Amazon Simplifies Seller Feedback – Here’s What Brands Need to Know

In a quiet but potentially impactful update, Amazon is overhauling its seller feedback system. The days of star ratings and detailed seller reviews may soon be behind us — replaced by a simpler, binary format: thumbs up or thumbs down.

On the surface, this might seem like just another UX tweak. But for brands, especially those running hybrid 1P/3P strategies or managing multiple seller accounts, this change deserves a closer look.

What’s Changing Exactly?

Previously, customers could leave detailed seller feedback, including:

• A 1-to-5 star rating
• A written comment
• An optional product review

Under the new system, Amazon is replacing this with a “Was this seller experience positive?” Yes or No prompt, followed by a request for optional details.

The new format is being rolled out gradually and will apply to seller feedback submitted on desktop and mobile.

Why Amazon Is Making This Change

There’s a clear pattern here. Amazon has been steadily moving toward frictionless, mobile-first customer experiences — not just for shopping, but for feedback as well.

Here are three likely reasons behind this shift:

1. Simplicity = More Data
   Star ratings require more cognitive effort than a binary response. By reducing friction, Amazon may collect more overall seller feedback, which can strengthen its trust signals and inform search and Buy Box algorithms.
2. Cleaner Signal, Less Noise
   The old system was vulnerable to noise — customers often left seller feedback that belonged in product reviews (or vice versa), or penalized sellers for FBA shipping issues that weren’t their fault. A binary format removes ambiguity.
3. Focus on Delivery + Service
   Most seller complaints boil down to two things: “I didn’t get my item on time” or “It wasn’t what I expected.” A thumbs-up/down format reflects that reality and lets Amazon isolate poor fulfillment or customer service behavior more efficiently.

Implications for Brands and Sellers

For high-performing sellers with strong operations, this change is probably neutral-to-positive. But there are some strategic implications brands need to think through.

1. Buy Box & Account Health
   Seller feedback has always been a key input into Buy Box eligibility and account health metrics. With a simpler system, even one or two negative responses could skew percentages more heavily than before — especially for low-volume accounts.
   
2. Reputation Management Gets Harder
   Detailed seller reviews gave brands and aggregators something to work with — especially when trying to resolve negative experiences or respond to false claims. With a binary system, you may no longer know why someone rated you negatively unless they leave optional notes (which many won’t).
   
   That also means less insight into systemic problems — like delayed shipping or incorrect product detail pages — and fewer tools for root-cause analysis.
   
3. Gaming the System Becomes Easier
   One concern: the simplicity of this system may increase vulnerability to bad actors. If you’re a small seller and a competitor thumbs-downs you 10 times in a week, that could be enough to trigger Buy Box suppression or health flags.

It’s unclear how Amazon plans to prevent or penalize manipulation — but it’s something to watch closely.

Final Take: Lower Resolution, Higher Stakes

Amazon’s new feedback system is part of a broader trend: streamline customer touchpoints, even if it means brands and sellers get less visibility into what’s working (or not).

This is consistent with Amazon’s approach elsewhere:

• They’ve already compressed customer reviews into brief headlines.
• They’re hiding or summarizing review content more often.
• And now, seller feedback is heading the same way.

In short, Amazon wants the data — not necessarily the detail.

For brands and agencies, that means adjusting your monitoring systems, preparing for less qualitative input, and focusing even more on operational excellence. The new seller feedback format might be simpler — but its impact on your visibility, your Buy Box eligibility, and your brand trust metrics could be anything but.