FBA · Intermediate · 5 min read · 7 steps
How to file an FBA reimbursement claim for lost or damaged inventory
Amazon moves a staggering number of boxes, and a few of yours will eventually get dropped, misplaced or sent home with a dent. When that happens on Amazon's side, its policy is to replace the item or pay you for it. The catch is that nobody files the claim for you on a schedule you control, and every claim type runs on its own clock.
This guide walks through the four claim types in the order Seller Central sorts them, the proof each one wants, and the deadlines that quietly turn a valid claim into a declined one.
Part 01
Step by step
7 steps, in the order Seller Central asks for them.
- 01Confirm the unit qualifies at all
The item has to be registered in FBA when it's lost or damaged, meet FBA product restrictions and inventory requirements, match your shipping plan, sit in a shipment that isn't canceled or deleted, and not be pending disposal, defective or customer-damaged. Your account must be in normal status while the claim is reviewed.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
- 02Check the Reimbursements report first
Amazon resolves many cases on its own. Search your Reimbursements report by FNSKU before filing, because a claim for something already paid is wasted effort, and Amazon warns that repeated premature requests can slow support on your cases.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims, Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
- 03Open the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal
Use three tabs. Eligible for claim lists the lost or damaged defects you can file on now, In progress shows what Amazon is still investigating, and Resolved shows decisions with the reason and amount. Filter by FNSKU or Defect type to narrow it down.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
- 04Match the defect to its claim type
Shipment to Amazon covers units lost on the way in. Fulfillment center operations covers units lost or damaged after Amazon received them. Customer returns cover refunded or replaced orders. Removals cover units lost or damaged on the way back to you.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
- 05Gather the proof for that claim type
Inbound claims need the shipment ID, proof of ownership such as a supplier invoice showing date, product names and quantity, and proof of delivery: tracking IDs for small parcel, or an Amazon-stamped document for LTL and FTL. Removal claims need the removal order ID, FNSKU, shipment ID and photos of units, labels and boxes.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims
- 06File inside the window
Enter the transaction item ID for damaged units or the FNSKU for lost units in the fulfillment center claim tool, the customer order ID for return claims, or the removal order ID for removals. Submit only one claim per inbound shipment, since extra claims on the same shipment are declined.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims
- 07Review the amount, and dispute it if it's off
Pre-order losses pay your sourcing cost, so set it on the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page before you need it. Return claims pay the refund or replacement value minus applicable fees. If you disagree with a valuation, file through Get help and resources or Seller Assistant within 60 days of the reimbursement.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Part 02 Compare
Compare the options: Which claim are you filing?
Tap where the unit went missing. Each claim type has its own clock and its own paperwork.
Inbound shipment
- Covers
- Units lost or damaged on the way to Amazon
- Window opens
- When the Contents tab shows eligible for investigation
- Window closes
- Nine months after verified delivery
- You'll need
- Shipment ID, proof of ownership, proof of delivery
- Limit
- One claim per shipment
- Paid at
- Your sourcing cost
Fulfillment center
- Covers
- Units lost or damaged after Amazon received them
- Window opens
- The day the item is reported lost or damaged
- Window closes
- 60 days later
- Where to look
- Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal or Inventory Ledger report
- You'll need
- Transaction item ID (damaged) or FNSKU (lost)
- Paid at
- Your sourcing cost
Customer return
- Covers
- Refunded or replaced FBA orders
- Window opens
- 60 days after the refund or replacement
- Window closes
- 120 days after the refund or replacement
- You'll need
- The customer order ID
- Not covered
- Refunds you issued directly to the customer
- Paid at
- Refund or replacement value minus applicable fees
Removal
- Covers
- Units lost or damaged on the way back to you
- Lost units
- From 15 days after last movement, until 75 days after the shipment was created
- Damaged units
- From delivery, for 60 days
- You'll need
- Removal order ID, FNSKU, shipment ID, photos
- Check first
- Removal Order Detail and Removal Shipment Detail reports
- Paid at
- Your sourcing cost
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims, Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Part 03
The picture
The same facts, drawn. Each chart links to the Amazon page it comes from.
