Amazon New Seller Incentives:
Over $50,000 in Your First Year
Every benefit, deadline, and strategy you need before you list your first product fully sourced from Amazon’s official program documentation.
What Is the Amazon New Seller Incentives Program?
Amazon’s New Seller Incentives (NSI) program is a structured package of credits, fee waivers, bonuses, and tools offered to sellers who are new to the platform. It launched in March 2022 across the US, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and the program has been refined and expanded with each program year since.
The underlying logic is straightforward: Amazon wants new sellers to succeed quickly. The faster a new seller generates sales, builds reviews, and starts fulfilling orders through Amazon’s infrastructure, the better it is for the marketplace.
So Amazon puts real financial value on the table to make that happen. According to Amazon’s own published data, sellers who follow the New Seller Guide during their first 90 days generate approximately six times more first-year sales on average than those who don’t engage with the program at all.
The headline figure: Amazon offers over $50,000 in combined credits, bonuses, and savings to qualifying new sellers during their first year. This is not a theoretical ceiling it is genuinely reachable if you follow a structured launch plan from day one.
The program covers six broad categories: brand sales bonuses, FBA fulfillment perks, inbound shipping credits, advertising credits, Amazon Vine enrollment credits, and coupon credits. Brand owners get access to the full suite; sellers without brand registration still qualify for the majority of the FBA and advertising benefits.
Note: NSI terms vary based on when you listed your first buyable ASIN. The 2022, 2023, and 2024 program years each carry slightly different conditions. This guide covers the current 2024/2025 terms, which apply to sellers whose first buyable ASIN went live on or after March 1, 2024.
Not Sure Where to Start?
The first 90 days determine how much of the $50,000+ you actually claim. Get a free strategy call and build your launch plan the right way from day one.
Who Qualifies for NSI?
Eligibility rules are clear, but a few specifics catch sellers off guard. Review each requirement carefully before assuming you qualify.
- ✓Professional Selling Plan only. Individual selling plan accounts do not qualify for any NSI benefits. You must be on the Professional plan, which costs $39.99 per month in the US marketplace.
- ✓First buyable ASIN listed on or after January 1, 2022. Sellers who published their first product before this date are not eligible. The 2024/2025 terms apply specifically to sellers whose first listing went live on or after March 1, 2024.
- ✓Brand new to Amazon FBA. You must not have previously fulfilled orders using Fulfillment by Amazon. Any prior FBA history disqualifies you from the FBA-related perks.
- ✓Amazon Brand Registry for brand-specific perks. To access brand sales bonuses, Vine credits, and brand analytics, you must enroll in Amazon Brand Registry within six months of listing your first eligible product. This requires a registered trademark.
- ✓FBA enrollment within 90 days. Most FBA-related benefits require sending your first inventory to an Amazon fulfillment center within 90 days of your first buyable listing. Knowing how to send products to Amazon before going live saves you time under this clock.
- ✓Available marketplaces: US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. Sellers selling globally into a genuinely new region qualify, but moving from one European marketplace to another (e.g., Germany to France) does not count.
Non-brand sellers: FBA free storage, inbound shipping credits, and advertising credits are all still available without brand registration. The brand sales bonus (10% / 5% on branded sales) and Vine credit are exclusively for Brand Registry members.
Media categories like books and music, refurbished items, and unbranded child ASINs are not eligible for NSI benefits. Always confirm your product category is included before building your product launch strategy around these credits.
The Full Benefits Breakdown
Every incentive currently available under the program with the actual dollar values and activation conditions clearly attached.
Brand Sales Bonus
Earn 10% back on your first $50,000 in branded product sales, then 5% back through your first year up to $1,000,000 in total branded sales. Bonuses are credited monthly as offsets against the following month’s referral fees.
FBA Inbound Placement Credit
A $400 credit covers the inbound placement service fee what Amazon charges to receive and distribute your inventory across multiple fulfillment centers. Send your inventory within 90 days of your first listing to claim this.
Free FBA Storage & Removals
Free monthly storage for your first 90 days (standard size) or 120 days (non-standard), capped at 50 units per new parent ASIN. Free removal and liquidation of unsold inventory for up to 180 days after arrival at a fulfillment center.
