Today's tip · Compliance
Your holiday model was never born. Amazon wants that written into the file.
Gift season is when brands swap in lifestyle shots: the cozy sweater, the happy kid, the hands holding the mug. If any of those people came out of an image generator and look real, Amazon requires a metadata tag on the file before it goes on a listing or into A+ Content.
The rule is specific. Images or videos with photorealistic AI-generated people need the keyword "contains-synthetic-performer" in the dc:subject (XMP) field, added with an IPTC-compatible metadata editor before upload. Amazon says it then adds an indicator telling customers the image includes AI-generated people, where applicable. It applies in every Amazon store worldwide, and Amazon points to recent legislation requiring that disclosure in advertising.
The exemptions are just as useful, because they keep you from tagging everything out of nerves. Real people don't need it, even if AI tools retouched them. Neither do cartoon or non-photorealistic people, characters from movies or games, or images with no people at all.
So this is a sorting job, not a reshoot. The risky pile is narrow: generated humans that could pass for a photo. Find them before the holiday images go up, not after a shopper or a regulator does.
- Only features real people, even if altered with AI tools
- Only features characters from movies, TV, games or other expressive works
- Doesn't feature any people
- Doesn't feature photorealistic people
Amazon's four exemptions, from the Seller Central News post on tagging AI-generated people. Everything else with a photorealistic AI person needs the tag.
Source: Seller Central News, You must now tag AI-generated people in listings and A+ content
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceThe weekend plan
- 01Pull every holiday image with a person in it
Main images, secondary images, A+ modules and video thumbnails. If nobody is in the frame, it's out of scope.
- 02Sort real from generated
Real people stay untagged, even after AI retouching. Cartoons, characters from movies or games, and people who don't look photorealistic stay untagged too.
- 03Tag the photorealistic AI people
Open the file in an IPTC-compatible metadata editor and add contains-synthetic-performer to the dc:subject (XMP) field.
- 04Upload the tagged file
The tag has to be in the file before it reaches the listing or A+ Content. Re-upload rather than editing the copy on your desktop and hoping.
- 05Keep a list
Note which ASINs carry tagged images, so the next designer doesn't swap in an untagged version in January.
Section 02
This week's checklist
6 jobs pulled from this issue, in the order the deadlines bite. Tick them off as you go. Your browser remembers the ticks, nobody else sees them, and a fresh list comes with each issue.
0 of 6 done
Section 03
The seller calendar
Every date Amazon has put in writing for the season, plus the two everyone knows. October is zoomed in on the chart because that's where the trouble is.
Peak fulfillment fees run Oct 15 to Jan 14. Plus $0.32 per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge on top.
| Date | What happens | Type | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 6 to 7) | Shopping event | Done | About Amazon | |
| AWD arrival deadline for Black Friday Week | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees begin | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Original Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal deadline (Amazon has since extended it to Nov 13) | Deals | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, minimal shipment splits | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, Amazon-optimized splits (most sellers) | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Business Hour Delivery Rate review: seller-fulfilled offers under 90% may be deactivated for Amazon Business customers | Offer | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Last day of off-peak storage for AWD with auto-replenishment | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Confirm New Selection Program (2026) enrollment to keep launch fee credits | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Extended holiday returns begin: items bought Nov 1 to Dec 31 can come back until Jan 31 | Returns | Done | Seller Central News | |
| New commercial liability insurance requirements take effect: a $1 million policy for products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements, with no sales threshold | Policy | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Virtual multipacks from the latest pilot wave become available to customers | Offer | Done | Seller Central Help | |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal sourcing closes (extended from Oct 20) | Deals | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Amazon Haul's early Haul-iday deals event ends (more Haul deal drops continue through December, Amazon says) | Shopping event | Today | About Amazon | |