Each branch has its own claim page, window and proof. The portal sorts defects for you.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceCounted from a different start for each type: the defect report date, the refund date, removal shipment creation or removal delivery. Inbound shipment claims run nine months from delivery, so they're not on this chart.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceSource: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePasses
- Units lost or damaged by Amazon or its carriers
- Unsellable returns Amazon was responsible for
- Refunded units the customer never sent back within 60 days, in most cases
- Damaged customer returns with a damage fee, which may earn a credit
Bounces
- Refunds you issued directly to a customer
- Recalled, defective or policy-violating returns
- Customer-damaged returns with no damage fee charged
- Units pending disposal or disposed of at your request
From Amazon's reimbursement policy pages. Decisions rest on the item's physical condition at the fulfillment center, not the buyer's return reason.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePart 04
Tricks the help page buries
The lines in Amazon's own documentation that most sellers scroll past.
- 1Set your sourcing cost before anything goes missing
If you don't enter it on Manage Your Sourcing Cost, Amazon uses its own estimate built from comparable products. Sourcing cost excludes shipping, handling and customs duties, and Amazon may ask for documents to back it up.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
- 2Put the customer return clock on your calendar
Return claims can't be filed before day 60 after the refund and close at day 120. That leaves a 60-day slot. A monthly check of the Eligible for claim tab catches every return in its slot.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
- 3Enter tracking for your own carrier
If you didn't use an Amazon partnered carrier and skipped tracking when you created the shipment, Amazon needs it before it can reimburse an inbound small-parcel claim. Add it now, not when the claim stalls.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims
- 4Photograph removals as they arrive
Removal claims ask for full images of the unit, close-ups of the damage, the tracking labels or packing slips, and the shipping boxes. A phone and five minutes at the loading dock covers it.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims
- 5Quality beats quantity
Amazon's policy says insufficiently researched, premature or high-volume requests can earn delayed support and monitoring. One reconciled claim with documents attached does more than five hopeful ones. Tidy records also make a nice dataset if you ever run them through XENA Intelligence.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Part 05
Questions sellers ask
Tap a question to open it.
How long do I have to file an FBA reimbursement claim?
It depends on the claim type. Fulfillment center losses must be claimed within 60 days of being reported. Customer return claims open 60 days after the refund and close at 120 days. Inbound shipment claims run nine months from verified delivery. Removal claims close 75 days after shipment creation for lost units, or 60 days after delivery for damage.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims
How much does Amazon pay for lost or damaged FBA inventory?
For losses before a customer orders, including inbound, removal and fulfillment center claims, Amazon pays your sourcing cost, or its own estimate if you haven't entered one. Customer return claims pay the refund or replacement value minus applicable fees. The maximum for a single unit is $5,000, and Amazon suggests insurance above that.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Where do I find lost or damaged inventory in Seller Central?
Open the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal. The Eligible for claim tab lists defects you can file on now, In progress shows open investigations, and Resolved shows decisions with the reason and amount. Fulfillment center losses also appear in the Inventory Ledger report. Filter by FNSKU or Defect type.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim, Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
Why can't I file a customer return claim yet?
Amazon gives customers 60 days after a refund to send the item back, then grades its condition. Return claims can only be filed from 60 days after the refund or replacement, and they close at 120 days. If the customer never returns it within 60 days, Amazon usually charges them and reimburses you.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
What proof do I need for an inbound shipment claim?
You need the Amazon shipment ID, proof of ownership such as a supplier invoice showing the date, product names and quantity, and proof of delivery. Small parcel shipments need active tracking IDs. LTL and FTL shipments need a delivery document stamped by Amazon showing box count and total weight. Only one claim per shipment is allowed.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims
Can I dispute an FBA reimbursement amount?
Yes. If you disagree with how Amazon valued a unit, file through the Get help and resources page in Seller Central or ask Seller Assistant within 60 days after the reimbursement was issued. Amazon may decline a resubmitted sourcing cost if you already got a decision on the same item in the last 30 days with nothing new.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
Sources
Every fact above comes from these Amazon pages, opened on . Amazon updates them; if a step looks different in your account, trust Seller Central.
- Seller Central Help, FBA inventory reimbursement policy
- Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Shipment to Amazon claims
- Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Fulfillment center operations claim
- Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Customer return claims
- Seller Central Help, Reimbursement policy: Removals claims