Amazon Partnered Carrier Credit
Get $100 off your first inbound shipment when you use Amazon’s Partnered Carrier program. This credit applies to shipping fees charged for sending inventory to the Amazon fulfillment network and is valid for up to one year from your first listing date.
Amazon Global Logistics Credit
Shipping inventory from overseas using Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) earns you a $200 credit toward your first international fulfillment shipment. Particularly valuable for sellers sourcing through Alibaba to Amazon FBA.
Sponsored Products Ad Credit
Receive a $50 credit for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, or Sponsored Display campaigns. Launch a campaign for an eligible product within 90 days of your first listing and keep it running for at least 30 days to trigger the credit. Credits expire 30 days after appearing in your Ads account.
Amazon Coupons Credit
Create at least one Amazon Coupon for an eligible product within 90 days of your first listing to trigger a $50 credit toward coupon fees. This credit is valid for one year from activation and is one of the easiest credits to claim.
Amazon Vine Credit
Brand owners receive a $200 credit to enroll products in Amazon Vine, which invites trusted reviewers to write honest product assessments. It is one of the most effective ways to get early reviews on Amazon without any policy risk.
Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) Discount
New sellers receive 25% off fulfillment costs on the first 100 units shipped through Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment, which lets you use your FBA inventory to fulfill orders from your own website or other sales channels.
Understanding the difference between FBA and FBM helps you use this discount strategically.
Preferred pricing extends for six months from your first MCF shipment.
Brand Registry Tools Access
Beyond the monetary credits, brand-registered sellers gain access to A+ Content, Amazon Stores, Brand Analytics, and IP protection tools. A+ Content in particular has a measurable impact on conversion rates for product detail pages when used with strong visuals and structured comparison modules.
Fee Exemptions in Year One
Amazon also waives two standard Amazon seller fees for new sellers for the first 365 days after your FBA inventory is first received:
- ✓No low-inventory-level fee this fee normally applies when stock levels fall below what Amazon considers sufficient to meet customer demand.
- ✓No storage utilization surcharge this normally applies to sellers whose inventory occupies a higher-than-average proportion of fulfillment center space.
All Incentives at a Single View
| Incentive | Value | Requires | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Sales Bonus (10%) | Up to $5,000 | Brand Registry within 6 months | First year / $50K cap |
| Brand Sales Bonus (5%) | Up to $47,500 | Brand Registry, after $50K threshold | First year / $1M cap |
| FBA Inbound Placement | $400 credit | FBA enrollment | Ship within 90 days of listing |
| Free FBA Storage | 50 units/ASIN | FBA enrollment | 90 days (standard), 120 days (non-standard) |
| Free Removals / Liquidations | 50 units/month | FBA enrollment | 180 days from arrival |
| Partnered Carrier Credit | $100 credit | FBA enrollment | 1 year from first listing |
| Global Logistics Credit | $200 credit | FBA + AGL usage | 1 year from first listing |
| Sponsored Products Credit | $50 credit | Campaign launched within 90 days, runs 30+ days | 30 days after credit appears |
| Coupons Credit | $50 credit | Coupon created within 90 days | 1 year from activation |
| Amazon Vine Credit | $200 credit | Brand Registry + Vine enrollment within 90 days | 90 days after Brand Registry completion |
| MCF Fulfillment Discount | 25% off (100 units) | FBA enrollment | 6 months preferred pricing |
| Low-Inventory Fee Waiver | Full exemption | FBA enrollment | 365 days from first FBA receipt |
| Storage Utilization Waiver | Full exemption | FBA enrollment | 365 days from first FBA receipt |
NSI vs. FBA New Selection: Understanding the Overlap
This is one of the most frequent points of confusion for new sellers. The NSI program and the FBA New Selection program are not the same thing, but they work together. Here is exactly how they relate.
NSI is the umbrella. FBA New Selection is one component inside it.
The New Seller Incentives program is the overarching framework that includes brand bonuses, advertising credits, shipping credits, Vine credits, and FBA perks.
The FBA New Selection program is a specific sub-program within that framework.
When you send eligible new-to-FBA products into Amazon’s fulfillment network within 90 days of listing, you are automatically enrolled in FBA New Selection no separate application needed.
What FBA New Selection Adds on Top of NSI
Beyond what the standard NSI package already delivers, FBA New Selection provides additional sales bonuses specifically for new product introductions. Brand owners simultaneously enrolled in NSI can benefit from both programs:
- ✓NSI brand sales bonus (5% from New Seller Incentives) applies to all eligible branded sales within the one-year period.
