Amazon Vendor Central is Amazon’s invitation-only portal for manufacturers, brand owners, and large distributors who wish to sell directly to Amazon in bulk, rather than to end customers. In the first-party (1P) model, Amazon sends you purchase orders, sets retail prices, and lists your products as “Ships from and sold by Amazon,” which instantaneously builds shopper trust and Buy Box win rate. Amazon Vendor Central functions as a wholesale marketplace, whereby you, the vendor, sell your products directly to Amazon. At that point, the company takes total control over the pricing, inventory, and customer service. Typically, Vendor Central is more appropriate for manufacturers, established brands, and large distributors. One huge benefit is the credibility you gain—the visibility of your product with the trusted “Sold by Amazon” label can lead to higher conversions.
What Is Amazon Vendor Central?
Amazon Vendor Central is a platform where you sell your products directly to Amazon, and Amazon then resells them on its marketplace. You act as a first-party (1P) seller, and Amazon takes care of listing, pricing, and selling the products to customers.
Amazon Vendor Central is valuable for brands and manufacturers because it is an effective avenue to scale your product selling with Amazon’s extensive retail ecosystem. The platform provides additional trust from customers, by listing products as “Ships from and sold by Amazon,” which helps drive conversion rates. It also creates efficiencies in your operations because if you use Amazon Vendor Central, Amazon handles your pricing (from the destination point), shipping and returns, customer service, and product listings, which allows you to spend more time producing and maintaining inventory.
How Does Amazon Vendor Central Work
Amazon Vendor Central operates on a first-party (1P) selling model, meaning you sell your products directly to Amazon, and then Amazon sells them to customers.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it works:
1. Invitation-Only Access: Vendor Central is not open to everyone — brands and manufacturers must receive an invite from Amazon to join.
2. Purchase Orders (POs): Once you’re onboarded, Amazon will send you purchase orders for your products. You fulfill these orders by shipping the products to Amazon’s warehouses.
3. Amazon Handles Retail: After receiving your products, Amazon becomes the retailer. They set the pricing, manage the listings, handle customer service, and fulfill orders via their platform.
4. Brand Control Tools: Vendors get access to features like A+ Content, Amazon Marketing Services (AMS), and Brand Analytics, which help improve product pages and boost visibility.
5. Payment Terms: Vendors are paid by Amazon based on pre-agreed payment terms (e.g., 30, 60, or 90 days after delivery).
6. Logistics and Chargebacks: You’re responsible for timely shipments and compliance with Amazon’s packaging/shipping standards. Non-compliance may lead to chargebacks (penalties).
Key Features of Amazon Vendor Central
Amazon Vendor Central offers a suite of tools and capabilities designed to support brands and manufacturers selling directly to Amazon.
Here are the key features:
Bulk Purchase Order
Bulk Purchase Orders refer to large-volume orders placed by a buyer—typically a business or distributor—directly from a manufacturer, wholesaler, or supplier. These orders often involve purchasing products in large quantities to take advantage of discounted pricing, better supply terms, or resale opportunities.
A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content)
A+ Content, originally Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) on Amazon, allows brand-registered sellers and vendors to enhance their product listings with rich elements such as videos, images, comparison charts, and additional copy. It authorizes your brand to stand out, inform the consumer, and create more conversions.
Amazon Marketing Services (AMS)
AMS includes a suite of advertising solutions that allows businesses to display ads within Amazon’s ecosystem, including on product pages, search results, and more. These ads target shoppers actively searching or browsing similar items, making AMS a high-intent advertising platform.
Brand Registry and Analytics
Amazon Brand Registry is a free program that allows brand owners to protect their intellectual property and gain access to enhanced tools that improve control, content, and customer experience.
Available to Brand-registered sellers, Brand Analytics is a free reporting tool that provides data and insights on customer behavior, search trends, competitor performance, and more.
Chargebacks and Compliance Rules
Chargebacks are penalties or fees Amazon imposes on vendors when they fail to meet specific operational or logistical requirements.
Compliance Rules are Amazon’s set of guidelines and standards that vendors must follow when shipping products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers.
| Feature | Vendor Central (1P) | Seller Central (3P) |
| Relationship | B2B (You → Amazon) | B2C (You → Customer) |
| Access | Invite-only | Open to all |
| Pricing Control | Amazon controls | You control |
| Fulfillment Options | Amazon handles | FBA or FBM(Fulfilled by Amazon) &(Fulfilled by Merchant) |
| Brand Control | Limited | Full |
| Advertising Tools | Advanced | Also advanced |
| Customer Data | Limited | Rich insights |
| Profit Margins | Lower (bulk pricing) | Higher potential |
Pros of Using Amazon Vendor Central
Sold by Amazon Label
The “Sold by Amazon” designation shows up as a seller on product listings for the listings in which Amazon is the seller, not a seller that is a third-party merchant. This usually occurs for products where the supply is either through Amazon Vendor Central or Amazon Retail partnerships.
