Amazon Account Health Rating 2026: Complete Guide to Protect Your Seller Account

What is Amazon Account Health Rating (AHR)?

Amazon Account Health Rating (AHR) is a numerical score (0-1000) that measures the overall health of your seller account. Introduced to give sellers a clearer picture of their standing, AHR consolidates multiple performance metrics into a single score.

A healthy AHR (200+) means your account is in good standing. An AHR below 100 puts your account at risk of deactivation. Understanding and monitoring AHR is critical for every Amazon seller.

AHR Scoring System

AHR Range	Status	What It Means
200-1000	🟢 Healthy	Account in good standing. No action needed.
100-199	🟡 At Risk	Account needs attention. Address violations promptly.
0-99	🔴 Critical	Account at risk of deactivation. Immediate action required.

Key Metrics That Affect AHR

1. Order Defect Rate (ODR)

Target: Below 1%. ODR includes A-to-Z claims, negative feedback, and chargebacks. This is the single most important metric for account health.

2. Late Shipment Rate (LSR)

Target: Below 4%. Percentage of orders shipped after the expected ship date. Use FBA or reliable courier partners to maintain low LSR.

3. Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate

Target: Below 2.5%. Orders cancelled by the seller before shipment. Maintain accurate inventory to avoid cancellations.

4. Valid Tracking Rate

Target: Above 95%. Percentage of orders with valid tracking information. Always use tracked shipping methods.

5. Return Dissatisfaction Rate

Target: Below 10%. Late return responses, negative return feedback, and invalid rejection rate combined.

Policy Violations & Their Impact

Critical Violations (Major AHR Impact)

• Inauthentic item complaints — Can deduct 50-200+ points. Requires Plan of Action (POA)
• Product safety violations — Immediate listing removal and potential account suspension
• Intellectual property violations — Trademark/copyright infringement claims from brand owners
• Restricted products violations — Selling products in restricted categories without approval

Non-Critical Violations (Minor AHR Impact)

• Product condition complaints — Items not matching listing description (5-25 points)
• Customer experience issues — Excessive negative feedback or A-to-Z claims (5-15 points)
• Listing quality issues — Incorrect categorization, missing attributes (2-10 points)

IP Complaints & How to Handle Them

Intellectual Property (IP) complaints are among the most damaging to your AHR. Here's how to handle them:

1. Identify the type — Trademark, copyright, patent, or design rights complaint
2. Contact the rights owner — Reach out directly to resolve. Many complaints are retracted when you demonstrate legitimacy
3. Provide documentation — Invoices, authorization letters, brand agreements proving your right to sell
4. Submit appeal — If the complaint is unjustified, submit an appeal through Seller Central with supporting evidence
5. Prevention — Only sell products you have authorization to sell, maintain proper invoicing, and register your own brands

How to Improve Your Account Health Rating

1. Monitor daily — Check Account Health dashboard in Seller Central every day. Set up email alerts for violations.
2. Address violations within 24 hours — Quick response demonstrates seller diligence to Amazon
3. Use FBA — Fulfillment by Amazon eliminates shipping-related metrics issues (LSR, tracking rate)
4. Maintain accurate listings — Product descriptions, images, and attributes must match the actual product
5. Keep ODR below 0.5% — Proactively resolve customer issues before they escalate to A-to-Z claims
6. Document everything — Maintain invoices, brand authorizations, and quality certifications for all products
7. Use Amazon's Account Health Assurance (AHA) — Enroll in AHA to get a chance to resolve issues before deactivation
8. Regular audits — Conduct monthly audits of listings, inventory, and customer feedback

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good Account Health Rating on Amazon?

A good AHR is 200 or above (green/healthy status). Most successful sellers maintain AHR between 250-500. New accounts typically start around 200.

How quickly can AHR recover after a violation?

After successfully resolving a violation, your AHR typically recovers within 30-60 days. Critical violations like inauthentic complaints may take longer (60-90 days) to fully recover.

Does FBA help maintain Account Health?

Yes significantly. FBA eliminates seller responsibility for shipping metrics (Late Shipment Rate, Valid Tracking Rate, Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate). However, you're still responsible for product authenticity and listing accuracy.

Can I check my competitors' Account Health?

No. AHR is a private metric visible only to the account owner in Seller Central. You can only see your own AHR score and violation history.

What happens when AHR reaches 0?

When AHR reaches 0 or near 0, Amazon will deactivate your seller account. You'll need to submit a comprehensive Plan of Action (POA) and go through the reinstatement process, which can take 2-8 weeks.