Amazon Glossary

S2P - Source to Pay

Source to Pay (S2P) is an end-to-end procurement process that covers all stages from sourcing and supplier selection to purchasing and final payment.
It defines how Amazon - or any retail organisation - identifies, evaluates, contracts, and pays vendors or service providers in a structured, compliant, and efficient manner.

SAS - Strategic Account Services

Strategic Account Services (SAS) is an Amazon programme that provides sellers with dedicated account management support from an assigned Amazon account manager.
Its purpose is to help sellers accelerate growth, improve operational performance, and optimise their business through personalised strategic guidance and data-driven insights.

SB - Sponsored Brands

Sponsored Brands (SB) is an Amazon Advertising format that promotes a brand logo, headline, and multiple products within search results and on product detail pages.
It helps increase brand visibility, drive top-of-funnel awareness, and encourage shoppers to explore a seller’s or vendor’s brand store or product portfolio.

SBSAS - Standards for Brands Selling in the Amazon Store Policy

Standards for Brands Selling in the Amazon Store (SBSAS) is an Amazon policy framework that defines the eligibility, compliance, and performance standards required for brands to sell directly in Amazon’s store.
It ensures that participating brands maintain high-quality listings, authentic products, and a consistent customer experience aligned with Amazon’s retail standards.

SC - Seller Central

Seller Central (SC) is Amazon’s online management platform for third-party sellers (3P) to list, market, price, and sell their products directly to customers on Amazon’s marketplace.
It serves as the primary administrative interface for managing catalogue data, fulfilment, advertising, reporting, and customer service operations.

SCAC - Standard Carrier Alpha Code

Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) is a unique four-letter identifier assigned to freight carriers, used to standardise and simplify carrier identification across shipping, logistics, and documentation systems.

SCM - Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management (SCM) refers to the end-to-end coordination of activities involved in sourcing, producing, transporting, and delivering products from suppliers to customers.
In Amazon’s context, SCM ensures inventory availability, cost efficiency, and fast, reliable delivery across its global logistics network.

SCP - Supply Chain Programme

Supply Chain Programme (SCP) refers to Amazon’s structured set of logistics and fulfilment programmes designed to optimise product flow between vendors, fulfilment centres, and customers.
Each SCP defines specific operational models, service levels, and responsibilities for how inventory is supplied, stored, and delivered within Amazon’s network.

SD - Sales Discount

Sales Discount (SD) refers to the promotional reduction in price applied to a customer’s order during checkout on Amazon.
These discounts are typically funded by Amazon, the vendor, or both, and are designed to stimulate demand, increase conversion, or support marketing campaigns.

SDA - Selective Distribution Agreement

Selective Distribution Agreement (SDA) is a legal and commercial framework that allows a manufacturer or brand owner to control which distributors or resellers may sell its products.
Only partners who meet specific quality, service, and brand criteria are authorised to distribute the products - ensuring brand integrity, consistent customer experience, and protection from grey-market sales.

SDA - Small Domestic Appliances

Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) refer to household electrical appliances designed for everyday domestic use, typically small in size and used for kitchen, cleaning, grooming, or comfort-related tasks.

SDN - Selective Distribution Network

Selective Distribution Network (SDN) refers to the authorised group of distributors and resellers that operate under a Selective Distribution Agreement (SDA).
These partners are carefully chosen by the brand or manufacturer based on specific criteria such as quality standards, expertise, and brand representation requirements.

SEO - Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving product or content visibility in search results - both on Amazon’s internal search engine and on external platforms like Google - to increase organic traffic and conversion without paid advertising.

SFP - Seller Fulfilled Prime

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) is an Amazon fulfilment programme that allows qualified third-party sellers to ship products directly from their own warehouses while still offering Prime benefits - including fast delivery, reliable service, and the Prime badge - by meeting Amazon’s strict performance and service-level requirements.

Shipped COGS - Shipped Cost of Goods Sold

Shipped Cost of Goods Sold (Shipped COGS) represents the total cost of goods Amazon has shipped to end customers during a specific time period, based on the vendor’s cost price at the time of purchase.
It reflects the actual cost value of shipped units and is calculated as:

Shipped COGS=Vendor Cost Price×Volume Shipped

Shipped COGS is financially equivalent to Amazon’s PCOGS (Product Cost of Goods Sold) metric.

Shipped Revenue - Shipped Sales Revenue

Shipped Revenue represents the total sales value Amazon earns from shipping a vendor’s products to end customers during a given time period.
It is calculated using the Average Selling Price (ASP) at the time of shipment multiplied by the number of units shipped:

Shipped Revenue=ASP×Volume Shipped (to end customers)

Shipped Volume - Volume of Units Shipped

Shipped Volume represents the total number of product units shipped to end customers during a specific time period.
It is calculated by dividing Shipped Revenue by the Average Selling Price (ASP):

Shipped Volume=Shipped Revenue/ASP

SIA - Sell-In Agreement

Sell-In Agreement (SIA) refers to a margin funding arrangement between Amazon and a vendor, in which the vendor grants Amazon a fixed percentage or dollar amount per shipped unit to Amazon fulfilment centres.
The goal is to improve Amazon’s buying margin and profitability on the vendor’s products.

