E-commerce glossary: Buy Box, MRP, RTO and more

This glossary defines each term in plain English, shows how it appears in India, and says what to check on your own products. Every term has its own link, so you can send a colleague to the exact entry. Where we have a fuller explanation we link to our guide instead of repeating it. Quick-commerce terms such as dark store and serviceability are in the separate quick commerce glossary.

42 terms · Last updated 30 October 2026 · Written by the Rewalto research team · See also the quick commerce glossary

A

A+ Content

Also called: Enhanced brand content

The richer product description a brand can add on Amazon, with extra images, comparison charts and brand text below the basic listing. Other marketplaces offer similar enhanced content under different names.

In India. A brand selling a face serum on Amazon.in can add lifestyle images and an ingredient explainer to its page. Access usually depends on the brand being registered with the marketplace.

What to check. It sits far down the page, so check that your title, images and price are right first. Compare it against rivals' pages in the same category to see what shoppers are shown before they buy.

ACOS and ROAS

Also called: Advertising cost of sales, return on ad spend

Two ways to read ad efficiency. ACOS is ad spend divided by the sales those ads produced; ROAS is the sales divided by the spend, so one is the inverse of the other.

In India. If a brand spends 1,000 rupees on sponsored products and the ads are credited with 5,000 rupees of sales, ACOS is 20% and ROAS is 5. That example uses invented numbers for illustration.

What to check. Both come from the platform's own attribution, so they say what the platform credits to ads. They do not say whether the product was in stock in the places the ads reached, which is worth checking before you read either.

Add-to-cart rate

The share of people who view a product page and add the product to their cart. It is a step before conversion and shows whether the page persuades.

In India. A page with a strong price against MRP and clear pack information usually earns more add-to-cart clicks, while a page showing unavailable in the shopper's pin code cannot.

What to check. A low rate can mean a weak page, a poor price or a product that cannot be delivered where the shopper lives. Check availability and price against rivals before you rewrite the page.

AEO (answer engine optimisation)

Also called: AI search optimisation

The work of making sure AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can find, understand and name a brand when someone asks a question in its category.

In India. A shopper asks an assistant for the best protein powder under a budget, and the assistant names a few brands. Whether yours is named depends on what the assistant can read about you on your site, on retailers and in reviews.

What to check. No one can promise an assistant will name you. What a brand can do is check what the assistants say today, fix factual gaps on its own pages and retailer listings, and track the change over time.

ASIN and FSN

Also called: Marketplace product identifiers

Codes a marketplace assigns to a product page. ASIN is Amazon's identifier and FSN is Flipkart's. The same physical product often has a different code on each marketplace.

In India. A brand tracking one shampoo across Amazon.in and Flipkart holds two codes for it, and every variant such as a different pack size has its own code as well.

What to check. Keep a table mapping each SKU to its code on every marketplace. It is the base for any price or stock comparison, and errors in the mapping are the main cause of wrong comparisons.

Average order value (AOV)

The average amount a customer spends per order, found by dividing revenue by the number of orders. It is measured on a store or platform, not on a product.

In India. A brand's own website may show a higher AOV than a quick-commerce app, where baskets are small top-ups. Free-delivery thresholds tend to pull the AOV up to a little above the threshold.

What to check. AOV shapes bundle and pack decisions. Compare it channel by channel, not overall, and remember it measures the order, not how well any one product does.

B

Buy Box

Also called: Featured offer, winning offer

The offer shown on a marketplace product page as the default one to buy. When several sellers list the same product, one seller's offer wins the Buy Box and receives most of the orders.

In India. On Amazon.in, the Add to Cart button belongs to one seller's offer at a time. For a brand this matters when unauthorised resellers list the same product, because a lower-priced or faster reseller can take the Buy Box from the brand's own store. Other marketplaces use similar mechanisms under other names.

What to check. Check who holds the Buy Box for your key products, at what price, and how often it changes. A brand that sees a stranger holding it has a listing and pricing problem, not a demand problem.

