Overview

Amazon has revised its fund‑withholding rules, merging previously scattered guidance into a single “Fund Withholding Policy.” The most impactful tweak shortens the appeal period for deactivated accounts from 90 days to 60 days, a change that sellers with large balances must act on immediately.

Key Points

• Policy consolidation — All rules about held funds now live under one titled document on Seller Central, replacing multiple legacy pages.
• Appeal deadline cut — Sellers must submit a request for fund release within 60 days of account deactivation, down from the prior three‑month window.
• Reasoning clarified — The new policy outlines specific reasons Amazon may retain funds, such as pending customer claims or suspected policy breaches.
• Violation examples added — Concrete scenarios—like counterfeit listings or review manipulation—are listed to illustrate actions that could trigger permanent withholding.
• Business Solutions Agreement tie‑in — The update aligns the Fund Withholding Policy with recent changes to Section 2 of the Business Solutions Agreement, creating a unified contractual reference.

What's Changing

1. Unified policy document — Amazon now hosts a single “Fund Withholding Policy” page that aggregates all prior guidance. For example, a seller who previously had to consult three separate help articles to understand why funds were held can now read one comprehensive guide.
2. Reduced appeal window — The clock starts the day Amazon disables an account, and sellers have exactly 60 days to file an appeal. A seller who was deactivated on March 1 must submit their appeal by April 30, whereas under the old system the deadline would have been May 31.
3. Detailed rationale for holds — The policy enumerates situations that justify withholding, such as outstanding A‑to‑Z Guarantee claims, chargebacks, or suspected fraud. If a seller’s account shows a pending chargeback of $5,000, Amazon will reference that specific liability when explaining the hold.
4. — Amazon now lists activities that can lead to a permanent decision not to release funds. For instance, a seller caught selling a known counterfeit brand may see the entire balance forfeited without further appeal.