From 15 January 2025, Amazon is rolling out significant changes to the FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) reimbursement process – some great news for Sellers, some of which will call for extra vigilance to make sure you’re claiming what’s due.
Either way, these are changes that could impact how you manage your lost inventory and claim your reimbursements, so now’s the time to get prepared – here’s what you need to know…
Your Lowdown of the FBA Updates
- Good news – automatic reimbursements for lost items are coming (but see also below). Amazon will proactively reimburse sellers for items mislaid in their fulfilment centres, issuing refunds as soon as the item is reported lost.
- Good news – reimbursements will be made at sale price. So no hassle with returns or customer service issues; a lost item becomes, effectively, a free sale.
- Extra vigilance needed – because they’re reducing the claims eligibility window to just 60 days (down from 18 months!)
- How to stay vigilant – you can stay updated using the Reimbursements report on Seller Central.
Our take
The automatic reimbursement for lost items is a big win for Sellers – no more chasing Amazon to recover funds for misplaced inventory, hooray!
But this has already rolled out in the US, and that rollout showed that it’s really important you don’t just rely on Amazon’s automated system to pick up your lost items – because it might not.
In real life, early feedback from the US beta trials indicated that only around 20% of lost items were being reimbursed at the beginning, although this number is expected to improve.
What does it mean for your brand?
Simply put, you need to stay vigilant.
Regularly check your reports and manually claim anything Amazon might miss – especially since the new 60-day claims window gives you less time to act.
And don’t forget: there are plenty of other reimbursement types beyond lost items, so it’s crucial to be on top of all potential claims to ensure you’re not leaving money on the table.
If you need a hand with your Amazon cash recovery issues, from shortages and deductions to overbillings, remember that our Revenue Recovery service is designed to help you recoup these avoidable losses, putting them right back where they belong – your bottom line.
To enlist our experts for help with any of these issues, get in touch today.