Related terms: Unauthorised seller, Price parity, Marketplace

C

Cash on delivery (COD)

Also called: Pay on delivery

A payment option where the customer pays in cash, or by card or UPI, when the parcel arrives instead of paying at checkout.

In India. COD remains common in smaller cities and among first-time online buyers. It lowers the barrier to order and also raises the chance of an order being refused at the door.

What to check. Compare the return rate for COD and prepaid orders separately. A high COD share can lift orders and also lift RTO, so look at both before you push it.

Catalogue quality

Also called: Content score

How full and correct a brand's product data is on a marketplace: title, images, attributes, barcodes and descriptions. Marketplaces may reward high quality with better visibility.

In India. Missing attributes, such as net weight or ingredients, are a common reason a listing is filtered out of search refinements on Indian marketplaces.

What to check. Treat product data as an asset with an owner. A single source of truth that feeds every marketplace prevents pack sizes and MRP from drifting apart.

Conversion rate

The share of visitors to a page or store who go on to buy. It is orders divided by visits over the same period.

In India. A D2C site and a marketplace listing convert very differently, because a marketplace visitor arrives with intent and a site visitor often arrives from an ad. Availability by pin code and delivery promise both sit behind the number.

What to check. Compare like with like: the same page type, traffic source and period. A drop in conversion can come from price, stock, reviews or a change in the traffic itself, so look for the cause before acting.

D

D2C (direct to consumer)

Also called: DTC, own-website selling

A brand selling straight to buyers through its own site or app, rather than only through marketplaces and retailers.

In India. Many Indian D2C brands started on Shopify and added Amazon, Nykaa or quick commerce as they grew. That leaves them with a price and range to keep consistent across places.

What to check. The D2C site is the one place a brand fully controls. Use it to keep your product data, pack sizes and MRP correct, and compare what the marketplaces show against it.

Related terms: Marketplace, Price parity, Storefront, Schema markup

Discount depth

Also called: Discount off MRP

The percentage a selling price sits below the MRP. It shows how strong an offer looks to a shopper.

In India. Marketplaces show the MRP struck through beside the selling price, and often a coupon on top. Discount depth for the same product can differ between Amazon.in, Flipkart and the brand's own site.

What to check. Watch it over time and by seller. If the deepest discount belongs to a reseller, or moves every week, it is worth finding out who funds it.

Read the full entry: What is discount depth? Meaning and how to calculate it

E

EAN, GTIN and barcode

Also called: Global Trade Item Number

The number printed under a product's barcode. EAN-13 is the common thirteen-digit form, and GTIN is the umbrella name for these product numbers.

In India. Indian brands typically obtain barcodes through GS1 India. Marketplaces ask for the barcode when you list a product, and a wrong or reused one can block or merge listings.

What to check. One barcode per SKU, kept consistent across marketplaces, is the cleanest way to prove two listings are the same product. It also helps any tool matching products across sites.

F

Fulfilment (marketplace-fulfilled vs seller-fulfilled)

Also called: FBA-style programmes

Who stores, packs and ships an order. In marketplace-fulfilled selling the platform holds your stock in its warehouse; in seller-fulfilled selling you ship yourself.

In India. Marketplaces run their own fulfilment programmes, and listings using them often carry a delivery badge and faster promise. Which one a listing uses can change its delivery time and visibility.

What to check. Fulfilment mode affects stock levels, delivery promise and returns cost. Check which mode each competitor uses, because it explains differences in delivery time you may otherwise blame on rank.

G

GEO (generative engine optimisation)

A name for the same broad aim as AEO: shaping how generative AI tools describe and recommend a brand. The two terms are used interchangeably, and neither has a formal definition.

In India. The field is young and definitions vary by vendor. Treat any promised result with caution, since assistants are not controlled by the brands they mention.

What to check. Ask what a provider measures and how often. A reading of what assistants say on a fixed set of questions, repeated monthly, is more useful than a one-time score.

GMV (gross merchandise value)

The total value of goods sold through a platform in a period, before deductions such as returns, cancellations and fees. It measures sales volume, not revenue.

In India. Indian marketplaces and quick-commerce companies often headline GMV. A platform's GMV includes many sellers' goods, so it is not the platform's own income.

