Amazon Cameras On: Bad Listings Don’t Stand a Chance

Welcome to our weekly newsletter, Hunter's Insights!

In this special edition, we bring you essential Amazon updates and industry insights to keep you ahead in the fast-paced world of e-commerce:

🔎 Amazon Launches Lens Live: Visual Search Meets Instant Shopping

📲 Amazon Quietly Rolls Out New Mobile Search Experience Update

💡 Amazon Automates Keyword Discovery in Auto Campaigns

📈 Amazon Doubles Seller Funded Discount Limit for S&S

🚛 Amazon Tightens FBM Rules with 90% On-Time Delivery Requirement

🚫 From Free Shipping to Paywall: Amazon Retires Invitee Program

💬 Amazon Adds Auto-Responses to Seller Messaging Assistant

🔎 Amazon Launches Lens Live: Visual Search Meets Instant Shopping

With the launch of Amazon Lens Live, typing for product discovery on Amazon is now outdated. Customers can point their camera at a product to find matches, prices, and reviews. Unlike Google Lens, Amazon combines intent, discovery, and purchasing on a single platform.

Key changes include:

• Visual Matching: Hero images must match Lens detection to ensure product visibility.

• Emphasized Reviews: Real-time customer feedback is prominently featured.

• Importance of Structured Data: Clean attributes improve visibility and enable comparisons.

• Increased Competition: Shoppers can easily compare products side by side.

Optimized imagery, accurate data, and strong reviews are key for visibility on Amazon, which is moving towards AI-driven, real-time matching. With the introduction of Amazon Lens Live, visual shopping is transforming. Sellers who adapt will thrive in this new landscape.

📲 Amazon Quietly Rolls Out New Mobile Search Experience Update

Sellers and shoppers have noticed updates to Amazon’s mobile search results pages (SERPs), but it's unclear if these changes are permanent or still in testing.

Two key features include:

• Scrollable Image Carousels: Users can now scroll through 6–7 product thumbnails directly in the SERP, similar to the product detail page, replicating a feature seen at Target.

• “More Like This” Icon: This button on hero images allows users to view visually similar products. While it shows potential, results can vary, and its placement may lead to accidental clicks that take users away from the product detail page.

These updates reflect Amazon's focus on visual discovery and easier browsing. If widely implemented, sellers will need to pay closer attention to product imagery, as the SERP could become a significant driver of click-through rates.

💡 Amazon Automates Keyword Discovery in Auto Campaigns

Amazon has announced a major update that automates keyword harvesting in auto campaigns, greatly reducing the manual effort needed from sellers.  

Sellers previously had to download search term reports, analyze their performance manually, and then add successful keywords to new or existing ad groups.

What's New:

• Rule-Based Automation: Sellers can define performance criteria, and Amazon will automatically add matching keywords.

• Direct Ad Group Placement: Successful keywords will flow directly into the specific ad groups of your choice.

• Time Savings: This eliminates the need for complex spreadsheets and reduces the risk of overlooking profitable terms.

This enhancement improves keyword discovery campaigns but poses risks, as Amazon may flood ad groups with excessive terms despite filters. Still, it significantly boosts efficiency for advertisers who find keyword mining tedious.

📈 Amazon Doubles Seller Funded Discount Limit for S&S

Amazon has quietly updated its Seller Funded Discounts within the Subscribe & Save program, increasing the maximum discount cap from 10% to 20%. 

Why This Matters:

• Enhanced Customer Acquisition: Larger discounts can help attract first-time subscribers.

• Improved Retention: Stronger savings encourage customers to continue with their recurring orders.

• Strategic Trade-Off: While higher discounts may reduce profit margins, they could drive long-term growth in subscriptions.

This soft launch signals Amazon’s intention to make Subscribe & Save a more effective tool for building customer loyalty. Sellers should reassess their discount strategies to evaluate profitability against the potential gains in customer lifetime value.

🚛 Amazon Tightens FBM Rules with 90% On-Time Delivery Requirement

Amazon is enforcing a stricter On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) policy for Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) sellers, starting September 16, 2025. All FBM orders must achieve a minimum OTDR of 90%.

Rollout Timeline:

• Sept 16, 2025: OTDR metric available in Account Health Dashboard.

• Oct 16, 2025: Warning notices to sellers below target (no penalties yet).

• Jan 19, 2026: UK shipping templates updated to reduce maximum transit time from 5 to 4 days.

• Feb 2, 2026: New policy enforcement begins; underperforming sellers may face listing pauses or FBM restrictions.

The OTDR (Order Tracking Delivery Report) monitors order arrivals and delivery dates, which affect account health. Sellers should utilize reliable carriers, Amazon’s tools, and optimize their inventory management.

It is recommended to conduct regular audits of carrier performance. For certain SKUs, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can improve logistics. Sellers using Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) must match FBA's speed and reliability to achieve a 90% OTDR success rate.

🚫 From Free Shipping to Paywall: Amazon Retires Invitee Program

Amazon will end the Prime Invitee Program on October 1, 2025. After this date, Prime benefits can only be shared with those living at the same address, within an "Amazon Family."

What’s changing:

• You can no longer extend Prime shipping to invitees who reside at an address other than your own.

• Only members of the same household—designated as "Amazon Family"—will remain eligible for Prime benefits.

• Additional households will need to purchase their own subscription, priced at $139 per year.

Amazon has been conditioning shoppers to expect free shipping, but is now tightening control to boost subscription revenue and align benefits with household data. This may reduce convenience for customers but significantly increases profitability and enhances their data strategy.

💬 Amazon Adds Auto-Responses to Seller Messaging Assistant

Amazon has introduced Auto-Responses in the Seller Messaging Assistant (SMA) to provide shoppers with instant answers to common questions, while also reducing the volume of repetitive messages for sellers. 

How it works:

• Sellers can set prepared responses for common inquiries about shipping, returns, product details, and pricing.

• The SMA delivers these answers instantly, reducing duplicate questions.

• Only unresolved or complex issues go to the seller’s inbox.

Why it matters:

• Saves time: Sellers can focus on more complex issues.

• Enhances customer experience: Customers get quick and accurate answers while shopping.

• Trains Amazon AI: Consistent responses help improve Amazon’s recommendation systems.

Auto-Responses serve not only as a customer service tool but also as an opportunity to influence how Amazon’s AI learns about your products. Sellers who set up these responses early could gain an advantage in visibility and customer trust.

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