FBA Glossary

Key terms and definitions used in FBA overstock and returns liquidation. Bookmark this page for reference.

ASIN Average Retail Price Bidding Sheet Customer Returns FBA LPN Manifest Overstock Segment Waterfall Allocation

ASIN: Amazon Standard Identification Number — a unique 10-character alphanumeric code assigned to every product listed on Amazon. Used to identify and track products across FBA inventory. Example: B08N5WRWNW.
Average Retail Price: The average selling price of a product on the marketplace over the last 90 days. Used by fba.market to determine which price range (segment) a product falls into. This is a dynamic value — the same product may shift between price ranges over time as marketplace prices change.
Bidding Sheet: The core document that buyers fill out on fba.market. It contains rows for each category and product source (overstock or customer returns), with columns for each price range. Buyers set their bid (as a percentage of average retail price) and monthly capacity per row. Bidding sheets can be updated monthly.
Customer Returns: Products that end consumers purchased and then returned to the seller via FBA. Returns may be opened, lightly used, or have cosmetic damage. They are generally priced lower than overstock due to variable condition, but often include items returned for reasons unrelated to defects (wrong size, changed mind, etc.).
FBA: Fulfillment By Amazon — a service where third-party sellers store their products in Amazon warehouses and Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping, and customer service. FBA products that are returned or remain unsold become overstock or customer returns available for liquidation.
LPN: License Plate Number — a unique barcode identifier assigned to individual items in FBA fulfillment centers. Used for tracking products through the warehouse and liquidation process. LPN manifests contain basic item identification data.
Manifest: A detailed document listing every product in a shipment. Manifests include the ASIN, product name, condition, retail price, category, and other relevant data. Every pallet shipped by fba.market includes a manifest so buyers know exactly what they are receiving.
Overstock: Products that FBA sellers want to liquidate because they are unsold, excess inventory, or being discontinued. Overstock items are typically in original packaging, unopened, and in new or like-new condition, making them more predictable in quality than customer returns.
Segment: A unique combination of product category × price range × product source (overstock or customer returns). For example, 'Electronics, €25-35, Returns' is one segment. Bids are set per segment, and waterfall allocation happens within each segment independently.
Waterfall Allocation: The system fba.market uses to distribute products to buyers. When inventory arrives, the highest bidder (by percentage of retail price) in each segment receives products first until reaching their capacity limit. Remaining products then cascade to the next highest bidder, and so on. This ensures efficient distribution without per-lot auctions.