What to check. When you read a claim about a platform's size, check whether it is GMV or revenue. A brand's own GMV on a platform is also not what it earns after fees and returns.

GST invoice and HSN code

Indian sellers issue GST-compliant invoices. The HSN code is the standard classification number for a product that determines its GST rate.

In India. Marketplaces ask sellers for GSTIN and HSN details when listing, and wrong classification can lead to tax problems or listing rejections.

What to check. Keep the HSN code with each SKU in your product data. Ask your finance advisor before changing one, since it can change the tax rate applied.

K

Keyword

Also called: Search term, query

A word or phrase a shopper types into a marketplace or search engine. Marketplaces match listings to keywords using the title, description and hidden fields.

In India. Shoppers use English, Hindi and mixed spellings for the same item, such as haldi and turmeric, so a listing can miss searches by using only one form.

What to check. Build a list of the terms shoppers actually use for your category, and see which rivals appear for them. Put the most important terms in the title in natural language, not stuffed lists.

L

Listing (product detail page)

Also called: PDP, product page

A product's page on a marketplace or store: title, images, bullet points, price, ratings and the buy option. Quality of listing content affects both search ranking and conversion.

In India. Marketplaces score listings on completeness, and incomplete ones can lose visibility. Variants such as size or colour may sit under a parent page with child listings.

What to check. Audit your listings against rivals: title, images, pack size, MRP, price and rating. Check the same products in more than one pin code where delivery can change the page.

Related terms: Catalogue quality, Variant, Search rank, A+ Content

llms.txt

A plain text file some sites publish at their root to give AI tools a summary of the site and links to key pages. It is a community convention, not a standard.

In India. Some Indian D2C sites publish one. Reports from publishers suggest that major AI crawlers mostly do not read it, so it should not be relied on to change what assistants say.

What to check. It costs little to publish and should not replace the basics: clear page text, correct structured data and a site the crawlers are allowed to read. Check your robots.txt at the same time.

M

MAP (minimum advertised price)

A brand policy that stops resellers advertising a product below a set price. It is a common practice in the United States and less central in India.

In India. In India, price is more often policed through the MRP printed on the pack and marketplace rules on discounts and seller behaviour. Legal advice matters before a brand tries to control a reseller's price.

What to check. We define it because tools sold to Indian brands often use the term. If a vendor offers MAP monitoring, ask what it compares against, since in India the MRP on the pack is the legal ceiling and a brand's own price floor is a private policy. Rewalto does not sell MAP monitoring or enforcement.

Marketplace

A website or app where many independent sellers list products and the platform handles discovery, payment and often delivery. Amazon.in and Flipkart are the largest general examples in India.

In India. Fashion and beauty have specialist marketplaces such as Myntra and Nykaa. A brand may sell as a seller, or supply the marketplace directly as a vendor, and the two models change who sets the price.

What to check. Know your model on each platform, since it decides who controls price, stock and content, and who sees the customer data.

MRP (Maximum Retail Price)

The highest price a seller may charge for a packaged product in India, printed on the pack and inclusive of all taxes. Sellers can charge less, never more.

In India. India's Legal Metrology rules require the MRP on a packaged product. A marketplace shows it beside the selling price, so a wrong MRP on a listing distorts every discount shown.

What to check. Check that each listing's MRP matches your price list for that pack, and that the MRP is the same across marketplaces. Differences are a common source of complaints and are quick to fix.

Read the full entry: What is MRP? Maximum retail price meaning in India

O

Organic vs sponsored results

Organic results are ranked by the marketplace's own algorithm. Sponsored results are placed by advertisers and marked, for example with Sponsored or Ad.

In India. On Amazon.in and Flipkart, the top rows of a search can be sponsored, and brands often bid on category keywords to appear there. Which rows are paid is shown in a small label.

What to check. Record whether a position was organic or sponsored. Reading a paid slot as an organic rank overstates how well a product ranks unaided.

Read the full entry: What is the difference between organic and sponsored results?

