Overview

When you send inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers, the number of units received doesn't always match what you shipped. Amazon's shipment reconciliation tool allows sellers to identify discrepancies between their shipping plan and what was actually checked in at the warehouse, and then request an investigation to locate missing units or receive reimbursement for items Amazon takes responsibility for losing or damaging.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Reconciliation is time-sensitive — Claim windows close after 45 days for domestic shipments and 75 days for international shipments (for all shipments created after October 1, 2024), so sellers must act promptly once discrepancies appear.
• Shipments must reach a specific status before investigation — Your shipment must be marked as eligible in the reconciliation tool before you can file a research request. Shipments still being processed or not yet delivered cannot be investigated.
• Amazon may reconcile automatically — In many cases, Amazon investigates product discrepancies on its own and adjusts your inventory or issues reimbursements without you needing to take action.
• Receiving typically takes 2 to 30 days — In some cases, receiving can take up to 60 days, so patience is required before assuming units are truly missing.
• Reimbursements appear in reports — When Amazon accepts responsibility for lost or damaged products, reimbursement amounts are listed in the Reimbursements report within Seller Central.

How the Reconciliation Process Works

To begin reconciling a shipment, navigate to the Shipment Summary page in Seller Central and locate the shipment in question. Click on the shipment to open its details, then select the Reconcile tab. From there, you can review discrepancies between expected and located units for each product in the shipment. If a product shows an eligible discrepancy, select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu, attach any supporting documents, provide additional information if needed, and submit your research request. You can track the status of your request as it cycles through several stages — including In Progress, Researching, Check-in, and eventually Closed.