- ✓FBA New Selection bonus (average 10%) applies separately to eligible new FBA parent ASINs, paid monthly. These bonuses stack on top of the NSI branded sales bonus for qualifying products.
- ✓Free returns processing for new-to-FBA ASINs is automatically enabled once products are enrolled in FBA New Selection no separate activation required.
- ✓Inbound placement fee waiver for new parent ASINs is part of the FBA New Selection component, and covered up to 100 inbounded units per new parent ASIN for shipments created between December 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
Key point: You do not need to choose between NSI and FBA New Selection. If you meet NSI eligibility and send products through FBA within 90 days, you automatically participate in both. The programs compound one another rather than compete.
The practical implication for product research: products that qualify as “new parent ASINs” under FBA New Selection receive double bonus treatment. Prioritize genuinely new product introductions over variations on existing ASINs where possible during your NSI window.
Brand Owner vs. Non-Brand Owner: Side by Side
The gap between what brand-registered sellers receive versus non-brand sellers is substantial. If you are still deciding whether to register a brand before launching, this comparison makes the choice concrete.
- 10% bonus on first $50,000 in branded sales
- 5% bonus on the next $950,000 in branded sales
- $200 Amazon Vine credit for early honest reviews
- $400 FBA inbound placement credit
- $100 Partnered Carrier shipping credit
- $50 Sponsored Products ad credit
- $50 Amazon Coupons credit
- Free FBA storage (90 days, 50 units/ASIN)
- Free removals and liquidations (180 days)
- A+ Content and Amazon Stores access
- Brand Analytics dashboard
- IP Protection tools via Brand Registry
- FBA New Selection stacking bonuses
- No brand sales bonus
- No Vine credit access
- $400 FBA inbound placement credit
- $100 Partnered Carrier shipping credit
- $50 Sponsored Products ad credit
- $50 Amazon Coupons credit
- Free FBA storage (90 days, 50 units/ASIN)
- Free removals and liquidations (180 days)
- No A+ Content or Amazon Stores
- No Brand Analytics access
- Limited IP protection tools
- Partial FBA New Selection benefits
The brand sales bonus alone is worth up to $52,500. For most sellers pursuing a private label strategy, getting a trademark and enrolling in Brand Registry before listing your first product is the single highest-ROI action available before launch day.
How the Brand Sales Bonus Actually Gets Paid
The brand sales bonus is not paid as a direct deposit or a cash transfer into your bank account. It is applied as a credit that offsets your referral fees in the following month. This matters significantly for cash flow planning.
How it works in practice: If your eligible branded sales in October total $20,000, your 10% bonus is $2,000. That $2,000 appears as a credit applied against your November referral fee statement it reduces what you owe Amazon the following month, not what you receive as income.
Worked Example: A Seller with $80,000 in First-Year Branded Sales
Savings Calculation Breakdown
For a seller reaching the full $1,000,000 in branded sales, the brand bonus alone hits $52,500 $5,000 from the 10% tier plus $47,500 from the 5% tier.
This is exactly the scenario Amazon refers to when advertising “$50,000+ in potential incentives.” It requires significant sales volume, but for sellers building a real brand, it is very achievable across 12 months of consistent growth.
Bonuses accumulate monthly and are paid monthly. If you graduate from the program before spending all accumulated bonuses, any remaining balance expires 12 months after graduation. Tracking your Amazon sales growth month by month is the only reliable way to stay ahead of this expiry.
Your First 90 Days What to Do and When
The first 90 days after your first buyable ASIN goes live is the highest-stakes window in the entire program. Most credits require action within this period. Here is what to prioritize and in what order.
Day 1 Go Live & Apply for Brand Registry
Publish your first buyable ASIN. If you have a registered trademark, apply for Amazon Brand Registry the same day. The six-month enrollment window starts from your listing date, not your application date, so early action matters. Ensure your listing is fully optimized with strong images and keyword-rich copy before going live.
Within the First Week Send FBA Inventory
Create your first FBA shipment using the Amazon Partnered Carrier program to trigger the $100 shipping credit. Sending early gives Amazon more time to receive and process your inventory before the 90-day deadline creates pressure on your other triggers. Good inventory management from day one avoids stock shortfalls later.