Related terms: Search rank, ACOS and ROAS, Retail media

P

Price parity

Also called: Price consistency across channels

Keeping the same product at consistent prices across the places it is sold. A brand with parity does not undercut its own retailers or its own site.

In India. Discount cycles on marketplaces, quick-commerce apps and D2C sites can pull prices apart within days. Large gaps for the same pack sting retailers and confuse shoppers.

What to check. Compare the same verified pack across channels on the same day. Find out which gaps come from your own promotions and which come from resellers.

Read the full entry: What is price parity? Meaning and how to check it

Private label

Also called: Own brand

Products a marketplace or retailer sells under its own brand, often made by third-party manufacturers. On a marketplace they compete with the brands that pay to sell there.

In India. Marketplaces and large retailers in India run own-brand ranges in staples, electronics and fashion. They can appear in the same search results as national brands.

What to check. Track how own-brand products are priced and ranked against yours in your category. Respond from dated evidence, and keep a calm record rather than an accusation.

Read the full entry: What is a private label? Meaning for brands in India

Related terms: Search rank, Price parity, Marketplace

Product matching

Also called: Catalogue matching, SKU matching

Deciding that two listings on different sites are the same product, so prices and stock can be compared. It needs matching brand, variant and pack size.

In India. A 500 gram pack and a 1 kilogram pack of the same brand look alike in a title but compare badly on price. Titles in a marketplace can drop the weight or reorder words.

What to check. Ask any comparison vendor how they match products and how they treat pack size. A mismatch produces false price gaps.

R

Ratings and reviews

The star rating and written comments buyers leave on a product page. They influence both ranking and the decision to buy.

In India. Reviews arrive in English, Hindi and mixed scripts, and a single delivery problem can pull down a product rating that says nothing about the product.

What to check. Read recent reviews by theme, not the average alone. Keep product complaints separate from delivery and packaging complaints, since the fix belongs to different teams.

Retail media

Advertising a brand buys on a retailer's own site or app, such as sponsored products, banners and display slots. The retailer sells the space and reports the outcome.

In India. Amazon.in, Flipkart, Myntra and quick-commerce apps all sell retail media. Budgets in this area have grown as brands look for ads that sit close to the point of purchase.

What to check. Retail media sits on top of availability and price. Check that a product is in stock and correctly priced where the ad runs, before paying for clicks.

Read the full entry: What is retail media? Meaning for brands in India

RTO (return to origin)

Also called: Failed delivery, refused parcel

A parcel that fails to be delivered and comes back to the seller, for example because the buyer refused it or could not be reached.

In India. RTO is a well-known cost in Indian e-commerce, especially with cash on delivery orders and in areas with address problems. It costs the outbound and return shipping and can damage the goods.

What to check. Track RTO by payment mode, region and product. Fixing address checks and confirmation calls often helps more than changing the product page.

S

Schema markup

Also called: Structured data, JSON-LD

Code added to a web page that tells search engines and assistants what the page contains, such as a product, its price, ratings or a question and answer.

In India. A D2C site with correct product markup gives search engines exact price, availability and rating, which can support richer search results.

What to check. Markup must match what the page shows. Wrong or invented values can lose you trust with search engines. Test your key pages and keep the data in step with your catalogue.

Search rank

Also called: Position in marketplace search

Where a product appears in a marketplace's search results for a query. It depends on the query, the shopper's location and the moment, so it is not a fixed property of the product.

In India. A search on Amazon.in for a category term returns a mix of organic and sponsored rows, and delivery to the shopper's pin code changes what is shown. The same query can return a different order later that day.

What to check. Fix your queries and record readings with the time and pin code. A dated series shows movement; a one-off screenshot does not.

Seller Central

Also called: Seller dashboard, seller panel

Amazon's dashboard for sellers to manage listings, stock, orders and ads. Other marketplaces have their own seller panels with similar functions.

In India. A brand selling on Amazon.in and Flipkart works in two panels with different rules and reports. Each shows only its own platform's data.

What to check. A seller panel shows your data on one platform. To compare across platforms, or see what shoppers see, you need a reading from outside.

