Amazon FBA Reimbursement 2026: How to Claim Your Money Back

Amazon Makes Mistakes — And You Pay for Them

Amazon operates over 175 fulfillment centers worldwide. In each of these facilities, hundreds of thousands of products are received, stored, picked, packed, and shipped every single day. At that volume, errors are inevitable. Products disappear in the warehouse, returns are not properly credited, items get damaged during handling, and fees are calculated based on incorrect measurements.

The problem: Amazon does not automatically correct most of these errors. You, the seller, are responsible for identifying discrepancies and actively filing for a reimbursement. If you do not, you lose money — quietly, consistently, and in surprisingly large amounts.

This guide covers the six most common reimbursement reasons, how much money you are likely losing, how to file a claim step by step, and why reimbursements are directly connected to your repricing strategy.

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What Are Amazon FBA Reimbursements?

An FBA reimbursement is a credit Amazon pays you when an error in their logistics network has occurred at your expense. These can be physical errors (inventory lost or damaged) or accounting errors (return not credited, incorrect fee category).

Amazon has a formal reimbursement system with clear rules:

• Claim window: You can file reimbursement claims up to 18 months retroactively
• Processing time: Amazon has 30 days after your claim to locate lost inventory or issue a reimbursement
• Reimbursement amount: Amazon typically reimburses the average selling price over the last 90 days minus standard fees
• Not automatic: With few exceptions, you must file the claim yourself

The official Amazon policy is documented in Seller Central under "FBA inventory reimbursement policy." It covers every scenario and deadline in detail.

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The 6 Most Common Reimbursement Reasons

1. Lost Inventory in the Warehouse

This is the most frequent case. You send 500 units to Amazon, but Seller Central shows only 487 in stock. Or your inventory decreases over weeks in ways that sales numbers cannot explain.

Amazon loses items during transfers between warehouses, during picking, or simply through scanning errors. The report you need is the Inventory Adjustments Report (under Reports > Fulfillment > Inventory Adjustments). It shows every inventory change with a reason code — for example, "M" for misplaced and "E" for damaged by Amazon.

Typical volume: With 5,000 units in stock, expect 10-30 units per quarter to disappear without explanation.

2. Inventory Damaged by Amazon

When Amazon damages your product during receiving, transfer, or picking, you are entitled to reimbursement. Amazon categorizes these as "Warehouse Damage."

You identify these in the Inventory Adjustments Report by the reason code "E" (damaged by Amazon). Note: If the code is "F" (customer damaged), the responsibility lies with the buyer, not Amazon — that case falls under return reimbursements.

Concrete example: You sell a product for EUR 29.90. Amazon damages 8 units in a quarter. That is EUR 239.20 you can recover — but only if you check the report and open a case.

3. Customer Return Received But Not Credited

A customer returns your product. Amazon immediately refunds the customer — debiting your account. Normally, the returned item gets added back to your inventory or sent back to you as unfulfillable.

But sometimes that does not happen. The item arrives at the warehouse but is never credited to your inventory. You have paid the customer refund but received neither the item nor the monetary equivalent.

You reconcile this using two reports: - Returns Report (Reports > Fulfillment > Customer Returns): Shows all initiated returns - Reimbursements Report (Reports > Payments > Reimbursements): Shows what Amazon has credited you

If the Returns Report shows a return with status "Received," but the Reimbursements Report has no corresponding credit and your inventory shows no addition — money is missing.

Deadline: If a return has not appeared in your inventory or as a reimbursement after 45 days, you are entitled to file a claim.

4. Incorrect Weight or Size Classification

Amazon calculates FBA fees based on your product's dimensions and weight. If Amazon measures your product incorrectly — for example, classifying it as "Oversize" instead of "Standard Size" — you pay inflated shipping fees on every single order.

The difference is substantial. A product correctly classified as Standard Size (Small Standard) costs EUR 3.42 in FBA fulfillment (up to 150g). If the same product is incorrectly classified as "Small Oversize," the fee jumps to EUR 5.95 — a difference of EUR 2.53 per order.

At 200 sales per month, that is EUR 506 per month in excess fees. Over a year: EUR 6,072.

Check the Fee Preview Report (Reports > Fulfillment > Fee Preview). It shows Amazon's stored dimensions for your products. Compare them with your actual product measurements. If they do not match, open a case and include photos with a ruler or measuring tape.

For a complete breakdown of FBA fees and how they are calculated, see our Seller Fees 2026 guide.

5. Inventory Destroyed Without Authorization

Amazon may dispose of damaged or expired inventory — but only with your consent or if you have enabled automatic removal in Seller Central. If Amazon destroys inventory without your authorization, you are owed a reimbursement.

This happens more often than expected, especially with products classified as "unfulfillable." Amazon sometimes disposes of them automatically even when you have the "Return to seller" option selected.