Simplified Bulk Sales
Selling in bulk means you are selling large amounts of your products directly to Amazon, instead of selling to customers one-by-one as you do in Amazon Seller Central. After Amazon accepts the stock, it takes over all aspects of retail – from product listing to customer delivery.
Access to Premium Marketing Tools
One of the major advantages of using Amazon Vendor Central is gaining access to premium marketing tools that are not always available to regular third-party sellers (on Seller Central). These tools help boost your product visibility, drive traffic, and increase sales.
Powerful Analytics
Vendor Central from Amazon provides powerful analytics tools to support brands and manufacturers in making smarter, data-backed decisions. These insights go beyond simple sales reports and allow for deep visibility into product, customer, and market behavior.
Cons of Using Amazon Vendor Central
No Pricing Control
One of the biggest drawbacks to using Amazon Vendor Central is that you lose control of your product pricing. Once you sell your products to Amazon and they become the retailer, they will set the final selling price to all customers when they sell the product.
Delayed Payments
Another challenge vendors face on Amazon Vendor Central is delayed payments. Unlike Seller Central, where payments are typically processed every 7–14 days, Vendor Central payments are made on longer terms, often Net 30, Net 60, or even Net 90.
Chargebacks and Deductions
One of the most check parts of using Amazon Vendor Central is dealing with chargebacks and deductions. These are penalties or fees that Amazon applies when you fail to meet their strict operational and compliance standards.
Who Should Use Amazon Vendor Central?
Amazon Vendor Central is not for everyone — it’s best suited for established brands, manufacturers, and wholesalers who are ready to scale and sell in bulk to Amazon. Unlike Seller Central (where you sell directly to customers), in Vendor Central, you become a supplier to Amazon.
Manufacturers and Large Brands
Amazon Vendor Central is mainly for manufacturers and big brands. It is aimed at companies that are able to supply large quantities of products, can satisfy compliance requirements, and want to take advantage of Amazon’s reach and retail prowess.
Wholesalers with Consistent Inventory
Wholesalers who maintain a steady and reliable supply of inventory are ideal candidates for Amazon Vendor Central. This model is built for businesses that can fulfill large purchase orders consistently, ensuring Amazon’s shelves stay stocked and customers get fast delivery.
Businesses Wanting Hands-Off Selling
Vendor Central is a good platform for brands and businesses looking to sell and not have to deal with day-to-day business operations. If you’d rather spend your time working on product development or manufacturing instead of selling, Vendor Central makes it easy to outsource these daily operational burdens.
Who Should Avoid Amazon Vendor Central
While Amazon Vendor Central has many advantages, it’s not suitable for every business. This model is best for companies that can handle large volumes, long payment terms, and give up some control. If your business falls into one of the categories below, you may face challenges with this platform.
- Small Sellers or Startups
- Brands That Need Full Control
- Businesses with Tight Profit Margins
Tips for Succeeding on Amazon Vendor Central
Once you’re invited to Amazon Vendor Central, the real work begins. To get the most out of the platform and grow your brand successfully, you need to stay compliant, efficient, and proactive.
Maintain Healthy Margins
Selling in bulk through Vendor Central can boost your sales, but if you’re not careful, your profits can shrink fast. Since Amazon controls the retail price, it’s up to you to manage costs and avoid extra fees to keep your margins strong.
Follow Packaging and Shipping Rules
It is essential to follow Amazon’s guidelines for packaging and shipping when operating on Amazon Vendor Central to ensure your success. Errors in packaging and shipping can lead to chargebacks or delays and cancellations. All of these issues cost you money and impact your performance negatively.
Use A+ Content
Amazon Vendor Central gives you access to A+ Content, a powerful tool to enhance your product listings. It lets you add rich visuals, comparison charts, and custom text modules to tell your brand story and highlight product benefits.
Maximize Advertising Opportunities
As an Amazon Vendor, you have access to premium inventory via Amazon Advertising. Effectively using these can help you increase product visibility, drive additional traffic, and increase sales across the platform.
Monitor Chargebacks Closely
Chargebacks are one of the most frequently used ways for Amazon to deduct from vendor payments. Chargebacks are penalties for violations of Amazon vendor service level agreements, such as not delivering on time or delivering incorrectly packaged items or items without labels, and they will squelch profits quickly.
Conclusion
Amazon Vendor Central is a first-party platform in which Amazon buys products directly from brands and sells them on Amazon’s marketplace. There are benefits to using Vendor Central, including bulk purchasing capabilities, access to A+ Content, advertising, and access to the “Ships from and sold by Amazon” label. But this is also accompanied by a warning: pricing control, chargebacks, and longer supplier payment cycles. Vendor Central is meant mainly for manufacturers, wholesalers, and established brands, and its invite-only program is intended for high-volume sales with operational efficiency. If you can comply with Amazon’s strict standards as a first-party seller and maintain price margins, Vendor Central can help to grow your brand and understanding. But for a business that is looking to control its listings, pricing, and branding, Amazon Seller Central could be a better option. Ultimately, you need to understand how Vendor Central works to see if it is in line with your business goals and whether you have the resources. Choose the right model for you and grow smarter on Amazon.
