VCR (Vendor Confirmation Rate) - Amazon Glossary

VCR (Vendor Confirmation Rate) is an Amazon Vendor Central metric that measures the percentage of purchase order units a vendor confirms against the total units Amazon requested. It shows how reliably a vendor can accept Amazon’s demand and helps Amazon assess supply chain consistency, forecasting alignment, and catalog readiness.

Why VCR Matters

VCR has a direct effect on a vendor’s sales stability, operational reputation, and future purchase order volume. A strong VCR helps Amazon keep products in stock, reduce fulfillment center disruptions, and maintain a consistent customer experience.

For vendors, a high VCR can support better scorecard performance, stronger retail team confidence, and more predictable replenishment orders. A weak VCR often signals supply shortages, setup errors, or planning issues, which can lead to missed revenue and reduced trust.

How VCR Is Calculated

Example

Amazon requests 10,000 units.
The vendor confirms 8,000 units.

VCR = 8,000 / 10,000 × 100 = 80%

In Practice

A vendor in Home & Kitchen receives weekly purchase orders for a fast-moving ASIN ahead of Prime Day. If Amazon requests 5,000 units and the vendor confirms 4,900 units, the VCR is 98%. That level of consistency tells Amazon the vendor can support demand spikes and may justify higher PO volume during peak events.

What Affects VCR

Several operational issues can lower VCR, including:

• Manufacturing capacity limits

• Raw material or supply shortages

• Long or unstable lead times

• Discontinued SKUs

• Incorrect costs or terms in Vendor Central

• Wrong case pack or carton configuration

• Poor demand planning between Amazon and the vendor

These problems often appear upstream, but they surface in VCR because Amazon measures whether the vendor can actually commit inventory when a purchase order is issued.

Why Amazon Cares About VCR

Amazon uses VCR to evaluate whether a vendor can support its retail demand without creating out-of-stock risk or forecasting instability.

A high VCR helps Amazon:

• Maintain high in-stock rates

• Improve the customer experience

• Plan fulfillment center inventory

• Detect supply chain risks early

• Assess vendor reliability and trust

Why Vendors Should Care About VCR

For vendors, VCR is more than a scorecard metric. It can shape how Amazon views the account and how aggressively it places future orders.

A high VCR can help vendors:

• Receive more consistent purchase orders

• Reduce lost sales from stockouts

• Improve vendor scorecard results

• Build credibility with Amazon retail teams

• Strengthen eligibility for programs such as AVS or Born to Run

FBA vs. FBM Context

VCR is primarily a first-party vendor metric, so it applies to suppliers selling to Amazon through Vendor Central, not to third-party sellers using FBA or FBM.

That said, the broader issue behind VCR, which is supply reliability, still matters across both fulfillment models:

• In FBA, poor forecasting or replenishment delays can still create stockouts and lost Buy Box share.

• In FBM, weak inventory planning can affect handling times, order defect risk, and customer satisfaction.

So while the metric itself is vendor-specific, the operational discipline behind it matters for every Amazon business.

SoldScope Expert Tip

One overlooked way to improve VCR is to audit case pack, carton dimensions, and cost file accuracy before peak ordering periods. Many vendors blame low VCR on supply constraints, but in practice, a surprising number of missed confirmations come from catalog setup friction or PO mismatches, not true inventory shortages.

Typical Amazon Expectations

In many categories, Amazon expects vendors to maintain roughly 95% to 100% VCR, although expectations can vary for seasonal, fashion, or highly volatile categories. The closer a vendor stays to full confirmation, the more confidence Amazon has in its replenishment model.

FAQ

What does VCR stand for in Amazon Vendor Central?

VCR stands for Vendor Confirmation Rate. It measures the percentage of purchase order units a vendor confirms compared with the number of units Amazon requested.

Is VCR measured by units or by purchase orders?

VCR is typically measured by units confirmed versus units requested, not just by the number of POs received.

What is considered a good VCR?

For many categories, a VCR in the 95% to 100% range is considered strong. Lower acceptable ranges may apply in categories with higher seasonality or supply volatility.

Can catalog errors reduce VCR?

Yes. Incorrect terms, invalid costs, case pack errors, and SKU setup issues can all reduce VCR even when inventory is physically available.

Does low VCR affect future Amazon purchase orders?

It can. A low VCR may reduce Amazon’s confidence in the vendor, which can influence PO volume, replenishment planning, and internal account trust.