Check the Removal Report and the Inventory Adjustments Report. Verify that disposals match your removal orders. Any disposal without a corresponding order from you is a reimbursement case.

6. Inbound Shipment Not Fully Received

You send a pallet with 240 units to an Amazon warehouse. Amazon confirms receipt but only books 228 units. 12 units are missing.

Check the Shipment Summary for your inbound shipments (Inventory > Shipments > Shipment Summary). It shows how many units you shipped versus how many Amazon received. Any discrepancy greater than zero can be claimed.

Important: Amazon gives you a deadline to report inbound shipment discrepancies. This deadline is 9 months from the shipment creation date. After that, the claim expires.

Tip: Photograph every outbound shipment with visible contents and unit count. For larger claims, Amazon requires documentation.

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How Much Money Are You Losing?

Numbers vary by product category, inventory turnover, and sales volume. But the benchmarks are consistent:

On average, 1-3% of FBA revenue is lost to Amazon errors.

That sounds small. In absolute numbers, it is not:

For sellers with oversized products or high return rates, the percentage can reach 4-5%, because individual reimbursement amounts are higher and return-related issues occur more frequently.

The insidious part: these losses never appear as a single large line item. They are spread across dozens of small amounts over months. Without systematic checks, you will never notice.

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Step by Step: Filing a Reimbursement Claim

Step 1: Download and Review Reports

Go to Seller Central under Reports > Fulfillment and download the following:

1. Inventory Adjustments Report — Shows all inventory adjustments with reason codes (Lost, Damaged, Found)
2. Reimbursements Report (under Reports > Payments > Reimbursements) — Shows all reimbursements already received
3. Returns Report — Shows all customer returns with receipt status
4. Fee Preview Report — Shows current dimensions and fee categories
5. Shipment Summary — Shows inbound shipments with expected vs. received units

Download these reports as CSV files. For the reconciliation, you need a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets) or a specialized tool.

Step 2: Identify Discrepancies

Work through the reports systematically:

For lost/damaged inventory: Filter the Inventory Adjustments Report by reason codes "M" (Misplaced/Lost) and "E" (Warehouse Damage). Then check the Reimbursements Report to see if Amazon has already issued a credit. Any case in the Adjustments Report without a corresponding reimbursement is an open claim.

For missing returns: Compare the Returns Report (status "Received") with your current inventory and the Reimbursements Report. Returns marked as received more than 45 days ago that appear neither in inventory nor as a reimbursement can be claimed.

For incorrect fees: Compare dimensions in the Fee Preview Report with your actual product measurements. Measure your product in its packaging (ready to ship) with a ruler and document with photos.

For shipment discrepancies: Check every Shipment Summary from the last 9 months. "Shipped" minus "Received" gives you the missing quantity.

Step 3: Open a Case in Seller Central

Go to Help > Contact Us in Seller Central. Select the appropriate category:

• For lost/damaged inventory: "Fulfillment by Amazon > FBA Inventory > Investigate inventory discrepancy"
• For missing returns: "Fulfillment by Amazon > Customer Returns"
• For incorrect dimensions: "Fulfillment by Amazon > Fee Dispute > Product dimensions"
• For shipment discrepancies: "Shipments to Amazon > Investigate shipment problems"

What to include in the case:

• FNSKU or ASIN of the affected product
• Transaction ID or Adjustment ID from the report
• Time period of the discrepancy
• Expected vs. actual value (unit count, dimensions, fees)
• For dimension cases: photos with a ruler

Sample case text:

*"According to the Inventory Adjustments Report dated March 15, 2026, 7 units of FNSKU X00123456 were removed with reason code M (Lost). No corresponding reimbursement appears in the Reimbursements Report. I request investigation and reimbursement per FBA inventory reimbursement policy."*

Step 4: Amazon Responds

After opening the case, one of three things happens:

1. Immediate reimbursement: Amazon acknowledges the claim and credits your account. This happens within 48 hours for clear-cut cases (e.g., documented inventory loss).

1. Investigation: Amazon initiates an investigation. For lost inventory, Amazon has 30 days to locate the item. If it is not found, you get reimbursed.

1. Denial: Amazon denies the claim. In this case, you can resubmit with additional documentation. Persistence pays off — approximately 20-30% of initially denied cases are approved upon resubmission.

Key deadlines at a glance:

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Tools for Automated Reimbursement Auditing

Manual auditing works but is time-consuming — especially if you manage hundreds of SKUs. Specialized tools exist that automatically reconcile your Amazon reports and identify reimbursement-eligible cases:

SELLERLOGIC Lost & Found — A German tool that automatically detects inventory discrepancies, missing returns, and incorrect fees. It generates ready-to-use case texts for Seller Central. Commission-based pricing (percentage of successfully recovered amounts).

