Amazon has rolled out significant policy changes in early 2026 that impact how sellers operate, compete, and maintain compliance. From stricter authenticity requirements to enhanced consumer protection measures, these updates reflect Amazon’s ongoing commitment to marketplace quality and customer trust. Sellers who adapt quickly will maintain their competitive edge, while those who ignore these changes risk account suspensions or lost revenue. Here’s your comprehensive guide to the most important policy shifts and how to navigate them successfully.
Strengthened Product Authenticity Requirements
Amazon has dramatically tightened its authenticity verification processes following increased counterfeiting concerns. The new requirements mandate that sellers provide documentation proving product authenticity for certain categories including electronics, luxury goods, cosmetics and skincare, supplements and vitamins, and branded apparel. Sellers must maintain invoices from authorized distributors showing clear supply chain provenance, manufacturer authorization letters for branded products, and certificates of authenticity for high-value items.
Action Required: If you sell in affected categories, organize your supplier documentation now. Amazon is conducting random audits and requesting proof within 48 hours. Sellers who cannot provide documentation face immediate listing suppression.
Enhanced Review Monitoring and Enforcement
Following regulatory pressure, Amazon has deployed advanced AI systems to detect review manipulation with unprecedented accuracy. The platform now identifies and removes suspicious reviews including those posted from IP addresses associated with sellers, reviews following statistical patterns suggesting coordination, incentivized reviews violating terms of service, and reviews from accounts with unusual purchasing patterns. Sellers found engaging in review manipulation face account suspension rather than just review removal. The message is clear: build reviews organically or face severe consequences.
New Sustainability and Environmental Disclosures
Environmental consciousness is driving new disclosure requirements. Amazon now requires sellers to provide information about product packaging materials and recyclability, carbon footprint for certain product categories, energy efficiency ratings where applicable, and sustainable sourcing certifications if claimed. While currently voluntary for most categories, these disclosures are becoming mandatory for electronics, home goods, and beauty products. Early adopters report that sustainability information improves conversion rates among environmentally conscious consumers.
January 2026
Enhanced authenticity requirements take effect for luxury and beauty categories
March 2026
Sustainability disclosures become mandatory for electronics and home goods
June 2026
New customer data protection rules take effect across all categories
September 2026
Updated FBA storage fee structure and long-term storage policies activate
Stricter Customer Data Protection Standards
In response to privacy regulations, Amazon has implemented stringent rules around customer data handling. Sellers must not store customer email addresses or personal information outside Amazon’s systems, use customer data only for order fulfillment and authorized communications, delete customer data upon request within specified timeframes, and implement security measures protecting any customer information they handle. Violations can result in immediate account deactivation and potential legal liability. If you’re collecting customer emails through package inserts or warranty registrations, review your compliance immediately.
Updated FBA Fee Structure and Storage Limits
Amazon has adjusted its FBA fee structure and storage policies to incentivize faster inventory turnover. Changes include increased long-term storage fees for inventory aged beyond 180 days (previously 365 days), dynamic storage limits based on IPI scores and sales velocity, and premium fees for oversized items during peak seasons. These changes reward sellers with healthy inventory turnover while penalizing those with slow-moving stock. The shift encourages better inventory planning and product selection focused on items that sell quickly.
Strategic Response: Audit your inventory age immediately. Products approaching 150 days should be promoted aggressively or liquidated. Improving your IPI score above 500 will help maintain adequate storage limits.
Enhanced Brand Registry Protections and Requirements
Brand Registry has received significant upgrades, offering more protection while requiring additional verification. New features include automated brand monitoring that detects potential infringement, accelerated takedown processes for confirmed violations, and predictive protection that blocks suspected counterfeit listings before they go live. However, Amazon now requires active trademark enforcement activity, regular brand registry audits to maintain enrollment, and verified physical business addresses. These changes strengthen genuine brands while making it harder for bad actors to abuse the system.
Mandatory Supply Chain Transparency
New regulations require sellers to maintain detailed supply chain documentation including supplier contact information and business registration, complete paper trail from manufacturer to Amazon warehouse, compliance certificates for regulated products, and country of origin documentation. This transparency helps Amazon combat counterfeit products and ensures compliance with import regulations. Sellers with opaque supply chains or who cannot document their sourcing may face listing restrictions or account reviews.
Revised Seller Performance Metrics
Amazon has updated how it calculates and enforces seller performance standards. Changes include stricter late shipment rate thresholds for merchant-fulfilled sellers, enhanced customer service response time requirements (now 12 hours instead of 24), more weight given to A-to-Z claims in account health, and introduction of new metrics around packaging quality and damage rates. These changes push sellers toward higher operational standards, with FBA sellers enjoying automatic compliance for most metrics.
New Product Safety and Compliance Testing
Product safety requirements have expanded significantly, particularly for children’s products, electronics, and consumables. Sellers must now provide third-party testing certificates for products in risk categories, maintain general liability insurance with higher minimum coverage, and comply with category-specific certifications like CPSIA for children’s products. Amazon is proactively requesting documentation rather than waiting for complaints, and non-compliant listings are being suppressed without warning.
Compliance Deadline: Sellers in affected categories have until March 2026 to upload required documentation. Missing this deadline will result in automatic listing suppression until compliance is demonstrated.
Updated Restricted Products Lists
Amazon has expanded its restricted products categories, adding items that previously operated in gray areas. Newly restricted or highly regulated items include certain health supplements making specific claims, products marketed toward children with small parts concerns, electronic items without proper certifications, and cosmetics containing specific controversial ingredients. If you sell in these categories, review the updated prohibited product guidelines carefully to ensure ongoing compliance.
Changes to Promotional and Coupon Policies
Amazon has adjusted how sellers can run promotions and offer discounts. New rules limit percentage-off coupons to prevent artificially inflating list prices, require minimum promotional periods to prevent flash manipulation, and restrict promotion stacking in certain categories. These changes aim to create fairer competition and prevent misleading pricing practices. Sellers who relied heavily on aggressive promotional tactics will need to adjust their strategies toward building organic sales velocity.
How to Stay Compliant and Competitive
Navigating these policy changes requires proactive management. Subscribe to Amazon Seller News notifications in Seller Central, join seller communities and forums where policy changes are discussed, maintain organized documentation for all products and suppliers, and schedule quarterly compliance audits of your account and listings. Consider working with compliance consultants for complex categories. The investment in compliance prevents costly account suspensions and maintains your competitive position.
Conclusion
The 2026 policy updates reflect Amazon’s evolving priorities around authenticity, customer protection, and marketplace quality. While these changes create additional compliance burdens, they ultimately benefit professional sellers by raising standards and pushing out bad actors. Sellers who adapt quickly, maintain rigorous documentation, and operate with integrity will thrive under the new rules. Review your business against these updated policies immediately, address any gaps, and build compliance into your standard operating procedures. The marketplace is becoming more professional, and those who embrace higher standards will capture the rewards.