SIOC - Ships in Own Container

Ships in Own Container (SIOC) refers to products that are shipped to customers in their original manufacturer packaging without requiring an additional Amazon overbox.
These products are certified to meet Amazon’s packaging standards for protection, labelling, and presentation, allowing them to be shipped as-is.

SIPP - Ships in Product Packaging

Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) refers to products that are shipped to customers in their original manufacturer packaging without requiring an additional Amazon overbox.
It is equivalent to SIOC (Ships in Own Container) and indicates that the product’s existing packaging meets Amazon’s standards for protection, labelling, and shipping readiness.

SKU - Stock Keeping Unit

Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) is a unique alphanumeric code used by Amazon and vendors to identify, track, and manage individual products within their inventory systems.
Each SKU represents a distinct item, including variations such as size, colour, or configuration.

SLA - Service Level Agreement

Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a formal performance contract between Amazon and a vendor, seller, or service provider that defines the expected standards, timelines, and quality metrics for specific operational processes - such as shipping, delivery, fulfilment, or customer service.

SnL - Small and Light

Small and Light (SnL) is an Amazon fulfilment programme designed for low-cost, compact, and lightweight products, allowing sellers and vendors to benefit from reduced fulfilment and shipping fees while maintaining Prime delivery speed for eligible ASINs.

SnS - Subscribe and Save

Subscribe and Save (SnS) is an Amazon customer loyalty and replenishment programme that allows shoppers to schedule automatic repeat deliveries of everyday consumable products at a discounted price.
In return, brands and vendors benefit from consistent recurring sales and stronger customer retention.

SOA - Sell-Out Agreement

Sell-Out Agreement (SOA) is a margin funding arrangement between Amazon and a vendor, where the vendor grants Amazon a fixed percentage or dollar amount per item sold to end customers.
The purpose is to support Amazon’s retail profitability and maintain competitive pricing at the point of sale.

SOH - Sellable on Hand

Sellable on Hand (SOH) represents the total quantity of inventory units currently available for sale in Amazon’s fulfilment centres or vendor-owned warehouses that are in sellable condition (i.e., not damaged, reserved, or in transit).

SoROOS - Sourceable Replenishment Out of Stock

Sourceable Replenishment Out of Stock (SoROOS) is an Amazon availability metric that measures how often a product appears as unavailable for purchase on the product detail page, even though it can still be replenished from a 1P vendor.
It highlights temporary interruptions in buyability caused by operational, quality, or compliance issues rather than permanent delisting.

SORT - Sortable

Sortable (SORT) refers to products that fit within Amazon’s standard parcel dimensions and can therefore be processed, stored, and shipped through Amazon’s automated fulfilment network using conveyor systems and standard packaging.

SOV - Share of Voice

Share of Voice (SOV) is a visibility metric that measures the percentage of total impressions or placements a brand or ASIN holds within a specific Amazon search term, category, or advertising space - compared to competitors.
It reflects how prominently a brand “owns” the search results and ad placements relative to others.

SP-API - Selling Partner API

The Selling Partner API (SP-API) is a suite of REST-based APIs that enables Amazon’s selling partners - both sellers (3P) and vendors (1P) - to programmatically access their account data, automate operations, and integrate directly with Amazon’s Seller Central or Vendor Central systems.

SPD - Small Parcel Delivery

Small Parcel Delivery (SPD) refers to shipments consisting of individually packaged boxes that are delivered to Amazon fulfilment centres (FCs) or directly to customers via parcel carriers (e.g., UPS, FedEx, DHL).
Each box in an SPD shipment carries its own unique tracking ID, making it ideal for small-volume or lightweight inventory.

SPICS - Super Pan-European Inbound Consolidation Service

 Super Pan-European Inbound Consolidation Service (SPICS) is an enhanced version of Amazon’s PICS programme that allows vendors to supply multiple European marketplaces through a single inbound location, further reducing the number of fulfilment centres they need to ship to and simplifying pan-European logistics operations.

SPN - Service Provider Network

The Service Provider Network (SPN) is Amazon’s official directory of third-party service providers who support sellers and vendors with account management, listing optimisation, logistics, advertising, compliance, and other operational services.
It connects Amazon businesses with certified experts vetted by Amazon for quality and reliability.

SP - Small Parcel

Small Parcel (SP) refers to shipments that consist of small, individually packaged units delivered to Amazon fulfilment centres (FCs) or directly to customers through standard parcel carriers such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL.
SP shipments are carton-based rather than palletised and are typically processed through Amazon’s Sortable network.

SP - Sponsored Products

Sponsored Products (SP) are cost-per-click (CPC) advertisements on Amazon that promote individual product listings (ASINs) within search results and product detail pages. Advertisers - sellers or vendors - pay only when shoppers click on their ads, increasing product visibility and sales potential.