If you’ve filed an Amazon FBA reimbursement claim recently and gotten back less than you expected, it’s not a mistake on your end – Amazon changed how reimbursements are calculated, and the claim windows are shorter than they used to be. Here’s what actually changed and what it means for how you should be documenting your wholesale inventory costs.
Reimbursements Are Now Based on Your Cost, Not Your Selling Price
Amazon shifted to a cost-based valuation model for lost and damaged inventory reimbursements. Instead of reimbursing based on what an item sells for, Amazon reimburses based on the documented per-unit sourcing cost you’ve entered in Seller Central. If you sourced a unit for $6 and sold it for $24, a lost-inventory claim now pays out closer to $6 – not the $20+ a selling-price-based model would have paid under the old approach.
Why Your Cost Data Matters More Than Ever
If you’ve entered an accurate per-unit cost for a SKU in Seller Central, Amazon uses that figure to calculate your reimbursement. If the cost field is missing or left at zero, Amazon substitutes its own internal cost estimate – and that estimate is typically lower than what you actually paid. This makes keeping accurate, invoice-backed cost data for every active SKU a direct factor in how much you recover when something goes wrong in Amazon’s fulfillment network.
Claim Windows Have Gotten Shorter
The filing deadlines for reimbursement claims have tightened significantly compared to the multi-month lookback windows sellers used to have:
- Most fulfillment center discrepancies (lost or damaged inventory): roughly 60 days from the incident to file.
- FBA customer return claims (US): between 60-120 days depending on the claim type.
- Removal order claims: between 15-75 days.
A quarterly or annual reconciliation habit isn’t frequent enough to catch these anymore – a monthly review of your FBA inventory reports is what it takes to spot discrepancies while they’re still within the filing window.
What to Include When You File
Amazon automatically processes many straightforward lost and damaged inventory claims, along with some customer return issues. Removal claims and mishandled returns typically still require manual submission. Whichever route applies, submitting shipment IDs, invoices, and photos with the initial filing – rather than waiting for Amazon to ask – reduces the odds of a denial on a technicality.
Every order from Wholesale Distributors US comes with a proper commercial invoice showing your real per-unit cost – exactly the documentation this reimbursement model rewards you for having on file. Apply for a wholesale account to see current terms.
FAQ
How does Amazon calculate FBA reimbursements in 2026?
Amazon now bases reimbursements for lost or damaged inventory on your documented per-unit sourcing cost in Seller Central, not on the item’s selling price. If your cost data is missing or zero, Amazon uses its own internal estimate instead, which is typically lower than your actual cost.
How long do I have to file an Amazon FBA reimbursement claim?
Most fulfillment center discrepancies need to be filed within roughly 60 days. FBA customer return claims in the US generally run 60-120 days, and removal order claims run 15-75 days, depending on the specific claim type.
What documentation should I submit with a reimbursement claim?
Include shipment IDs, invoices, and photos with your initial submission rather than waiting for Amazon to request them – incomplete first filings are more likely to be denied or delayed.
Related reading: Invoice vs. Receipt for Amazon Ungating: What Actually Counts (2026) | How to Calculate Landed Cost for Wholesale Purchasing | How to Read a Wholesale Invoice: What Every Line Item Means | Amazon Ended FBA Prep & Labeling Services: What Wholesale Buyers Need to Do
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