Amazon loses and damages a small share of the inventory it handles, and it pays sellers back under its FBA inventory reimbursement policy. The policy is generous on paper and strict in practice: each claim type has its own window, its own report and its own proof. At 10,000 units a month, the gap between what you are owed and what you collect is usually a records problem.
Amazon reimburses lost or damaged FBA inventory, usually at your sourcing cost, up to $5,000 per unit. As of October 2026, US windows are: nine months after verified delivery for shipment-to-Amazon claims, 60 days for fulfillment center losses, 60 to 120 days after a refund for returns, and 75 days for lost removals. The 18-month window some summaries cite does not match the current US pages.
What does Amazon reimburse under the FBA inventory reimbursement policy?
Amazon replaces or reimburses items lost or damaged at a facility or by a carrier operated by or for Amazon (FBA inventory reimbursement policy). An item is eligible only if all of these are true:
- It was registered in FBA when it was lost or damaged.
- It meets FBA product restrictions and inventory requirements.
- You sent the exact items and quantities stated in your shipping plan.
- The shipment is not canceled or deleted, and the item is not pending disposal.
- The item is not defective and was not damaged by a customer.
- Your selling account is in normal status while the claim is filed and reviewed.
The third condition is the one prep work controls. If box contents do not match the shipping plan, an inbound claim starts on weak ground.
How long do you have to file an FBA reimbursement claim in 2026?
It depends on where the loss happened. The US Seller Central pages give four different windows:
| Claim type | Window opens | Window closes | Where you file from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipment to Amazon (inbound) | When the shipment shows as eligible for investigation on the Contents tab | Nine months after the verified delivery date | Shipment Contents tab |
| Fulfillment center operations | The day the item is reported lost or damaged | 60 days after it is reported in the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal or Inventory Ledger | Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal |
| Customer returns | 60 days after the customer refund or replacement | 120 days after the refund or replacement | Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal |
| Removals, lost in transit | 15 days after the last confirmed movement | 75 days after the removal shipment was created | Removal order claim tool |
| Removals, damaged or grading dispute | The day the removal is delivered to you | 60 days after delivery | Removal order claim tool |
Sources: Shipment to Amazon claims, Fulfillment center operations claim, Customer return claims and Removals claims, Amazon Seller Central US, checked October 2026. Claims filed outside these windows are not eligible.
Does Amazon reimburse lost inventory automatically?
Partly. Amazon investigates and resolves many lost and damaged events itself, and the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal shows them on three tabs: Eligible for claim, In progress and Resolved (fulfillment center operations claim). Resolved items show the reason and any reimbursement amount. Anything on the Eligible for claim tab waits for you to file, and you can also file if you disagree with a resolution.
Inbound shipments work the same way. During reconciliation Amazon investigates discrepancies automatically and adds or removes reconciled units, and if it accepts responsibility the units show as Reimbursed (Reconcile your shipment). Units still in "Action required" status need you to submit a research request. For returns, if a refunded customer does not send the item back within 60 days, Amazon will in most cases charge the customer and reimburse you (customer return claims).
Treat the automatic part as a first pass. A monthly check of the Eligible for claim tab and the Reimbursements report catches what it misses.
How much does Amazon pay for a lost or damaged unit?
For inbound, fulfillment center and removal claims, Amazon pays your sourcing cost: what you paid the manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, or your production cost if you make the item. Shipping, handling and customs duties are excluded (FBA inventory reimbursement policy).
- Enter your sourcing cost on the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page in the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal. If you don't, Amazon uses its own estimate based on comparable products.
- Amazon can decline a submitted cost that is an outlier or poorly documented, and then pays a previously approved amount or its estimate.
- Items that were unsellable when lost or damaged are paid at a reduced estimated cost.
- Customer return claims are valued at the refund or replacement amount minus applicable fees.
- The cap is $5,000 per unit. Amazon suggests third-party insurance above that.
