Amazon FBA Reimbursements in 2026: What You're Owed and How to Claim It
Amazon loses and damages inventory. Not often, as a percentage, but across millions of units it adds up, and some of it is yours. Amazon pays back much of it automatically. The rest you have to find and claim yourself, and since late 2024 you have far less time to do it.
This guide covers how reimbursements work now, what Amazon catches on its own, what it doesn't, and a twice-a-month routine that keeps you from leaving money behind.
What changed, and why older advice is wrong
If you learned FBA reimbursements before 2025, two big changes make much of that advice out of date.
1. Claim windows are now about 60 days, not 18 months. Amazon announced shorter windows in October 2024. For most claim types you have roughly 60 days from the event, such as the date a unit was reported lost. Some windows are shorter, and returns-related windows are measured from the customer's refund. Sellers who used to audit once or twice a year now miss most of what they're owed.
2. Warehouse losses are paid at your cost, not your sale price. Since March 2025, units that Amazon loses or damages in its warehouses are reimbursed at their manufacturing or sourcing cost. A unit that costs you $6 and sells for $24 now pays out about $6. If you haven't given Amazon your cost, it uses its own estimate, which is often lower than what you actually paid.
Units lost or damaged after a customer order (for example, a return Amazon never put back in stock) are still generally reimbursed based on the sale.
Amazon adjusts these rules by claim type and marketplace. Use the windows in this post as a guide, and confirm the exact deadline in Amazon's FBA inventory reimbursement policy in Seller Central Help before you rely on it.
What Amazon reimburses automatically
Amazon automatically pays out many clear-cut cases:
- A unit that's scanned as lost in a fulfillment center and not found again.
- A unit damaged by Amazon in the warehouse.
- Many customer refunds where the item was never returned.
These show up in Reports → Payments → Transaction View (or the Reimbursements report under Reports → Fulfillment) labeled as FBA inventory reimbursements.
What it often misses
The cases Amazon doesn't reliably catch are the ones that involve more than one step or more than one record:
| Problem | Where it shows up | How to claim |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound shipment received short (you sent 500, Amazon received 480) | The shipment's Reconcile tab in Send to Amazon | Open the reconciliation on the shipment and provide proof of what you sent |
| Customer returned the item, but it never went back into stock, or came back as a different item | Returns report, compared with your inventory | Case through Seller Support or the reimbursement claim form |
| Customer was refunded and never returned it (and no automatic reimbursement after the return window) | Returns and reimbursements reports compared | Claim with the order ID |
| Removal order arrived short or damaged | Removal Order Detail report | Claim within the removal window, which is short |
| Units lost in the warehouse and never "found" but not reimbursed | Inventory Ledger: misplaced vs. found | Claim with the FNSKU and dates |
| Fee overcharges (wrong size tier or weight) | Fee Preview report | Request a re-measurement or fee correction |
A twice-a-month reimbursement routine
With 60-day windows, a monthly check leaves no room for a case that needs a second try. Twice a month is safer.
1. Make sure your costs are set
Amazon reimburses warehouse losses at the cost you've given it. Check that each SKU has an accurate per-unit cost in Seller Central (in inventory management or through the inventory file template). Include your landed cost: product, packaging, and inbound freight to Amazon. Cost updates apply going forward, so do this first.
2. Reconcile recent inbound shipments
For each shipment closed in the last few weeks, compare units shipped against units received. Shortfalls are easiest to win while you still have the carrier's proof of delivery, the packing list, and the supplier invoice at hand.
3. Check the Inventory Ledger for losses
Go to Reports → Fulfillment → Inventory Ledger and look at adjustments for misplaced, damaged, and found units. A unit marked misplaced that isn't found or reimbursed within about 30 days is usually a claim. Before then, Amazon may still find it.
4. Compare refunds against returns
Pull the returns report and the reimbursements report for the same period. Look for refunds where the item wasn't returned and wasn't reimbursed, and returns that came back with a different item or empty packaging.
5. Check fees on new and changed SKUs
In the Fee Preview report, look for SKUs whose size tier or weight looks wrong. A product measured one tier too large pays too much on every unit until it's fixed.
6. File, log, and follow up
File each claim with specific identifiers: shipment ID, FNSKU, order ID, dates, quantities, and your proof. Log every claim in a spreadsheet with the date filed and the case ID, and follow up on anything without an answer after a week.
Hi, I'm requesting a reimbursement for FBA inventory that was [lost / damaged / not returned].
FNSKU: [FNSKU] ASIN: [ASIN] Shipment ID or order ID: [ID] Units affected: [quantity] Date of the event: [date]
[One sentence on what happened, e.g., "The Inventory Ledger shows these units as misplaced on [date]. They have not been found or reimbursed."]
I've attached [proof of delivery / invoice / screenshots]. Please review and reimburse the affected units.
Should you use a reimbursement service?
Reimbursement services audit your account and file claims for a percentage of what they recover, typically 15–25%. They can make sense for high-volume sellers with thousands of SKUs and no one to do the audit.
For most small and mid-sized sellers, the routine above takes an hour or two a month once it's set up, and you keep the full amount. The cost-based payout change also means recoveries are smaller than they used to be, which shrinks what a percentage-based service earns you. Whichever you choose, don't skip it. With 60-day windows, an unchecked month is money you can't get back.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file an FBA reimbursement claim?
For most claim types, about 60 days from the event, down from 18 months before late 2024. Some removal-related windows are shorter, and returns-related windows are measured from the customer refund. Confirm the current windows in Amazon's FBA reimbursement policy in Seller Central.
Why is my reimbursement lower than my selling price?
Since March 2025, Amazon reimburses warehouse losses at your manufacturing or sourcing cost, not your sale price. If you haven't entered a cost, Amazon uses its own estimate. Make sure your per-unit costs are set and accurate.
Should I file a claim right away?
For warehouse losses, wait about 30 days. Amazon often finds misplaced units or reimburses them automatically in that time, and early claims are often denied. Then file well before the 60-day window closes.
What proof does Amazon want for inbound shortages?
Usually the carrier's proof of delivery, the packing list or box content information, and an invoice showing you owned the units. The more specific the documentation, the faster the claim.
Get the full procedures
ZipTopic's Check for Reimbursement Opportunities, Lost & Damaged Inventory Reimbursement SOP, and Request Fee Reimbursements walk through each report and claim step by step, with ready-to-send templates.