1P vs 3P (Amazon Vendor vs Seller)
On Amazon, 1P (first party) means a brand sells wholesale to Amazon as a vendor, and Amazon then sells to shoppers; it runs through Vendor Central, which is by invitation only. 3P (third party) means the brand sells directly to shoppers on Amazon's store as a seller through Seller Central, which is open to business owners.
Why it matters for CPG brands
The model changes who controls price, stock and the listing, and which data and ad tools a brand works with. 1P brands hand over retail pricing and inventory decisions to Amazon; 3P brands keep them but take on fulfilment choices and day-to-day account work. Many CPG brands run both, which makes unified reporting important.
Example
A beverage brand ships pallets to Amazon as a vendor for its core flavours and sells new limited editions itself through Seller Central so it can control launch pricing. Reporting the two side by side shows the true total on Amazon.
Read more
- Unified Marketplace Data: Why Amazon, Walmart and Shopify Brands Need One Source of Truth
- Amazon's ad business made $68.6 billion in 2025
Related XENA products
- XENA 360: Unified marketplace sales, ads and operations
Related terms
Sources
Third-party facts are from the linked pages, checked Oct 27, 2026. Examples are illustrative unless they link to a published XENA case study.