- If you disagree with a valuation, you have 60 days after the reimbursement is issued to file.
Because payment is sourcing cost, not sale price, a lost unit still costs you the margin and the inbound freight. Prevention is worth more than recovery.
What proof does an inbound shipment claim need?
An inbound claim needs three things: the Amazon shipment ID, proof that you owned the inventory, and proof that it was delivered (Shipment to Amazon claims).
- Shipment ID, from your Shipping Queue.
- Proof of ownership: a supplier invoice, a receipt from another seller, or a signed packing slip if you are the manufacturer. It must show the date of purchase, product names matching the lost items and the quantity.
- Proof of delivery for LTL or full truckload: a document showing the number of boxes and the total weight at pickup, stamped by Amazon to confirm receipt at the fulfillment center. Your carrier should have it.
- Proof of delivery for small parcel: an active tracking ID for each package. If you did not use an Amazon partnered carrier, the tracking must be entered before you can be reimbursed.
Amazon allows one claim per shipment, and extra claims for the same shipment are declined. Wait until the shipment is fully reconciled, then file everything at once. Before filing, check the Contents tab for discrepancies and the Reimbursements report for anything already paid.
Why do inbound claims get denied?
Most denials come from evidence that does not hold together: counts that never matched the plan, a proof of delivery that does not show the boxes, or a claim filed too early or too late.
- Short shipment. If Amazon marks items "Investigation completed, shipment contents counted and confirmed", it matched every box to the plan and physically counted the units. Those items can no longer be researched, and unless the missing units turn up, they are treated as short-shipped with no reimbursement (Reconcile your shipment).
- Plan mismatch. The policy requires the exact items and quantities in your shipping plan, so a box packed differently from its box content entry weakens the claim.
- Wrong item received. Mislabeled units can be received under an "Amazon.Found" merchant SKU instead of your listing, which looks like a shortage until you trace it.
- Timing. A shipment is eligible only once it is Closed. Reconciliation usually takes 2 to 30 days and sometimes up to 60, and domestic shipments created after February 1, 2024 close automatically after 45 days.
- Volume of weak requests. Amazon says premature or poorly researched requests, or many requests in a short time, can delay your cases and lead to account action.
The FBA prep mistakes guide covers the labeling and packing errors that cause many of these problems.
How do prep center records support an inbound claim?
A prep center creates most of the evidence an inbound claim relies on, at the moment it seals the boxes. The claim is decided by what was recorded then, so ask any prep center what it keeps for each shipment.
| Record at the prep center | What it proves to Amazon | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Box contents per carton, matching the shipping plan | You sent the exact items and quantities in the plan | Eligibility; comparing units expected with units located |
| Carton count, weight and dimensions for every outbound carton | The full shipment left your hands and matches the carrier record | LTL or truckload proof of delivery (box count and total weight) |
| Tracking ID for each carton | Each small-parcel box was handed to the carrier | Small-parcel proof of delivery |
| Photos of sealed, labeled cartons and of pallets | Condition, labels and count at handoff | Research requests and appeals |
| Received counts against the supplier invoice | You owned the quantity you sent | Proof of ownership alongside the invoice |
When a carton weight on the bill of lading matches the weight recorded at pack-out, and the box contents match the plan, a shortage at the fulfillment center points to Amazon rather than to you. Without those records, the same shortage looks like a packing error.
What is at stake at 10,000 units a month?
A worked example shows the size of the line. All figures are illustrative assumptions, not Amazon data or rates from any provider. A seller sends 10,000 units a month into FBA at an average sourcing cost of $9 per unit.
| Event (example) | Units a month | Value at $9 sourcing cost | Window to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound units missing at reconciliation | 40 | $360 | Nine months after delivery, one claim per shipment |
| Lost or damaged in a fulfillment center, not auto-resolved | 15 | $135 | 60 days after the event is reported |
| Refunded customer returns never sent back, not auto-resolved | 10 | $90 (valued at refund minus fees) | 60 to 120 days after refund |
| Total eligible each month | 65 | $585 | Mixed |
That is about $7,020 a year in sourcing cost alone. If half the inbound claims fail because box contents did not match the plan or the proof of delivery lacked a box count, $2,160 of it is lost each year before any margin is counted. If the 60-day fulfillment center window is missed every other month, another $810 goes.