Week Two Launch Your Sponsored Products Campaign
Create a Sponsored Products campaign for at least one eligible ASIN. Set it to run with no end date so it remains live for the required 30 days. The $50 ad credit will appear in your Ads Campaign Manager within two weeks of meeting this requirement, and you have 30 days to spend it from there.
Week Three Create Your First Coupon
Set up an Amazon Coupon for an eligible product to trigger the $50 coupon credit. This credit is valid for one year, so there is no immediate urgency after you create it but the creation itself must happen within 90 days of your first listing going live.
Day 30 Enroll in Amazon Vine (Brand Owners)
Once Brand Registry is approved, enroll your first ASIN in Amazon Vine within 90 days of Brand Registry completion to claim the $200 credit. Products must be FBA-enrolled, brand-registered, and have fewer than 30 reviews to qualify for Vine enrollment.
Day 90 Full Audit of All Triggers
Review your NSI dashboard in Seller Central. Confirm every credit-triggering action has been completed before this window closes. Any unclaimed FBA benefits after 90 days are generally not recoverable.
What Changed for 2025
January 15, 2025: Fee Discounts on Targeted New Selections
Amazon introduced enhanced fee discounts within the NSI and FBA New Selection programs starting January 15, 2025.
These discounts apply to everyday essentials, high-demand items with limited marketplace selection, and popular brands where customers want greater global availability.
If your products fall into these categories, additional savings stack on top of the standard NSI benefits.
No Fee Increases in 2025
Amazon confirmed no increases to US referral fees or FBA fees in 2025. For new sellers, this means the cost structure you plan against when launching stays stable throughout the year a meaningful change from 2023 and 2024, which both included multiple fee adjustments.
Inbound Placement Fee Reduction for Large Products
Effective January 15, 2025, inbound placement service fees for large bulky-size products were reduced by an average of $0.58 per unit for minimal shipment splits. If your catalog includes oversized or bulky items, this directly improves your unit economics at the time of sending inventory into the FBA network.
Inbound Placement Waiver for FBA New Selection ASINs
Amazon waived inbound placement service fees for new parent ASINs qualifying under the FBA New Selection Program, covering shipments created between December 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025. This waiver covered up to the first 100 inbounded units per new parent ASIN.
Life After NSI: What Happens When You Graduate
Sellers either hit the $1,000,000 branded sales cap or complete 12 months and “graduate” from the program. Here is what that transition actually looks like and how to plan for it before it catches you off guard.
What Stops
The 10% and 5% brand sales bonuses no longer apply after graduation. Any accumulated but unspent bonus balance expires 12 months after your graduation date.
What Stays
Brand Registry access, A+ Content, Brand Analytics, and Amazon Stores remain permanently available. These are ongoing account-level features, not NSI-exclusive perks.
What Replaces It
Amazon’s Brand Referral Bonus program is available separately to sellers driving external traffic to Amazon. It is a different ongoing program with its own enrollment criteria.
Planning the Transition Before It Happens
The worst outcome is graduating from NSI and only noticing after your referral fee offsets stop appearing. Here is how to stay ahead of it:
- ✓Set a calendar reminder for month 10 of your NSI period. This gives you two months to deliberately spend any remaining bonus credits before the graduation clock forces expiry.
- ✓Review your Amazon ranking performance before graduation. The organic traction built during the incentivized period needs to sustain itself through competitive pricing and continued advertising spend.
- ✓Research the Brand Referral Bonus program, which rewards sellers who bring external traffic to Amazon through channels like Google Ads or social media similar concept to the NSI brand bonus, but structured differently and available indefinitely.
- ✓Revisit your PPC strategy with the post-NSI fee structure in mind. Your break-even ACoS will shift once referral fee offset bonuses are no longer reducing your effective cost of sale each month.
How to Find Your NSI Dashboard
Amazon does not send a welcome email when you become eligible for NSI. The benefits are waiting inside your account. Here is exactly where to find them and how each credit gets applied.
- 1Log in to Seller Central at sellercentral.amazon.com.
- 2From the main menu, go to Growth and select New Seller Incentives. It may also appear under the Promotions or Benefits tab. If you cannot locate it, type “New Seller Incentives” in the Seller Central search bar.
