Overview

Starting January 26 2026, Amazon will require Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) sellers to complete refunds within four calendar days of receiving a returned item. The shift from a two‑business‑day window to a four‑calendar‑day deadline means weekends and holidays now count, and missing the cut‑off triggers an automatic refund and eliminates most SAFE‑T claim rights. Sellers must adjust their return workflows to avoid losing control over refunds and exposure to fraud‑related losses.

Key Points

• Four calendar days replace two business days — Sellers have a total of 96 hours, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, to process a return.
• Automatic refunds on missed deadlines — If the seller does not act within the four‑day period, Amazon issues the refund automatically, removing any seller discretion.
• SAFE‑T claim eligibility largely removed — Refunds generated automatically disqualify sellers from filing SAFE‑T claims except in narrow loss‑in‑transit or delivery‑error cases.
• Returnless Refund Service stays unchanged — The optional service that refunds customers without requiring a physical return continues to operate under its existing rules.
• Weekend returns compress usable time — A return received on Thursday must be resolved by Monday, giving only one full business day for inspection and documentation.
• Small sellers feel the pressure most — Operators without weekend staff or automated processing lose up to two working days compared with the previous model.
• High‑value and fashion categories at risk — Products prone to “wardrobing” or fraud, such as electronics and designer apparel, will see higher exposure because SAFE‑T protection is limited.
• Third‑party logistics (3PL) contracts need review — Agreements that do not guarantee weekend handling could cause frequent deadline breaches.

How the New Refund Window Works

1. Return receipt logged — When a returned package is scanned at the fulfillment site, the timestamp starts the four‑day countdown.