Today's tip · FBA
Decide which returns you'd rather refund than restock
Amazon now lets FBA sellers pick the return reasons that qualify for a partial refund, where the customer keeps the item and gets some money back. The holiday return window opens a week from today, so this is a Sunday job, not a January one.
FBA Partial Refunds already existed. What's new is control. In the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Canada, you can now set different partial refund percentages by return reason for your whole catalog, with up to three configurations. Or you can upload an Excel file that names specific ASINs and reasons. Anything you leave out goes through the normal return process.
Two details matter. If you're already enrolled, nothing changes until you change it: customers keep getting partial refunds for every eligible reason. And Amazon checks each customer's profile and purchase history before offering one. If they don't qualify, the item comes back to a fulfillment center as usual. So the real question isn't whether to be generous. It's which items cost you more to receive, inspect and resell than the refund would.
- Day 0Today. Set partial refund rules.
- Day 7Nov 1: extended holiday returns begin
- Day 67Dec 31: last purchase date covered
- Day 81Jan 14: peak fulfillment fees end
- Day 98Jan 31: last day to return holiday orders
Dates from Amazon's 2026 holiday return policy and Holiday 2026 news.
Source: Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceThe weekend plan
- 01Pull your reasons
Look at last holiday's returns by reason and ASIN. You're hunting for cheap, bulky or fragile items that rarely go back on the shelf.
- 02Pick a setup
Use Enable for all ASINs for a simple catalog-wide rule, or Enable for selected ASINs with an Excel upload when only a few products deserve it.
- 03Set the percentage
Price each reason against what a full return really costs you. Amazon allows up to three configurations, so keep one in reserve.
- 04Save before Nov 1
Update the FBA Partial Refunds settings page this week, before orders covered by the extended return window start arriving.
Section 02
This week's checklist
6 jobs pulled from this issue, in the order the deadlines bite. Tick them off as you go. Your browser remembers the ticks, nobody else sees them, and a fresh list comes with each issue.
0 of 6 done
Section 03
The seller calendar
Every date Amazon has put in writing for the season, plus the two everyone knows. October is zoomed in on the chart because that's where the trouble is.
Peak fulfillment fees run Oct 15 to Jan 14. Plus $0.32 per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge on top.
| Date | What happens | Type | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 6 to 7) | Shopping event | Done | About Amazon | |
| AWD arrival deadline for Black Friday Week | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees begin | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday deal submissions close | Deals | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, minimal shipment splits | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, Amazon-optimized splits (most sellers) | Inventory | In 3 days | Seller Central News | |
| Last day of off-peak storage for AWD with auto-replenishment | Inventory | In 6 days | Seller Central News | |
| Confirm New Selection Program (2026) enrollment to keep launch fee credits | Fees | In 6 days | Seller Central News | |
| Extended holiday returns begin: items bought Nov 1 to Dec 31 can come back until Jan 31 | Returns | In 7 days | Seller Central News | |
| Black Friday | Shopping event | In 33 days | Calendar | |
| Cyber Monday | Shopping event | In 36 days | Calendar | |
| Last day to sign up for the free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription | Offer | In 67 days | About Amazon | |
| Last purchase date covered by the extended holiday return window | Returns | In 67 days | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees end | Fees | In 81 days | Seller Central News | |
| Last day to return holiday purchases under the extended window | Returns | In 98 days | Seller Central News |
Add every date to your calendar (.ics)Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. Re-download after big announcements.
Sources: Seller Central News, Holiday 2026, About Amazon, Seller Assistant, Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy
Fee watch
The changes that cost money this year, newest last. If Amazon hasn't announced it, it isn't here.
Since Jan 15, 2026
2026 US fee update
FBA fees rose by an average of $0.08 per unit. Amazon added no new fee types for 2026.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee updateSince Apr 17, 2026
Fuel and logistics surcharge
3.5% on FBA fulfillment fees, about $0.17 per unit on average in the US. Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime followed on May 2.
Seller Central News, Fuel and logistics surchargeOct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027
Holiday peak fulfillment fees
About $0.32 more per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge calculated on top.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Holiday deal events
Deal fees
$100 upfront per promotion plus 1.5% of promotional sales, capped at $5,000, for Best Deals, Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Price Discounts.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Extended holiday returns
Orders placed Nov 1 to Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31, 2027, for FBA and seller-fulfilled orders alike. Budget for a slower, larger return wave.
Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy2027
Next annual fee update
Not announced as of Oct 24, 2026. Amazon says it gives at least 90 days' notice, and the 2026 changes were announced in October 2025.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee update
Section 04
By the numbers
Four figures worth knowing this week. Each one is Amazon's own, linked to where they said it.
countries where FBA sellers can set partial refunds by return reason
Seller Central News, Return reasons for FBA Partial Refundsmarkets where Sponsored Brands collections are available
Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands collectionsmarkets targeted for DVA+ general availability in Q1 2027
Amazon Ads, DVA+ campaignscountries with pre-built brand penetration indices
Amazon Ads, Pre-built brand penetration indicesSection 05
The playbook
5 moves for this week, then a few quick ones for the train.
Brand Registry
One desk for every complaint about your brand
The Report a Violation tool in Brand Registry now takes intellectual property infringement, store policy violations and regulatory compliance concerns in one place. Structured forms replace the free-text box, and a Submission History tab shows where every report stands.
The quiet change is who gets to file. Any Brand Registry user tied to an enrolled brand can report store policy violations. You don't need the Rights Owner role. That means the person who actually watches your listings every day can report problems without waiting for whoever holds the trademark login.
Do this: Before Black Friday Week, have the team member who monitors your listings file from their own Brand Registry login, and check Submission History on Mondays.
- Intellectual property infringement
- Store policy violations
- Regulatory compliance concerns
- Status of every report in Submission History
- Store policy reports without the Rights Owner role
For brands enrolled in Brand Registry, per Amazon.
Source: Sell on Amazon, Report a Violation
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceAdvertising
Let the shelf arrange itself, or don't
Sponsored Brands collections put several related products in one ad. You can let Amazon's AI pick the grouping for each shopper from your catalog, based on your targets and shopping signals, or choose up to 10 ASINs yourself. Either way, you can exclude ASINs you don't want shown.
It's live in 18 markets. It's also the format Amazon is building on next: from January 2027, eligible US collections campaigns get Branded Conversations automatically. If you haven't run a collections campaign yet, the holidays are a good time to learn what it picks.
Do this: Run one collections campaign on automatic control and exclude your low-margin ASINs. After two weeks, compare what it chose with what you would have chosen.
Sources: Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands collections, Amazon Ads, Branded Conversations
Number of markets by region, as listed by Amazon Ads (18 in total).
Source: Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands collections
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceAdvertising
Display, video and audio, minus the agency invoice
DVA+ campaigns let you build display, video and audio campaigns in four steps inside Amazon Ads Agent. Amazon says its Brand+ and Performance+ campaigns have delivered up to a 68% improvement in cost per acquisition. Note the words "up to".
It's in an extended closed beta in the US, with open beta expected in late October 2026. Amazon plans international expansion through Q4 2026 and is targeting general availability in 35 markets in Q1 2027. During the closed beta it's invoice-only. Credit card payment is planned for Q1 2027.
Do this: If you've never run anything beyond sponsored ads, watch for DVA+ open beta this week and set aside a small test budget you can afford to learn from.
Source: Amazon Ads, DVA+ campaigns
- Months from oct 2026 0Late Oct 2026: US open beta expected
- Months from oct 2026 2Through Q4 2026: international expansion
- Months from oct 2026 5Q1 2027: GA targeted in 35 markets, API and credit cards
Quarter ends used for placement. Amazon gives quarters, not exact days.
Source: Amazon Ads, DVA+ campaigns
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceAccount Health
Stop sharing the login. Amazon is about to make you.
Amazon is moving Seller Central sign-in to passkeys, which are tied to your device and password manager and resist phishing. It doesn't support one sign-in shared by several people. Instead, each person gets added as a secondary user and registers a passkey of their own. One catch: each secondary user needs a brand-new email address that has never been used on any Amazon account.
Do this: List everyone who uses your Seller Central login today, then invite each one as a secondary user before the holiday rush. Fix this before a passkey prompt locks out your Saturday shift.
Steps as described by Amazon.
Source: Seller Central News, Passkeys for secondary users
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceAdvertising
The first question costs money. The rest are free.
Branded Conversations, coming to the US in January 2027, turns Sponsored Brands prompts into a back-and-forth inside Alexa for Shopping. It draws on your catalog and on content you supply, like product guides, compatibility info and usage tips, plus a campaign-level brief. Eligible collections campaigns are enrolled automatically, with opt-out at campaign or account level.
