What is Amazon PO On-Time Accuracy?
PO On-Time Accuracy (POTA) is one of the most frequently triggered chargeback categories for Amazon Vendor Central brands. It measures whether your shipments fulfill Amazon's purchase orders within the specified delivery window. Poor POTA performance can result in significant chargebacks and damage to your vendor relationship with Amazon.
What is PO On-Time Accuracy?
PO On-Time Accuracy measures whether your vendor shipments arrive at Amazon's fulfillment centers within the Receive Window specified on the purchase order. Amazon issues a specific delivery window for each PO — typically a 3–7 day range. Shipments that arrive early (before the window opens), late (after the window closes), or are down-confirmed (you ship fewer units than ordered) generate POTA chargebacks.
Types of POTA Violations
- Late delivery: shipment arrives after the PO's Receive Window end date
- Early delivery: shipment arrives before the Receive Window start date — Amazon's receiving operations are scheduled and early arrivals disrupt their workflow
- Down-confirmation: you acknowledge the PO but confirm a lower quantity than Amazon ordered (often due to inventory constraints)
- Not filled: you acknowledge the PO but ship zero units
POTA Chargeback Rates
Amazon charges approximately 3% of the cost of goods (COGS) per unit that is delivered outside the Receive Window. For large shipments, this adds up rapidly. Amazon's target compliance rate for POTA is above 90% — meaning no more than 10% of your shipped units should fall outside the delivery window in a given measurement period.
| Violation Type | Trigger | Chargeback |
|---|---|---|
| Late delivery | Arrives after Receive Window end date | ~3% of COGS per unit |
| Early delivery | Arrives before Receive Window start date | ~3% of COGS per unit |
| Down-confirmation | Fewer units confirmed than ordered | Applied to shortfall units |
| Not filled | PO acknowledged but zero units shipped | Applied to full PO value |
How to Improve POTA Performance
- Improve PO acknowledgment speed — acknowledge purchase orders within 24 hours and confirm accurate quantities
- Work closely with your carrier to ensure scheduled delivery appointments fall within the Receive Window
- Monitor your delivery appointment confirmation from Amazon's carrier portal
- Build a buffer into your shipment timing — aim for the middle of the Receive Window, not the last day
- Track POTA performance by PO and carrier to identify patterns in late deliveries
Disputing Incorrect POTA Chargebacks
Many POTA chargebacks are incorrectly assessed — particularly early delivery charges when Amazon's own receiving team accepted the shipment outside the normal window, and late charges when carrier delay (not vendor error) caused the issue. Gather carrier proof of delivery, signed BOLs, and appointment confirmation records. File disputes through Vendor Central within the dispute window with this documentation.
The most common reason POTA disputes fail is insufficient documentation. Keep signed BOLs, carrier POD (proof of delivery) records, and delivery appointment confirmations on file for every PO shipment. Build a process to archive these records for at least 60 days — longer than the 30-day dispute window — so you always have the evidence ready when a chargeback is incorrectly applied.
POTA and the Vendor Scorecard
POTA performance is one of the key metrics on Amazon's Vendor Scorecard — the quarterly report card Amazon provides to its major vendors. Consistent POTA failures can result in reduced PO volume from Amazon, tighter delivery requirements, or in severe cases, the loss of vendor terms. Proactively improving POTA is therefore both a cost management and relationship management priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
PO On-Time Accuracy measures whether your vendor shipments arrive at Amazon's fulfillment centers within the Receive Window specified on the purchase order. Amazon issues a specific delivery window for each PO — typically a 3 to 7 day range. Shipments that arrive early, late, or are down-confirmed generate POTA chargebacks.
There are four types: late delivery (shipment arrives after the PO Receive Window end date), early delivery (shipment arrives before the window opens), down-confirmation (you confirm fewer units than Amazon ordered), and not filled (you acknowledge the PO but ship zero units).
Amazon charges approximately 3% of the cost of goods (COGS) per unit delivered outside the Receive Window. Amazon's target compliance rate for POTA is above 90% — meaning no more than 10% of your shipped units should fall outside the delivery window in a given measurement period.
Acknowledge purchase orders within 24 hours and confirm accurate quantities. Work closely with your carrier to ensure delivery appointments fall within the Receive Window. Monitor delivery appointment confirmations from Amazon's carrier portal. Build a buffer into shipment timing and aim for the middle of the Receive Window. Track POTA performance by PO and carrier to identify patterns.
Many POTA chargebacks are incorrectly assessed — particularly early delivery charges when Amazon's own receiving team accepted the shipment outside the window, and late charges when carrier delay caused the issue. Gather carrier proof of delivery, signed BOLs, and appointment confirmation records. File disputes through Vendor Central within the 30-day dispute window.
POTA performance is one of the key metrics on Amazon's Vendor Scorecard — the quarterly report card Amazon provides to its major vendors. Consistent POTA failures can result in reduced PO volume from Amazon, tighter delivery requirements, or in severe cases, the loss of vendor terms.
About Perfality
Perfality is an end-to-end ecommerce and marketplace management agency trusted by 75+ global CPG and DTC brands including Spectrum Brands, Kenneth Cole, Black+Decker, Stella & Chewy's, and Galderma. With 8 years of hands-on experience and a 100+ specialist team based in Jaipur, India, Perfality helps brands grow on Amazon, Walmart, Chewy, Petco, and other major marketplaces through listing optimization, A+ content, PPC management, account operations, chargeback recovery, and data intelligence. Learn more at www.perfality.com.
Perfality's vendor compliance team manages POTA monitoring, dispute filing, and carrier coordination for 75+ global CPG brands. Let's review your account.