- 3Your dashboard lists every incentive you are eligible for, the status of each, and the action required to claim it. Check both the “Total” and “Monthly” credit columns sellers frequently overlook the monthly view.
- 4For brand benefits, click the Enroll button to complete Brand Registry directly from within the dashboard, linking your brand registration to your seller account in one step.
- 5Advertising credits appear in your Amazon Ads Campaign Manager within two weeks of meeting the Sponsored Products campaign requirement. Check the Ads account directly if credits do not appear in Seller Central.
How Each Credit Is Applied
| Incentive | Application Method | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Free FBA Storage | Automatic applied during eligible period | Payments report in Seller Central |
| Brand Sales Bonus | Automatic monthly referral fee offset | Payments report, next billing cycle |
| Advertising Credit | Automatic added to Ads account after trigger met | Amazon Ads Campaign Manager |
| Coupon Credit | Manual create a coupon to trigger it | Seller Central Promotions tab |
| Vine Credit | Manual enroll an ASIN in Vine to use | Brand Dashboard → Vine section |
| Shipping Credits | Automatic applied when eligible shipment created | Seller Central payments report |
Amazon does not send automatic expiry reminders. Set your own calendar reminders at the 60-day, 80-day, and 85-day marks after your first listing date. Unused credits are not refundable or recoverable once expired.
How to Get the Most from NSI
Qualifying for the program and actually getting full value from it are two different things. These are the approaches used by sellers who consistently pull the maximum benefit from the NSI window.
Prioritize High-Demand Products for FBA Launch
Free storage, removals, and shipping credits deliver the most value when attached to products that actually sell. Send proven, in-demand items first so that the FBA free period coincides with real sales activity rather than slow-moving inventory.
Use Ad Credits to Validate Keywords First
The $50 Sponsored Products credit gives you enough budget to run keyword research and validation without spending your own money. Test 8 to 12 keywords in an automatic campaign during the 30-day spend window to identify what converts before committing your own ad budget.
Reserve Vine Credits for Zero-Review ASINs
The $200 Vine credit delivers the highest return when applied to products with zero or very few existing reviews. Organic review velocity for brand-new listings is negligible in the first weeks, so Vine reviewers provide the social proof that converts early shoppers.
Align All Incentive Actions Around One Launch
Coordinate your FBA send, ad campaign launch, Vine enrollment, and coupon creation around a single product launch event rather than staggering them across months. This creates concentrated early momentum while all benefits remain simultaneously active.
Apply for Brand Registry Before You List
Brand Registry approval can take several weeks. If you apply after your listing goes live, you eat directly into your six-month enrollment window. Start the trademark registration and Brand Registry application before your first ASIN is published.
Monitor Brand Sales Bonus Monthly
The brand sales bonus is paid monthly as a referral fee offset. Check your payments report each billing cycle to confirm it is being applied correctly and to project when you will graduate from the 10% tier into the 5% tier.
Mistakes That Cost New Sellers Real Money
- ✗Not enrolling in FBA within 90 days. This is the single most common reason sellers lose access to the entire FBA benefits bundle. Once the window closes, you cannot retroactively claim free storage or the $400 placement credit.
- ✗Running a Sponsored Products campaign with an end date. The $50 ad credit requires the campaign to run for at least 30 days continuously. Setting an end date or pausing the campaign early means the credit may not appear.
- ✗Missing the Vine enrollment window. The Vine credit requires enrollment within 90 days of Brand Registry completion not 90 days from your first listing. If you complete Brand Registry in month three, your Vine window closes around month six.
- ✗Listing ineligible ASINs first. If your first buyable ASIN falls in an ineligible category (refurbished, media, unbranded child ASIN), you may have started your NSI clock without actually being able to collect benefits tied to that ASIN.
- ✗Assuming all credits apply automatically. The Vine credit and Coupons credit both require explicit action. Leaving them untouched means they expire without any warning from Amazon.
- ✗Opening a store in the wrong region. Expanding within the same economic region for example, opening a French store after already selling in Germany does not qualify. NSI only applies to genuinely new geographic marketplaces.
- ✗Missing the Global Logistics credit. Sellers sourcing through Alibaba to Amazon FBA using Amazon Global Logistics are entitled to the $200 credit, but many are unaware it exists. Check your NSI dashboard to confirm this credit is available for your account.