seller
- What changed
- A decision framework and scorecard for hiring an Amazon agency
- When
- Updated October 2026
- Who it affects
- Brands and sellers comparing Amazon agencies or consultants
- What to do
- Define scope first, then score each agency on the same seven criteria
Key takeaways
- Define the scope your account needs before you compare agencies.
- Compare pricing models and contract terms, not just the monthly number.
- Score every agency on the same seven criteria and check the people doing the work.
Agency scorecard (score 1 to 5)
| What to check | Strong sign | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope fit | Covers your real gaps | Plan matches your audit |
| Pricing | Model and extras | Flat, fully written |
| Targets | How ACoS is set | From margin after fees |
| Reporting | Sample before signing | Ties spend to profit |
| Team | Who does the work | Named, with cover |
| Contract | Term and notice | Review point included |
| Red flags | Guarantees, logins | None found |
Start with scope: what do you need done?
Most bad agency matches start with a scope mismatch. A brand with strong listings but messy campaigns needs advertising help. A brand losing the buy box, fighting suppressed listings and running out of stock needs operations help first, because ads cannot fix those. List the work your account needs every month before you speak to anyone.
If ads are the gap, a PPC specialist or our Amazon PPC management plans may be enough. If several areas need work at once, full-service management is usually cheaper than hiring each skill separately.
- Advertising: Sponsored Products, Brands, Display, DSP
- Listings: titles, bullets, images, A+ Content
- Operations: catalog, cases, account health
- Inventory: forecasting, FBA shipments, reimbursements
- Strategy: pricing, launches, new marketplaces
Agency, consultant or in house?
An independent consultant gives you one experienced person; an agency gives you a team with cover and tools; an in house hire gives you full focus but one skill set. The right answer depends on volume and on how much of the work you can do yourself. Our comparison of Amazon consultant vs agency walks through the trade offs.
Compare pricing models, not just prices
Agencies usually charge one of three ways, sometimes with a setup fee. A percentage of ad spend rises every time spend rises, so it rewards spending more. A share of sales rewards revenue even when margin falls. A flat retainer for a defined scope stays the same whatever you spend. Ask each agency to price the same scope so the numbers are comparable, and ask what is billed on top. Our guide to Amazon agency cost lists typical ranges.
- Percentage of ad spend: fee grows with spend
- Revenue share: fee grows with sales, not profit
- Flat retainer: fee fixed for a set scope
- Watch for: setup fees, creative extras, tool pass throughs
Check how they set targets and report results
Ask how the agency sets a target ACoS. The answer should start with your margin after Amazon fees, not an industry average. Then ask for a sample report. Good reporting connects ad spend to total sales, TACoS and profit, shows organic rank on the terms that matter, and lists what was changed and why. A dashboard full of impressions and clicks with no link to profit tells you little.
You should own your Seller Central and Amazon Ads accounts and grant the agency its own user access. An agency that asks for your main login is a risk to your account.
Meet the people who will do the work
The person selling you the service is rarely the person running your account. Ask to meet the account manager and the ads specialist, ask how many accounts each one handles and who covers when they are away. Ask how often you will meet and what each meeting produces. Written action items after every call are a sign of a disciplined team.
Directories help with the shortlist. Amazon's Service Provider Network lists more than 3,000 vetted third party providers across 19 service categories, and the Amazon Ads partner directory lists agencies and tool providers, with a check mark on profiles where Amazon has verified at least two certified associates with recent campaign activity. A listing proves vetting and training, not results.
Read the contract before you fall for the plan
Contract terms decide how easy it is to fix a bad choice. Many agencies ask for an initial term, often around three months, so changes have time to show in the data. That is reasonable. A twelve month lock in with no review point is not.
- Initial term and what happens after it
- Notice period to cancel
- Fee changes when ad spend or ASIN count rises
- Who owns campaigns, creative and data on exit
- What the agency needs from you, and by when
Red flags that should end the conversation
Some warning signs are reliable enough to stop the process.
- Guaranteed rankings, sales or ACoS before an audit
- Requests for your main Seller Central password
- No sample report or dashboard before signing
- Unclear scope or fees that only appear on the invoice
- Long lock in with no performance review
- Advice to break Amazon policy, such as review manipulation
| Good agency | Risky agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Gives own user access to your accounts | ||
| Promises ACoS before seeing data | ||
| Shows sample report upfront | ||
| Twelve month lock in, no review |
Any risky answer is worth a follow up question.
How to choose an Amazon agency, step by step
Run the process in two to three weeks so the comparison stays fresh.
- Write down the scope your account needs each month
- Shortlist three agencies from referrals and Amazon directories
- Send the same brief and questions to each
- Share an audit or read only data so proposals are specific
- Score each on the seven criteria below
- Check references from brands of similar size
- Agree a 90 day plan and review date in writing
- 1Scope
List monthly work needed
- 2Shortlist
Three agencies from referrals and directories
- 3Brief
Same questions for each
- 4Score
Seven criteria, 1 to 5
- 5Agree
90 day plan in writing
Use a scorecard to decide
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on scope fit, pricing clarity, target setting, reporting, team, contract terms and red flags. Weight the first three more heavily if margins are tight. The scorecard does not make the decision for you, but it stops a polished pitch from outweighing a weak answer on targets or terms. For the interview itself, use our list of questions to ask a PPC agency.
Where PPC Spider fits
PPC Spider is an Amazon and marketplace agency with published flat fees: PPC plans from $995 a month and full-service Amazon account management from $1,950 a month. Target ACoS is set from each product's margin after fees, and SpiderOS monitors bids, budgets, search terms and stock. Score us with the same scorecard, and start with a free Amazon audit so our proposal is based on your data.
Sources
- Amazon Services Developer: Amazon Service Provider Network overview (developer.amazonservices.com/amazon-service-provider-network/overview)
- Amazon Ads: Frequently asked questions (advertising.amazon.com/resources/faq)
- Amazon Ads: Partner Network (advertising.amazon.com/partners)
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