SKU (stock-keeping unit)

A code identifying one distinct sellable product, such as one flavour in one pack size. Sellers assign SKU codes to track stock and match listings.

In India. A brand may use its own SKU codes and see different codes on each marketplace. Keeping a table from your SKU to each marketplace's identifier stops data from drifting.

What to check. Report everything at SKU level first, then group. Averages across SKUs hide problems on your best sellers, and a stock or price gap on one pack size is easy to miss once it is folded into a brand total.

Read the full entry: What is a SKU? Stock keeping unit meaning and examples

Storefront

Also called: Brand store, online store

A brand's own shop pages, either on a marketplace, such as a brand store, or on its own website. It groups products and tells the brand story.

In India. Many Indian D2C brands run a Shopify or similar site, and add a marketplace brand store as well. Both should show the same range, price and pack information.

What to check. Your own storefront is the reference: keep it correct, fast and readable by search engines and AI assistants, then compare marketplace pages against it.

T

Take rate

Also called: Commission, marketplace fee

The share of each sale a marketplace keeps, through commission, fees and other charges. It varies by category and by how the seller ships.

In India. Fees on Indian marketplaces vary with category, price band and fulfilment mode, and change over time. Read the current fee schedule on the platform.

What to check. Work out margin per SKU after take rate, shipping and returns before you decide how deep to discount.

U

Unauthorised seller

Also called: Grey-market reseller

A seller listing a brand's product without the brand's permission, often at a different price or with unverified stock.

In India. Resellers can list a brand's products on marketplaces and sometimes win the Buy Box on price. Customers can then meet old stock, wrong packs or poor service under the brand's name.

What to check. Keep a dated list of sellers per key product and the prices they show. Evidence of who sold what, and when, is the first thing any marketplace or advisor will ask for.

V

Variant

Also called: Parent and child listings

One version of a product, such as a size, colour or pack. Marketplaces group variants under one parent page, and each variant has its own price and stock.

In India. A shampoo with three pack sizes may show one page with three options. The price, MRP and stock differ by option, and a reading of the page without saying which option can mislead.

What to check. When you compare prices or stock, name the variant. Many false differences come from comparing a small pack on one site with a large pack on another.

Questions before you start

What is the Buy Box on Amazon.in?

The Buy Box is the offer shown as the default choice on a product page, behind the Add to Cart button. When several sellers list the same product, one seller's offer holds the Buy Box and receives most of the orders.

What does MRP mean and can a seller charge above it?

MRP is the Maximum Retail Price printed on a packaged product in India, inclusive of all taxes. A seller may charge less than the MRP but not more.

What is RTO in Indian e-commerce?

RTO means return to origin: a parcel that could not be delivered and comes back to the seller, often because the buyer refused it or could not be reached. It is a cost to track separately for cash on delivery and prepaid orders.

What is the difference between share of search and share of shelf?

Share of search counts how much of the search results, or search interest, belongs to a brand for a set of queries. Share of shelf counts how much of a category's visible products on a site belong to a brand. Both need the queries, place, date and denominator stated.

What is AEO and is it different from SEO?

AEO, answer engine optimisation, is about how AI assistants find and name a brand when asked a question. SEO is about ranking in search engines. They overlap in the basics, such as clear page content and structured data, and nobody can promise an assistant will name you.

Do I need llms.txt?

It is optional and its effect is unproven, since reports suggest major AI crawlers largely ignore it. Publish it if it is cheap for you, and put your effort into clear pages, correct structured data and crawler access.

Does Rewalto monitor MAP violations?

No. Rewalto reads price, stock and listings, with the pin code and date, and does not sell MAP monitoring or enforcement.

Where are the quick-commerce terms?

Dark store, serviceability, fill rate, delivery radius and similar terms are in the quick commerce glossary, which links back to the shared terms here.

Look at your own products by pin code.

A definition helps until you need a number. See where your products are missing, mispriced or out of stock, with the pin code and date beside each reading.

Explore Rewalto

The e-commerce and marketplace glossary for Indian brands.

All 42 terms

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Questions before you start

Look at your own products by pin code.