| Amazon finishes rolling out lithium battery TIC compliance notifications in Account Health for US smart home and consumer electronics | Policy | In 2 days | Seller Forums | |
| Ask Amazon: Seller Assistant live Q&A in the Seller Forums, 8 AM to 5 PM PT (questions open now) | Shopping event | In 4 days | Seller Forums | |
| Amazon's Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday deal events run from 12:01 a.m. PT on Nov 19 through Nov 30 | Shopping event | In 5 days | About Amazon | |
| Prime for Young Adults members get 20% cash back on a selection of trending products, Nov 24 only | Shopping event | In 10 days | About Amazon | |
| Black Friday | Shopping event | In 13 days | Calendar | |
| Cyber Monday | Shopping event | In 16 days | Calendar | |
| Last day to create an international FBA shipment plan covered by Amazon's 45-day related-shipment and 90-day closure extensions | Inventory | In 16 days | Seller Central News | |
| Prepaid return labels required for most US seller-fulfilled returns (heavy and bulky items excepted for now) | Returns | In 34 days | Seller Forums | |
| Last day to sign up for the free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription | Offer | In 47 days | About Amazon | |
| Last purchase date covered by the extended holiday return window | Returns | In 47 days | Seller Central News | |
| Updated product bundling policy takes effect: most single-ASIN bundles must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand | Policy | In 58 days | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees end | Fees | In 61 days | Seller Central News | |
| Most 2027 US referral and FBA fulfillment fee changes take effect | Fees | In 62 days | Amazon | |
| Last day to return holiday purchases under the extended window | Returns | In 78 days | Seller Central News | |
| Storage utilization surcharge ends; age-based storage rates and the rewritten low-inventory-level fee begin | Fees | In 79 days | Amazon | |
| Last day to enroll in FBA New Selection Program 2026 (window extended) | Fees | In 137 days | Seller Central News |
Add every date to your calendar (.ics)Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. Re-download after big announcements.
Sources: Seller Forums, Ask Amazon: Seller Assistant, Canvas and Workflows, About Amazon, Seller Assistant, Seller Central News, Business hour delivery requirement for seller-fulfilled shipments, Seller Central News, New requirements for product bundles starting January 11, Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extended, Amazon, 2027 US referral and FBA fee update, Seller Central News, Holiday 2026, Seller Central News, New commercial liability insurance requirements, Seller Forums, New lithium battery requirements (US), Seller Forums, Amazon's prepaid return label notice and moderator clarification, Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy, Seller Central Help, Virtual multipacks, About Amazon, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: a first look at Amazon's best deals
Fee watch
The changes that cost money this year, newest last. If Amazon hasn't announced it, it isn't here.
Since Jan 15, 2026
2026 US fee update
FBA fees rose by an average of $0.08 per unit. Amazon added no new fee types for 2026.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee updateSince Apr 17, 2026
Fuel and logistics surcharge
3.5% on FBA fulfillment fees, about $0.17 per unit on average in the US. Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime followed on May 2.
Seller Central News, Fuel and logistics surchargeSince Sep 2026
MCF Preferred Pricing Program
Discounted Multi-Channel Fulfillment fees plus FBA credits per unit shipped. Amazon says sellers save 15% to 25% on fulfillment fees for the first six months, with no contract and one-click enrollment in Seller Central.
About Amazon, Prime delivery for MCF merchants' websitesOct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027
Holiday peak fulfillment fees
About $0.32 more per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge calculated on top.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Holiday deal events
Deal fees
$100 upfront per promotion plus 1.5% of promotional sales, capped at $5,000, for Best Deals, Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Price Discounts.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Extended holiday returns
Orders placed Nov 1 to Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31, 2027, for FBA and seller-fulfilled orders alike. Budget for a slower, larger return wave.
Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policyAnnounced Nov 5, 2026; most changes Jan 15, 2027
2027 US referral and FBA fee update
On average, FBA fulfillment fees rise by $0.19 per unit sold (about 0.8% of the average item's selling price). Some products go up, some go down. The FBA fuel and logistics surcharge stays unchanged. Effective Feb 1, 2027, Amazon eliminates the storage utilization surcharge, folds the aged inventory surcharge into a single age-based monthly storage rate, and rewrites the low-inventory-level fee around 28 days of supply.
