).

#### Strategy 5: Void Unused Labels

Created a label but didn't ship? Void it immediately.

Unscanned labels hurt your VTR.

In Atoship:

Dashboard → Shipments → Void label
Automatic refund
Removes from Amazon tracking

Fixing VTR Problems

If Your VTR Drops:

Step 1: Identify the cause

Review recent orders
Check for patterns
Look at carrier scans

Step 2: Fix immediate issues

Upload any missing tracking
Void unused labels
Contact carrier for scan issues

Step 3: Prevent recurrence

Improve processes
Add automation
Train staff

VTR Recovery Timeline

Starting VTR	Time to Recover
93-94%	1-2 weeks
90-92%	2-4 weeks
85-89%	4-6 weeks
Below 85%	6+ weeks (if account not suspended)

Recovery depends on: Order volume and perfection going forward.

Handling VTR Disputes

Sometimes valid tracking shows as invalid. How to dispute:

Step 1: Document the issue

Screenshot carrier tracking
Show delivery confirmation
Note Amazon's classification

Step 2: Open a case

Seller Central → Help
Explain the discrepancy
Provide evidence

Step 3: Follow up

Cases can take 1-2 weeks
Escalate if needed
Document everything

Carrier-Specific Tips

USPS:

Scan at counter or schedule pickup
Avoid just dropping in collection box (delayed scans)
Use Commercial rates (always have tracking)

UPS:

Schedule pickup for reliable scan
Use UPS Access Point for dropoff
Tracking uploads quickly

FedEx:

FedEx Office dropoff is reliable
Scheduled pickup guarantees scan
Ground takes longer for first scan

Integration Best Practices

Using Atoship with Amazon:

Enable auto-sync

Settings → Amazon → Enable automatic tracking upload

Set sync timing

Recommend: Within 1 hour of label creation

Monitor sync status

Dashboard shows upload confirmation

Handle failures

Automatic retry + alerts for issues

VTR Monitoring Dashboard

Track these metrics:

Metric	Target	Frequency
Overall VTR	>97%	Daily
USPS VTR	>96%	Weekly
UPS VTR	>98%	Weekly
Problem orders	<3%	Daily

Emergency VTR Protocol

If VTR drops below 90%:

Hour 1-24:

Stop all non-essential shipping
Audit last 100 shipments
Identify and fix issues

Day 2-7:

Ship only with 100% confidence
Double-check every tracking upload
Consider pausing problem ASINs

Week 2+:

Gradually increase volume
Monitor VTR daily
Document improvements

Atoship VTR Protection Features

Built-in safeguards:

✅ Auto-validate tracking numbers
✅ Prevent upload of bad data
✅ Alert on sync failures
✅ VTR trend monitoring
✅ Carrier scan verification

VTR Checklist

Daily: ☐ Check Seller Central VTR ☐ Verify all tracking uploaded ☐ Ship all printed labels

Weekly: ☐ Review VTR by carrier ☐ Audit any invalid tracking ☐ Void unused labels

Monthly: ☐ Analyze VTR trends ☐ Optimize processes ☐ Train/retrain team

The Bottom Line

VTR isn't optional—it's essential for your Amazon FBM business. With proper automation and processes:

You should never fall below 95%
97%+ is achievable with good practices
99%+ is possible with automation

Start protecting your VTR today. Set up Atoship's Amazon integration and automate your tracking uploads.