Do this: Start writing the brief now: what makes each product different, and who it's wrong for. Shoppers trust a brand that admits a product isn't for them.
You're only charged CPC on conversation-starter prompts; follow-up turns are free.
Quick hits
06Market
Find the zip codes that haven't heard of you
Amazon Ads added pre-built brand penetration indices to Geographic Insights and Activation, in the location settings of DVA+ campaigns. They compare your brand's penetration with your category's, using the ASINs you track, so you can target areas where you're weak or double down where you're strong. No Amazon Marketing Cloud setup needed. The indices refresh weekly in 9 countries.
Section 06
The wire
What changed lately, straight from Amazon. We read the announcement so you can read the summary.
- Advertising
Pre-built brand penetration indices
Compare brand and category penetration by location in DVA+ campaigns, with weekly refreshes and no AMC setup, in 9 countries.
via Amazon Ads, Pre-built brand penetration indices - FBA
FBA Partial Refunds now work by return reason
Set percentages by reason for all ASINs, with up to three configurations, or upload a file for selected ASINs. US, UK, DE, FR, IT, ES and CA.
via Seller Central News, Return reasons for FBA Partial Refunds - Account security
Passkeys for secondary users
Shared sign-ins aren't supported. Add each person as a secondary user with a never-used email so they can register their own passkey.
via Seller Central News, Passkeys for secondary users - Advertising
DVA+ campaigns heading to open beta
Four-step display, video and audio campaigns in Amazon Ads Agent. Open beta expected late October, GA targeted in 35 markets in Q1 2027.
via Amazon Ads, DVA+ campaigns - Advertising
Branded Conversations coming January 2027
Sponsored Brands prompts become multi-turn conversations in Alexa for Shopping. CPC applies only to the starter prompt.
via Amazon Ads, Branded Conversations - Brand Registry
Report a Violation brings every report into one tool
IP, store policy and compliance reports with guided forms and a Submission History tab. Store policy reports don't need the Rights Owner role.
via Sell on Amazon, Report a Violation
Follow for more
Tomorrow's tip, in your inbox before your coffee cools
One short email when a new issue lands. Amazon's news without the press-release voice, and one move worth making that week. No upsells, no "ultimate guides."
Section 07
Straight answers
The questions sellers are typing into search bars and chatbots this week, answered in under a minute each. Every answer is grounded in Amazon's own announcement, linked below it.
What are FBA Partial Refunds by return reason?
FBA Partial Refunds let a customer keep an item and receive part of the price back instead of returning it. Sellers in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Canada can now choose which return reasons qualify, set percentages for all ASINs with up to three configurations, or upload a file for selected ASINs.
Source: Seller Central News, Return reasons for FBA Partial Refunds
Does every customer get a partial refund if I enable it?
No. Amazon automatically reviews each return request using the customer's profile and purchase history to verify eligibility and help prevent abuse. If a customer is ineligible, the item is returned to a fulfillment center as usual. Sellers who were already enrolled keep offering partial refunds for all eligible reasons until they change their settings.
Source: Seller Central News, Return reasons for FBA Partial Refunds
When does Amazon's 2026 holiday return window start and end?
Items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2026 can be returned until January 31, 2027. The extended window applies to FBA and seller-fulfilled orders, so sellers should expect returns to arrive later and in larger numbers than usual after the holidays, and plan refund settings and inventory accordingly.
What is Amazon DVA+ and when is it available?
DVA+ lets advertisers create display, video and audio campaigns in four steps inside Amazon Ads Agent. It is in an extended closed beta in the US, with open beta expected in late October 2026. Amazon plans international expansion through Q4 2026 and targets general availability in 35 markets in Q1 2027.
Source: Amazon Ads, DVA+ campaigns
How do I give my team passkey access to Seller Central?
Add each person as a secondary user. Go to Settings, select User Permissions, choose the account, enter their contact information and send the invitation. Each secondary user needs a brand-new email address never used on an Amazon account. Once registered, they can sign in and create their own passkey.
How is Branded Conversations billed?
Advertisers pay CPC only on the conversation-starter prompt a shopper taps, and follow-up turns are free. Branded Conversations launches in the US in January 2027, enrolls eligible Sponsored Brands collections campaigns automatically, uses existing targeting and budgets, and can be turned off at the campaign or account level.