Overview

Amazon sometimes holds seller payments temporarily before releasing them — these are known as deferred transactions. Understanding how deferrals work is essential for managing your cash flow, since funds from completed sales may not appear in your next settlement until certain conditions are met. This reference covers the types of deferrals, how to track them, and when you can expect payment.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Deferred transactions are temporary holds — Amazon withholds payment on certain transactions until a future date, typically tied to delivery confirmation or buyer payment completion.
• You can track deferrals in Seller Central — The Payments dashboard and downloadable reports both provide visibility into which transactions are deferred, the reason for deferral, and the expected release date.
• Two main deferral reasons exist — Transactions are held either because an order is awaiting delivery (delivery date policy) or because the buyer hasn't completed payment yet (Pay by Invoice orders).
• Order-related fees are deferred alongside payment — Fees directly tied to a customer order, such as referral fees and FBA fulfillment fees, are charged when the deferred payment is released, not before.
• Standalone fees are still charged immediately — Subscription fees, storage fees, and services purchased through Amazon continue to be billed to your account on their normal schedule regardless of deferrals.

How Deferred Transactions Work

When a sale occurs on Amazon, the platform evaluates whether the transaction should be held before disbursement. If the order is still in transit or the buyer has not yet completed payment, Amazon places the funds into a deferred state. The transaction remains deferred until the triggering condition is resolved — for example, until the package is confirmed delivered or the buyer pays their invoice. Once the release date arrives and the condition is satisfied, the transaction status updates to released, and the funds become eligible for inclusion in your next settlement period. Only released transactions are factored into your payout calculations, so sellers should be aware that recent sales may not immediately contribute to upcoming deposits.