1.Why Amazon.com?
With tens of millions of customers, Amazon.com is one of the world's leading online destinations. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Amazon has the unique ability to match specialized, niche, or "hard-to-find" products with the customers most likely to purchase them. And Amazon.com has a world renowned reputation for service, reliability and security.


2.What is the Advantage program?
Advantage is a program that enables authors, musicians, filmmakers, publishers, studios, and other content providers to list and sell their products on Amazon.com right alongside products that have massive marketing and distribution. The Advantage program provides a simple, efficient way to have a direct relationship with Amazon.com. Vendors enroll in Advantage and ship us inventory. The Detail Page shows the "In Stock" message to customers. Similar to a consignment program, Advantage vendors are paid following the sale. Restocking orders are automatically generated when we need more. For more information, read How Advantage Works.


3.Why should I join?
Advantage is the simple, direct, and profitable way for you to sell your products on one of the world's leading online retail web sites. Advantage provides the business, marketing, and vendor support you need to maximize your sales on Amazon.com. Titles enrolled in Advantage are eligible for automated merchandising and personalization, Search Inside?, Amazon.com's excellent Customer Service and order fulfillment services, and much more. With a small annual fee for unlimited title additions and as little as a two-unit per title inventory commitment, your risk is minimal.


4.What are the requirements for joining Amazon.com Advantage?
To be eligible for Amazon.com Advantage:

  • You must have North American distribution rights for each title.
  • You must have an e-mail address and internet access.
  • You must have a scannable ISBN/EAN/UPC barcode on every item.
  • You must comply with Membership Agreement and Rules and Instructions.


5.How do I apply?
You can apply for membership in the Advantage program by going to the Advantage program home page and clicking on the "Join Now" button. There, you can read the Membership Agreement and Rules & Instructions, and you can sign up for the program. Because Amazon.com Advantage is an online program, we require that you apply using our online application. We do not accept applications submitted by other means, such as by fax or mail.


6.How will I know if my application has been approved?
After you complete your Advantage application and create your online account, you will receive an e-mail message welcoming you to the program within 24 hours.


7.What kinds of products do you accept into the Advantage program?
We currently accept books, calendars, single copy magazines, CD's, DVD's, VHS, vinyl LP records, software and video games. We do not accept digital content (e-books, MP3 downloads) or subscription-based items like magazines or journals. We are always looking at new opportunities, so please check back with us in the future to see if we have expanded our product categories.


8.How much does Advantage cost, and what are the terms?
There is an annual fee of $29.95 to be a member of Advantage. Your fee includes unlimited title enrollment, access to our Vendor Services team, and access to the Vendor web site to manage your account. The standard terms for Advantage vendors is 55% - you keep 45% of the List Price. That means that Amazon.com is entitled to 55% of the List Price for each unit that sells. You, the vendor, receive 45% of the List Price. You set the List Price, also known as Suggested Retail Price, of your products, and all payments made to you are calculated based on the List Price. If Amazon.com decides to further reduce the sales price to the customer below the List Price, the customer discount comes out of Amazon.com's percentage. For example, if the List Price is $39.95, you will make $17.98 from each copy sold, even if the Customer Price or Our Price on Amazon.com is discounted from the List Price.


9.Do you have special terms for Professional titles or Non-Profit organizations?
Yes. If you have high-priced titles that are of a medical, scholarly, or technical nature, you may apply for better terms than our standard 55% rate through our Advantage Professional survey. Non-Profit (501?3) organizations may also apply for the Advantage Professional rate.


10.How is payment made to Advantage vendors?
Advantage is invoice-free; we pay you automatically at the end of the month following the month in which your product is sold. For example, for items sold in the month of January, we will pay you at the end of February. Payment can be made to you by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to a U.S. bank account or by paper check. Please note that if you receive payment via paper check, your payment will not be disbursed until you reach a threshold of $100 and there is a $15 processing fee per check.


11.When will I receive my first order?
You should receive your first order within one to two weeks of your account being approved and your titles being fully enrolled.


12.Who pays for shipping?
As a member of Amazon.com Advantage, you agree to pay for all shipping charges incurred in sending your titles to our distribution centers.


13.How many units will you keep in stock?
Our ordering process is automatic and conservative; it is based on historical customer demand and projected demand. As your sales increase, our orders with you will adjust to include more copies. If Amazon.com already has inventory of your title, you may not receive your initial order until our existing inventory is sold.


