Alexa Shopping Kit FAQ

The following frequently asked questions (FAQ) answer your most common questions about Alexa Shopping Actions for Alexa Skills. For details about Alexa Shopping Kit, see Recommend Products with Alexa Shopping Kit.

Customer settings

Q: Can all customers use Alexa Shopping?

To use Alexa Shopping, a customer must enable voice purchasing in the Alexa app. Customers can add items to their Amazon Wish List even if they don't define customer settings, such as payment method and delivery address.

Q: Which payment method does Alexa use for purchases within Amazon?

For purchases, Alexa uses the payment method associated with the customer's Amazon account.

Q: Where are the packages shipped?

Amazon ships the packages to the address associated with the customer's default shipping address for purchases.

ASINs

Q: Are Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASIN) the same across all Amazon websites?

Yes. ASINs are the same across Amazon websites. You can test ASINs by using <Domain-Name>/dp/<asin> for the marketplace domain that you're targeting. Alexa Shopping Actions for Alexa Skills supports a subset of domains.

If you notice that a product's ASIN doesn't work across the marketplaces that you support, keep a table that contains the ASIN of the product for each marketplace. When you offer a product to a given user, extract the country code from the locale of the request. Map the country code to the correct ASIN, and then pass that ASIN to the shopping action API.

Q: Can I specify an ASIN offer from a specific seller account?

No. Skills can only provide the ASIN. Amazon provides a seller based on the best combination of provider, cost, and shipping for a customer. Customers can choose to add a product to their cart, and then sign in to the Amazon retail website from their desktop or mobile device to change the seller.

Q: Can I use an ASIN for an in-skill purchasing (ISP) product?

No. You can't sell ISP products with Alexa Shopping Actions. For details, see Restrictions for Alexa Shopping Kit.

Earn money with your Alexa skill

Q: Can I use Alexa Shopping Actions and earn money in my Alexa skill?

Yes. Any custom skill that meets the certification requirements can earn money in their skill. You can use Alexa Shopping Actions in a paid skill or include ISP purchase flows in your skill. Or, you can earn money with the Amazon Associates on Alexa program. However, you can't sell ISP products with Alexa Shopping Actions.

Q: How do I get started with Amazon Associates?

To get started, sign up for an Amazon Associates account, add a disclaimer to your product recommendations, and add your Associates ID to shopping action API requests.

Q: What are tracking IDs and how can I create them?

Tracking IDs are identifiers in your Associates account that enable you to track the commission each Alexa skill earns separately. Tracking IDs are connected to your Associates ID and aren't considered separate accounts. Amazon recommends that you create a tracking ID for each Alexa shopping skill. You can also create tracking IDs for product recommendation segments to help you see metrics by segment. For more details, see Using Tracking IDs.

Q: How do I link my Alexa skill to my Associates ID and tracking ID to earn commissions?

First, add Alexa Shopping Actions to your skill. After you have a working shopping flow, update the interface to add your Associates ID and tracking ID to your shopping action requests. For details, see Alexa Shopping Actions API Reference.

Q: I have an existing Associates account, should I create a new account for my Alexa skills?

If your existing account is for your website, to facilitate tracking and management, Amazon recommends that you create a new Associates account for your Alexa skills. To simplify store ID management, register for a new account with the same Amazon account credentials. However, if you don't want to use two separate accounts, it's OK to use your existing Associates account for Alexa skills. Amazon recommends that you create a separate tracking ID for each of your Alexa skills in your Associates account.

Q: What commission do I earn from Amazon Associates on Alexa?

You earn commission as defined by the Amazon Associates program. For more details, see Associates Program Standard Commission Income Statement.

Q: Do I earn commission income when a user adds items to the Cart through the AddToShoppingCart action from my skill, but then purchases the products on their PC or mobile device?

In accordance with the Associates Program Operating Agreement and Associates Program Policies, under the "Qualifying Purchases" and "Session" sections, Associates earn commission for items that a user adds to their Amazon Cart through your skill, and then purchases on any other device. Unfortunately, Amazon can't pay commission income for cross-device purchases if the user doesn't first add the item to their Cart in your skill.

Q: What are the best practices for a monetized skill?

For best practices, see Design for In-Skill Purchasing in the Alexa Design Guide.

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Last updated: Mar 26, 2024