Have you heard of the LPN number on Amazon?
With all kinds of different codes and identifiers, new Amazon sellers can tend to get confused on what the differences are between them.
Amazon sellers need to understand the return process as part of their commitment to providing good customer service.
What does this LPN number mean for your return process? What is LPN number on Amazon? These are questions that we’ll answer in this article.
As a first step, let’s explore what LPN stands for.
What is the LPN Number on Amazon?
The LPN number on Amazon stands for “License Plate Numbers”.
This is a unique identifier code used as a sticker that Amazon’s systems use to identify items that are being tracked for a return and associate it to the correct seller.
LPN number stickers are most commonly used for Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) sellers. FBA sellers are Amazon sellers that send their inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers for picking, packing, and shipping to customers.
Why Amazon Returns Need an LPN Number and Sticker
Without an LPN number sticker, the items will not be properly identified and sorted as meant for returns. The packages can get lost in the logistics process and get mistaken for brand new items, which would be very bad because returns are often done because of damaged items or missing parts.
You can also use LPN Numbers to contact Amazon for reimbursement if the customer’s return was due to their fulfillment center losing parts or damaging items.
Additionally, the LPN number can be used in a reverse search to see which unit the return is associated with if you don’t have a record of it.
How Do I Find the LPN Number Sticker?
The LPN number sticker is a small white rectangular sticker with rounded corners.
It has a barcode and “LPN RR” underneath it, followed by a series of numbers.
This sticker is placed on top of any existing FNSKU stickers or barcodes on item boxes to make sure that it is properly scanned in FBA fulfillment centers.
Related Reading: What is Amazon FBA: Complete Amazon FBA Guide in 2023
How Can I Find the LPN Number in My Return Reports?
As a seller, it is important to keep track of your returns. We recommend that you do this once a week. In Return Reports, you will be able to see all LPN Numbers and indicated reasons for return.
To download your Return Reports, follow these steps:
- On the Seller Central toolbar, hover over Reports and click on Return Reports.
- Click on View FBA Reports.
- On the left hand side, scroll down and hover on FBA customer returns under Customer Concessions. Click on View downloads.
- Here, you can request for a .csv or .txt report for a certain Event Date.
- After requesting the report, click Download under Report Status.
Once you open the report, you will see the Return Date, Order ID, SKU, ASIN, FNSKU, Product Name, Quantity, Fulfillment Center ID, Detailed Disposition, Reason for Return, Unit Status, LPN (License Plate Number), and Customer Comments.
Why Are Return Reports Important?
By analyzing customer returns and customer reviews, you can constantly improve the quality of the product and by doing this, you are going to win long-term.
The average return rate of items on Amazon is between 5% to 15%. With this range, you can identify if you are doing well as a seller or if you need to start thinking about changes to be made in your products and business practices to avoid a higher rate of returns.
Analyzing your Return Reports helps you observe a few things such as:
- Preventing sending damaged inventory to FBA fulfillment centers
- Improve product quality
- Which fulfillment centers produce the most returns
- Which items get returned most often because customers feel misled by your product listings
- Understanding customer opinions and behaviors
- The need to file claims with Amazon for items they damaged or lost parts of
You as a seller have the best way of gauging if the reasons and frequency of these returns mean that your business is at risk of failing. We recommend that you create a spreadsheet that keeps a record of them so that you can notice a trend and take valuable actions from there based on your observations.
Final Thoughts
In general, it is a good habit to keep a record of all kinds of activities going on in your business. Analyzing your Return Reports can help you can pay more attention to what you can improve on as a seller, improve your products to avoid returns, as well as observe how Amazon fulfillment centers handle your items.
As we’ve seen in our article, understanding how an LPN number impacts Amazon’s elaborate returns process is important even though you are not physically involved in the process.
If you have any questions and struggle with managing returns from customers, let us know! Or, if you are struggling with your Amazon business, enroll in my Amazon FBA course to learn the right methods and mindset!