Walmart tracks metrics like on-time delivery, valid tracking, cancellations, late shipments, returns, negative feedback and response time. Each has a target, such as 99% valid tracking and a cancellation rate of 2% or below. Missing them can lead to listing suppression, account suspension or termination.
What metrics does Walmart measure?
According to Walmart's published seller performance standards (as of mid-2026), these are the targets for seller-fulfilled orders:
- On-time delivery rate: 90% or above, delivered on or before the expected delivery date.
- Valid tracking rate: 99% or above.
- Cancellation rate: 2% or below, for orders you cancel after receiving them.
- Late shipment rate: 5% or below.
- Seller response rate: 95% or above of customer messages answered within 48 hours.
- Negative feedback rate: 2% or below of orders getting a one- or two-star rating, over 60 days.
- Return rate: 6% or below over 60 days (9% for resold items).
- Item not received rate: 2% or below over 60 days.
Walmart updates these standards from time to time, so always check the current numbers in Seller Center. If you use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), Walmart handles most of these metrics for those orders, but negative feedback still counts against you.
What happens if you fall below a standard?
Walmart notifies you by email and in Seller Center. If the problem continues, Walmart can suppress listings, suspend the account, or terminate it. A suspended account can't sell, and payments are held while it is suspended.
What usually causes performance problems on Walmart?
- Uploading tracking late, or using carriers Walmart can't validate.
- Shipping templates with transit times you can't actually meet.
- Stockouts from inventory that isn't synced with other channels, which forces cancellations.
- Slow replies to customer messages, especially over weekends.
- Product quality or listing accuracy problems that drive returns and bad ratings.
How do you fix a performance warning?
- Open the performance dashboard in Seller Center and see exactly which metric failed.
- Download the affected orders and look for the pattern: one carrier, one warehouse, one product, or one busy week.
- Fix the operation: adjust shipping templates, sync inventory, switch carriers, or move problem items to WFS.
- If you have to appeal, explain the root cause, what you've changed, and how you'll monitor it. See our Walmart appeal guide.
Got a performance notice from Walmart? Send us a screenshot and we'll tell you which metric to fix first.
This guide is general information. Walmart's performance standards and how they're measured can change, so check your Seller Center for the current targets.