Operator glossary
Buyer-Seller Messaging rules
The regulated channel for contacting customers — necessary order messages only, one review request per order, no marketing ever, opt-outs honored — the compliance line between service and spam.
Amazon's messaging policy divides contact into permitted proactive messages (order problems, delivery questions, review requests within limits) and everything else — marketing, coupons, external links, review gating — which is prohibited. Buyers who opted out can only receive 'critical' messages tied to completing their order.
Enforcement escalates from blocked messages to account-level penalties, and third-party autoresponders inherit your liability. The safe architecture: transactional necessity through Messaging, review solicitation through the compliant single ask (or the Request a Review button), and brand relationship-building through channels Amazon actually allows — inserts within policy, Brand Tailored Promotions, and your owned audience.
The numbers
- Permitted: order-completion messages, single review request per order; prohibited: marketing, links, incentives, gating.
- Opted-out buyers receive critical messages only; autoresponder violations land on the seller.
Related terms