How do you run a monthly FBA reimbursement check?
A short routine on a fixed day each month covers every window, including the 60-day one.
- Enter or update sourcing costs for new SKUs on the Manage Your Sourcing Cost page, with invoices ready.
- Open the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal. File for everything on the Eligible for claim tab, and review the Resolved tab for amounts you disagree with.
- Review inbound shipments that closed in the last month. For any item in Action required status, attach the invoice and proof of delivery and submit one research request per shipment.
- Check removal orders against the Removal Order Detail and Removal Shipment Detail reports, and photograph any damage before you discard packaging.
- Compare totals with the Reimbursements report, and log claims filed, approved and denied so you can see which supplier, carrier or prep step causes repeat losses.
Where does Orderfy fit?
Orderfy is a tech-enabled, modern 3PL for high-volume Shopify and Amazon brands, with FBA prep for RA, OA and wholesale sellers as well as established brands. Its warehouse is in the center of the US, in Dallas-Fort Worth, with many Amazon fulfillment centers nearby and lower-cost consolidated freight into Amazon.
- Carton records: every outbound carton is weighed and measured, and box contents are accurate, which gives an inbound claim the counts and weights it needs.
- Inventory tracking: inventory is tracked accurately in Orderfy WMS, the proprietary inventory software we built in-house for Shopify and Amazon sellers. It is included for clients and tracks FBA prep from arrival at the warehouse to sellable at Amazon.
- Photo records of shipments, plus same-day receiving and same-day prep turnaround.
- Direct communication channels: 24/7 access to the warehouse team when you need records for a case.
Orderfy is not the right fit for sellers with very low volume, or for sellers who need prep warehouses on both coasts. Ask about removal order handling and claim support when you request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Amazon replaces or reimburses eligible items lost or damaged in its facilities or by carriers it operates or uses, at your sourcing cost up to $5,000 per unit. Many events are resolved without a claim, and the rest need a claim within the window for that event type.
In the US, as of October 2026: nine months after verified delivery for shipment-to-Amazon claims, 60 days after the event is reported for fulfillment center losses, 60 to 120 days after the refund for customer returns, and up to 75 days after creation for lost removals.
Cost. For inbound, fulfillment center and removal claims, Amazon pays your sourcing cost and excludes shipping, handling and duties. Customer return claims are valued at the refund or replacement amount minus applicable fees.
Use the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal and the Inventory Ledger report for fulfillment center events, the shipment Contents tab for inbound discrepancies, and the Reimbursements report for what has been paid.
No. Amazon allows one claim per shipment and declines additional ones, so wait until the shipment is reconciled and include every discrepancy with full documents in that single claim.
Amazon can reverse the reimbursement credit if a reimbursed item is found and returned to your inventory, or if the payment was made in error. Found items may also be sold through Amazon Warehouse or other channels.
It can make sense at high volume, but Amazon warns that insufficiently researched or premature requests, or large numbers of requests in a short time, can delay your cases. Whoever files, the claims are only as good as your invoices, carton records and proof of delivery.
Get a quote from Orderfy
If inbound shortages keep costing you, get a quote and ask how Orderfy records cartons, weights and photos for each FBA shipment. Get a quote.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Central: FBA inventory reimbursement policy, US, checked October 29, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central: Shipment to Amazon claims, US, checked October 29, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central: Fulfillment center operations claim, US, checked October 29, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central: Customer return claims, US, checked October 29, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central: Removals claims, US, checked October 29, 2026
- Amazon Seller Central: Reconcile your shipment, US, checked October 29, 2026