14.How will Amazon.com place new orders for my title?
When we need to replenish the inventory of your title, we'll send you an e-mail notifying you that there is an order waiting for you. At that time, you will be asked to log in to your Advantage account, confirm the order, and get your shipping instructions.


15.How do you handle customer returns?
We will retain ownership of items that are returned to Amazon.com by our customers, and we will store them, at our cost, as part of our company-owned inventory. We reserve the right to fulfill customer orders from our inventory of returned items before we purchase or order additional product from you.


16.My title is already on Amazon.com; why should I join Advantage?
Your title may be listed on the Amazon.com web site but be unavailable for customer purchase, or it may contain incomplete or incorrect information. Because we stock your titles in our warehouse with the Advantage program, your products are generally available for immediate shipment to our customers. Advantage also provides added benefits that help you increase your title's selling power, including control of product detail page information, uploading cover art, and more. Click here for a full list of Advantage benefits.


17.If I joined Advantage, where would my product be listed on the Amazon.com website?
Advantage items are listed just like any other product on Amazon.com -- there is no difference from a customer's perspective. Advantage products get the same search and browse functionality, personalization tools, and auto-merchandising features which proactively display your title to customers.


18.Would I have the ability to change my title's detail page on Amazon.com?
As an Advantage member, you control the content on each product detail page, including in-depth descriptions, artist/author information, product reviews, etc. You can also upload cover art, submit CDs for sound clips, participate in Search Inside?, and much more.


19.If I control the List Price of my title, who determines the Customer Price?
Amazon.com reserves the right to set the retail price to customers at our sole discretion. Amazon.com's decision to discount products is based on a number of considerations which can vary over time. We offer discounts on hundreds of thousands of selected titles on any given day. We cannot confirm when -- if ever -- a title will be discounted to customers, or how long a title will remain at any particular discount.


20.Can I enroll my title if it hasn't been published/released yet?
Yes. Adding a not-yet-published/released item to your account is easy. We encourage you to add your title as soon as you have a valid ISBN, UPC, or EAN for it. Our systems will withhold ordering items with a future publish/release date until two weeks before the publish/release date. The "Add to Shopping Cart" button will appear on the detail page the day your item is published/released. Until then, a "Pre-Order" button will be displayed, even if we have received inventory of your title. We will not send copies of your titles to customers until the release date.


21.How is Advantage different from Marketplace?
Advantage is for new, retail quality, customer-ready merchandise. Titles enrolled in Advantage qualify as "ships from and sold by Amazon.com". These titles also qualify for our Super Saver Shipping and Prime Shipping options. Amazon Marketplace is for selling new, used, refurbished and collectible items--you can list your item right alongside the same item carried by Amazon.com. Marketplace transactions occur between the seller and the customer directly. The seller is responsible for listing the product, shipping customer orders, and providing all customer service. Amazon.com simply handles payment processing for Marketplace transactions.


22.I don't have physical inventory. Can I still enroll in Advantage?
Advantage is for physical inventory only. However, you can still list and sell your products via the Make-On-Demand services of Amazon.com affiliates BookSurge (for books) or CreateSpace (for books, CDs, or DVDs). BookSurge and CreateSpace are wholly-owned by Amazon.com and offer inventory-free fulfillment to Amazon.com's customers. Visit www.booksurge.com or www.createspace.com for more information.


23.Can I get information about the customers who purchase my books/CDs/films?
Amazon.com does not share customer information with any vendor. You can view the sales and inventory of your titles through the Advantage vendor web site.


24.Does Amazon.com offer any merchandising opportunities?
Advantage vendors have access to our world-class marketing programs -- including "Buy X Get Y" product pairings -- at a special price. For information on how we can help you optimize your sales through paid merchandising, please visit our small vendor coop pages at www.amazon.com/coop


25.Do I get an assigned buyer or account manager?
The Advantage program is designed to work without the need for a buyer or account manager. We have spent many years developing this program, and we have invested in technology to create an interface that acts as a virtual account manager. The Advantage vendor web site is easy to navigate and has all the information you need to manage your business with Amazon.com. You can confirm orders, control the content of your product detail page, add new titles, and view sales, inventory, and payment information. Help pages and more Frequently Asked Questions are also available to guide you on the Advantage vendor web site. You also have access to our Vendor Services Team. They are available to assist you via e-mail (advantage@amazon.com) and usually respond to inquiries within 24 hours.



This FAQ has been reprinted directly from Amazon.com and can be found here:  http://advantage.amazon.com/gp/vendor/public/faq