Getida — An international provider with similar functionality. Analyzes your FBA data up to 18 months back and identifies open reimbursement claims. Also commission-based.

Refund Genie — Focused on the US market but offers EU support as well. Automated reconciliation of Inventory Adjustments, returns, and inbound shipments.

All three tools work on the same principle: they connect via the Amazon SP-API to your seller account, download the relevant reports, and run the reconciliation automatically. Commission rates typically range from 15-25% of successfully recovered amounts.

Is it worth it? If you have fewer than 50 SKUs and under EUR 100,000 in annual revenue, a manual audit every 2-3 months is manageable. Above 100+ SKUs or EUR 250,000+ in revenue, a tool saves significant time and catches cases you would miss manually.

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Reimbursements + Repricing: The Connection

This is where it gets especially relevant for repricing users. Reimbursements are not just an accounting topic — they directly impact your repricing performance.

Wrong Fees = Wrong Minimum Price

Your repricing minimum price is based on a simple formula:

Min price = purchase price + all Amazon fees + desired minimum margin

If Amazon classifies your product in the wrong size category, you pay higher FBA fees than necessary. That makes your minimum price too high — and your repricer bids higher than it needs to. The result: less Buy Box share, fewer sales.

Concrete example:

• Purchase price: EUR 8.00
• Referral fee (15%): variable
• FBA fee (correct, Standard): EUR 3.42
• FBA fee (incorrect, Oversize): EUR 5.95
• Desired margin: EUR 3.00

At a selling price of EUR 22.00: - Correct calculation: 22.00 - 3.30 (referral) - 3.42 (FBA) - 8.00 (purchase) = EUR 7.28 profit - Incorrect calculation: 22.00 - 3.30 (referral) - 5.95 (FBA) - 8.00 (purchase) = EUR 4.75 profit

Your repricer uses EUR 5.95 in FBA fees instead of EUR 3.42. To maintain your EUR 3.00 minimum margin, it sets the minimum price EUR 2.53 higher than necessary. On competitive ASINs, that can be the difference between winning the Buy Box and losing it entirely.

The Right Sequence

1. Secure reimbursements — Audit your reports and recover your money
2. Correct fees — Ensure Amazon has the right dimensions on file
3. Recalculate repricing minimum prices — Update your min prices based on corrected fees

You should run through this three-step process at least once per quarter. For detailed instructions on configuring your minimum prices, see our Repricing Configuration Guide.

And if you want to see exactly how fee changes affect your margins: our FBA Calculator shows you down to the cent.

Try arbytrage.io free and get full control over your margins

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FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About FBA Reimbursements

How far back can I claim reimbursements?

For most reimbursement types, the window is 18 months. That means if you are auditing your reports for the first time today, you can claim all cases from the last year and a half. The only exception is inbound shipment discrepancies, where the deadline is 9 months from the shipment creation date.

Does Amazon reimburse the full selling price?

No. Amazon reimburses the estimated value of the product, not your selling price. The estimated value is based on the average selling price over the last 90 days minus Amazon fees. You typically receive less than the gross selling price but more than your purchase cost. If you disagree with the reimbursement amount, you can file an appeal.

Can Amazon suspend my account for filing too many claims?

No — as long as your claims are legitimate and backed by report data. Amazon has an official reimbursement system and expects sellers to use it. What you should avoid: opening identical cases multiple times before the previous one is resolved. That can be flagged as spam and leads to delays.

How often should I audit my reports?

At minimum, once a month. The ideal approach is a fixed schedule: at the start of each month, download the previous month's reports and review them. This keeps you within all deadlines and limits the effort to 30-60 minutes per month for up to 200 SKUs. If you use an automated tool, cases are flagged in real time.

Can I get reimbursed retroactively for incorrect FBA fees?

Yes, but the reimbursement is not issued as an automatic lump sum. If Amazon has classified your product incorrectly and you can prove it, Amazon will correct the classification going forward. For retroactive reimbursement of excess fees, you need to open a separate case specifying the time period. Amazon then refunds the difference — typically for the last 90 days, though in some cases up to 18 months.

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Conclusion: Reimbursements Are Not Optional

Every euro you recover from Amazon goes straight to your bottom line. At 1-3% of revenue, we are not talking about spare change — we are talking about amounts that can determine whether individual products are profitable or not.

The effort is manageable: once a month, review reports, identify discrepancies, open cases. Or use a specialized tool that does the work for you.

And do not forget the connection to your repricing. Incorrect fees distort your calculations, push your minimum price up, and cost you Buy Box share. Secure reimbursements, correct fees, recalibrate repricing — this three-step process separates an Amazon business that works from one that leaves money on the table.

Start with arbytrage.io now and take full control of your margins