Amazon, 2027 US referral and FBA fee update
Section 04
By the numbers
Four figures worth knowing this week. Each one is Amazon's own, linked to where they said it.
of required product attributes that Amazon says its AI listing tools now generate
Sell on Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listingsincrease in overall listing quality Amazon reports when sellers use its AI listing tools
Sell on Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listingsbefore an open domestic FBA shipment closes automatically (75 for international)
Sell on Amazon, How to track FBA shipmentsuntil Black Friday Week opens at 12:01 a.m. PT on November 19
About Amazon, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: a first look at Amazon's best dealsSection 05
The playbook
4 moves for this week, then a few quick ones for the train.
Listings
Amazon's AI wrote the bullets. Your name is on them.
Amazon says its generative AI listing tools now fill in more than 70% of required product attributes, and that sellers who use them see a 40% increase in overall listing quality. Fair enough. The same page has a sentence worth reading slowly: if you use the content the AI proposes, you agree you've reviewed it and that it's accurate, complete and compliant with the law and Amazon's policies.
That matters most in the fields nobody reads twice. Amazon says the AI fills gaps like whether batteries are required, color, style and occasion type. A wrong battery answer on a gift item is a returns problem in January and a compliance problem today.
Do this: Open Manage All Inventory, filter to listings created since September, and check every AI-filled battery, material and size field against the actual product.
Source: Sell on Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listings
Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listings: AI listing tools generate more than 70% of required product attributes in the Amazon store (Amazon internal data).
Source: Sell on Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listings
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceFBA
Delivered is not received. Read the status like Amazon does.
A late restock can look fine in the Shipping Queue while it sits in a yard. Amazon's own definitions: Delivered means the shipment is ready to arrive or is at Amazon's location but not yet checked in. Checked in means it moved from the facility yard to the dock door. Receiving starts when Amazon scans your first shipment label.
Amazon also says that during holiday seasons it can take longer to move between stages, and a shipment might be checked in several days after it arrives. Five days before Black Friday Week, "several days" is the whole margin.
Do this: Go to Inventory, then Shipments, and open Track shipment on anything sitting in Delivered or Checked in. Contact the carrier on anything that hasn't moved.
Sources: Sell on Amazon, How to track FBA shipments, About Amazon, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: a first look at Amazon's best deals
Status names and definitions from Amazon's guide, How to track FBA shipments.
Source: Sell on Amazon, How to track FBA shipments
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceFees
Price the deal with peak fees in it, not the July fees you remember
Holiday peak fulfillment fees have applied since October 15 and run to January 14, 2027. Amazon puts the bump at an average of $0.32 per unit over non-peak rates, and the 3.5% fuel and logistics-related surcharge applies on top.
Thirty-two cents is nothing on a $60 item. On a $12 deal at 20% off, it can be the profit. Most deal math was done in September with a spreadsheet that never heard of peak season.
Do this: Rerun the profit calculator on each deal ASIN with its current peak FBA fee, and pause any deal that loses money on every unit.
Source: Seller Central News, Holiday 2026
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceInventory
Missing units have a clock, and it starts when the shipment closes
Amazon closes a shipment once it confirms all units received, or after it has been open more than 45 days for a domestic shipment and 75 days for an international one. Once it's Closed, eligible products show an Action required menu on the Contents tab, where you can confirm the count or ask Amazon to research the difference.
Then comes the part people miss. Amazon asks you to respond to requests on a reconciliation within five business days. Holiday shipments closing in December will collide with your busiest week. Put the proof of delivery and inventory ownership in one folder now.
Do this: For every inbound shipment created since October, save the proof of delivery and the invoice in one folder named by shipment ID.
