If you’re an Amazon seller, you’ve almost certainly heard the term Buy Box more than a handful of times. But what is the Buy Box on Amazon? And what does it mean to win it?
Whether you’re a new seller still wrapping your head around the concept or an experienced Amazon pro looking to improve your Buy Box wins, this guide breaks down everything you need to know, from what the Amazon Buy Box is, to how shared and exclusive wins work.
Let’s get into it.
What is an Amazon Buy Box?
Simply put, the Amazon Buy Box (or buybox) is the white box on the right-hand side of a product page. Here, customers can see price, delivery details, quantity selector, and most importantly, the “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” buttons.
On mobile devices, it typically appears front-and-centre beneath the product title and price, making it all the more critical for sellers.
That deceptively simple-looking box is where more than 80% of all Amazon sales happen.
What is a “Buy Box Win” on Amazon?
If there’s only one seller on a product (as with many private-label listings), they’ll often hold the Buy Box by default. But when multiple sellers offer the same product, only one of them can “win” the Buy Box at a time.
When a seller is chosen by the Amazon Algorithm (we’ll talk about algorithm factors in a moment) or ‘wins’ the Buy Box, they are awarded the Buy Box and essentially become the default choice for customers who click “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” rather than scroll down to check other sellers.
But a win isn’t permanent. It rotates based on a variety of factors including seller performance, pricing, stock levels, shipping method, and more. You might win it 40% of the time while other sellers share the rest. That’s why understanding your Buy Box win rate (or percentage of page views where your offer was the one in the box) is key.
Why are Buy Box Wins Important?
Buy Box Wins = Visibility = Sales.
If your offer isn’t in the Buy Box, most shoppers won’t see it. For competitive listings, securing Buy Box wins is the difference between steady sales and almost no sales at all.
The more boxes you win, the more you sell. Simple.
How Does the Amazon Buy Box Algorithm Work?
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t publicly share its exact Buy Box formula, but here’s what we know influences it:
- Price (including shipping)
- Fulfilment method (FBA usually wins here)
- Shipping speed
- Stock availability
- Seller feedback
- Order history and performance
The algorithm evaluates all of these in real time to decide who gets the Buy Box at any given moment.
What is Amazon Buy Box Eligibility?
Not every offer qualifies for the Buy Box.
To be Buy Box eligible, a seller typically needs:
- A Professional Seller account
- Strong order defect rates, late shipment rates, and cancellation rates
- Consistent stock availability
- Competitive pricing, including shipping
- Fast and reliable fulfilment (FBA helps)
You can check your Buy Box eligibility in Amazon Seller Central under each SKU. Even if you’re the only seller on a listing, you may not win it if your metrics are off.
What is Buy Box Suppression?
Buy Box suppression happens when Amazon removes the Buy Box entirely from a product page. Instead of the usual “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” button, shoppers see a list of sellers they have to click through manually.
Amazon typically suppresses the Buy Box when no seller meets its minimum performance standards. For example, when prices are considered uncompetitive or unusually high, or when stock or shipping options fall short. For sellers, this means fewer conversions and slower sales, as the easy one-click purchase flow is gone.
Types of Buy Box Wins: Exclusive vs Shared vs Featured
Let’s break down the 3 main ways sellers appear in the Buy Box:
1. Exclusive Buy Box Win
You’re the only seller eligible and active on the listing. No rotation. No sharing. You own it.
This usually happens if you’re the sole FBA seller, the brand owner, or you’ve priced and positioned yourself far better than everyone else.
StreetPricer Tip: Exclusive wins usually deliver the highest profit margin and best visibility. If you’re seeing these on your listings, you’re doing something right.
2. Shared Buy Box
Amazon rotates the Buy Box between multiple eligible sellers. This can change minute by minute based on pricing, stock, shipping, and more.
A shared Buy Box is common in high-competition categories like electronics or home goods. If 4 sellers are eligible and evenly matched, you might get 25% visibility each.
This is where repricing tools become essential.
3. Featured Offer, But Not in the Buy Box
Sometimes you’re listed as a Featured Offer, but not the Buy Box winner. Your offer might be highlighted somewhere below, but not shown as the default. You’re still in the race—just not in the poll position.
Why do Amazon sellers need to know about the differences?
Knowing the difference between each BuyBox type is important because it helps you to know which products can benefit from extra attention. The importance of the 3 BuyBoxes reflects a hierarchy pyramid, from exclusive offer at the top to featured offer at the bottom.
Exclusive wins are the gold standard. If you hold the Buy Box exclusively, competitors can’t undercut you, and you’ll capture the majority of sales. Shared wins are still valuable because your offer rotates into the default spot, but there’s always a risk of losing visibility to competitors. Featured offers, on the other hand, rarely drive significant sales. Shoppers almost always buy from the main Buy Box, so being featured further down the page usually means missing out.
If most of your wins are Featured, or if your sales aren’t matching the number of Buy Box wins you’re seeing, it’s a signal to review your listing. Knowing which type of Buy Box win you’ve achieved, helps you get a clearer picture of your performance and a roadmap for where to improve.
Why am I Not Winning the Buy Box?
Not holding the Buy Box doesn’t always mean you’re doing something wrong, it usually means Amazon’s algorithm favours another seller at that moment. The most common reasons include:
Uncompetitive Pricing: Even if you’re eligible, you won’t win if your price (including shipping) is too high compared to other sellers.
Fulfilment Method: FBA sellers typically have the edge thanks to Prime eligibility and Amazon-managed shipping.
Low or Inconsistent Stock: Running low, or worse, going out of stock makes Amazon reluctant to award you the Buy Box.
Weak Account Health: High order defect rates, late shipments, or poor customer feedback can reduce your chances.
Suppressed Buy Box: If Amazon deems all offers uncompetitive or below standard, the Buy Box may not appear at all.
How to Win the Buy Box
Improving your Buy Box win rate comes down to optimising the levers Amazon cares about most. Here’s how to stack the odds in your favour:
Reprice Strategically: Compete without racing to the bottom. Automated repricing tools help you react instantly to market changes.
Use FBA (or Match its Standards): Fast, reliable fulfilment and Prime eligibility boost your odds significantly.
Stay In Stock: Manage inventory closely and plan for spikes in demand so you don’t lose Buy Box eligibility when you need it most.
Boost Your Seller Metrics: Keep defect, cancellation, and late shipment rates low. Respond quickly to customer queries and aim for strong feedback.
Monitor the Buy Box Price: Track daily shifts so you know when to adjust and when to hold for margin. You could also use an automated repricer to stay competitive 24/7.
The relationship between buy box wins and repricers
Winning the Amazon Buy Box isn’t luck. It’s about being faster, smarter, and more consistent than your competitors. Manual repricing or guesswork won’t cut it with Amazon’s algorithm shifting hundreds of times a day. That’s where StreetPricer comes in. A real-time AI driven repricer that reacts in under a second, keeps you competitive without racing to the bottom, and even raises prices to protect your margins when you already hold the box.
With features like multi-fulfilment logic, velocity-based repricing, and the Buy Box Analyzer, StreetPricer gives sellers full visibility and control. Instead of missing sales due to slow reactions, stock gaps, or suppressed Buy Boxes, you’ll win more often and win more profitably. If you’re ready to turn Buy Box wins into business growth, StreetPricer is the smarter way to sell on Amazon.