Overview

Amazon will roll out a revised Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory reimbursement policy on March 31 2025. The changes shorten the time sellers have to lodge claims, raise the level of proof required, and add new automatic audit triggers. Because missed deadlines or insufficient documentation can translate into lost cash, sellers need a reliable way to detect issues early and file accurate reimbursement requests.

Key Points

• Shorter claim window — The period for submitting a reimbursement request drops from up to 60 days to roughly 30 days, forcing sellers to act quickly after an anomaly is recorded.
• Higher proof standard — Amazon now asks for detailed records such as shipment photos, carrier tracking screenshots, and original packing documents before approving any refund.
• More frequent audit triggers — The system will automatically flag inventory mismatches that exceed a lower threshold, resulting in a higher volume of reimbursement reviews.
• End of blanket “lost inventory” payouts — Generic compensation for unidentified stock is removed; each loss must be individually documented and justified.
• Helium 10 Managed Refund Service syncs with new API — The tool now connects directly to Amazon’s updated claim interface, enabling real‑time filing that aligns with the tighter deadlines.
• Potential revenue loss — Early modeling suggests sellers who fail to meet the new timelines could forfeit as much as 15 % of recoverable reimbursements each year.

How the New Policy Works

1. Incident logging — When Amazon’s system detects a discrepancy—such as a pallet that never arrived—it creates an incident record and starts a countdown based on the new claim window. Example: A seller notices a shortfall of 200 units on April 2; the dashboard now shows a 30‑day expiration instead of the former 60‑day limit.
2. Evidence upload — Sellers must attach supporting files—including inbound shipment receipts, carrier tracking screenshots, and photos of sealed cartons—through Seller Central.