- Day 0Shipment open
- Day 45Domestic closes
- Day 75International closes
Amazon, How to track FBA shipments: a shipment closes when all units are confirmed received, or after 45 days open (domestic) or 75 days (international).
Source: Sell on Amazon, How to track FBA shipments
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceQuick hits
05Pricing
An approved deal can still go quiet
Amazon's own pre-event checklist asks you to make sure deal pricing meets the minimum discount threshold and to resolve any suppressed or at-risk deals quickly. Prices drift. A deal that qualified in October can slip if your regular price moved since.
Sources: Seller Central News, Get your account ready now for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, About Amazon, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: a first look at Amazon's best deals
Section 06
The wire
What changed lately, straight from Amazon. We read the announcement so you can read the summary.
- Deals
Amazon Haul's Haul-iday event ends today
Amazon says more Haul deal drops follow through November and December, so keep checking your search pages weekly.
via About Amazon, Amazon Haul's early Haul-iday deals event (Nov 2026) - Payments
Seller Wallet now covers USD, EUR and GBP proceeds
Sellers in the US store can hold USD proceeds, pay suppliers and schedule weekly, biweekly or monthly transfers inside Seller Central.
via About Amazon, Seller Wallet in USD and EUR - Listings
Photorealistic AI-generated people need a metadata tag
Add contains-synthetic-performer to the file's dc:subject (XMP) field before uploading to listings or A+ Content, in every Amazon store.
via Seller Central News, You must now tag AI-generated people in listings and A+ content
Follow for more
Tomorrow's tip, in your inbox before your coffee cools
One short email when a new issue lands. Amazon's news without the press-release voice, and one move worth making that week. No upsells, no "ultimate guides."
Section 07
Straight answers
The questions sellers are typing into search bars and chatbots this week, answered in under a minute each. Every answer is grounded in Amazon's own announcement, linked below it.
Do I have to label AI-generated images on Amazon?
Yes, if the image or video contains photorealistic AI-generated people. Amazon requires sellers to add the keyword contains-synthetic-performer to the dc:subject (XMP) field with an IPTC-compatible metadata editor before adding the file to listings or A+ Content in any Amazon store. Amazon then adds an indicator for customers where applicable.
Source: Seller Central News, You must now tag AI-generated people in listings and A+ content
Which AI images don't need the contains-synthetic-performer tag on Amazon?
Amazon says no tag is needed when an image or video only features real people, even if altered with AI tools, only features characters from movies, TV, video games or other expressive works, doesn't feature any people, or doesn't feature photorealistic people. The requirement covers photorealistic AI-generated people only.
Source: Seller Central News, You must now tag AI-generated people in listings and A+ content
Am I responsible for listing content written by Amazon's AI?
Yes. Amazon says it is up to you whether to use content its generative AI proposes, and if you use it, you agree you have reviewed it and that it is accurate, complete and compliant with applicable laws and Amazon policies, including its Program Policies. You are responsible for correcting anything inaccurate.
Source: Sell on Amazon, How to use Amazon AI to create product listings
What is the difference between Delivered and Checked in for an FBA shipment?
In Amazon's definitions, Delivered means the shipment is ready to arrive at Amazon's location, or is there but not yet checked in. Checked in means it has moved from the facility yard to the dock door and is ready to unload. Receiving begins when Amazon scans the first shipment label.
When does Amazon close an FBA shipment automatically?
Amazon closes an FBA shipment once it confirms all units are received, or after the shipment has been open for more than 45 days for a domestic shipment or 75 days for an international one. After it closes, eligible products show an Action required menu on the Contents tab for reconciliation.
How much are Amazon's 2026 holiday peak fulfillment fees?
Amazon's holiday peak fulfillment fees apply from October 15, 2026, to January 14, 2027, for FBA, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime. They add an average of $0.32 per unit over non-peak rates, and the 3.5% fuel and logistics-related surcharge applies on top.