Overview

Returnless resolutions allow Amazon sellers to issue refunds or replacements while letting buyers keep the original product, eliminating the need for a return shipment. This feature is available for seller-fulfilled orders and can help reduce return shipping costs, streamline the post-purchase experience, and minimize the hassle of processing low-value or hard-to-reship items. Sellers can configure returnless resolutions either through rule-based automation or on a per-SKU basis directly within their return settings.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Two configuration methods available — Sellers can set up returnless resolutions using rule-based criteria that automatically apply across qualifying returns, or they can add or remove returnless resolutions for individual SKUs for more granular control.
• Automated processing through rules — When configured, Amazon can automatically issue a returnless refund or replacement to buyers based on the rules you define in your return settings, without requiring manual intervention on each return request.
• Applies to seller-fulfilled orders only — This particular feature covers merchant-fulfilled returns. FBA sellers should refer to Amazon's separate FBA returnless resolutions program, which operates under different guidelines.
• Avoid offering replacements through Buyer-Seller Messaging — Amazon explicitly warns against offering returnless replacements directly through the messaging system after a buyer has already placed a replacement request. Doing so may trigger an automatic charge on the buyer's account for failing to return the original item to the carrier.
• Buyers keep the original product — Under a returnless resolution, the buyer receives their refund or replacement without being asked to ship the original item back, which can reduce friction and improve customer satisfaction.

How Returnless Resolutions Work

When a buyer initiates a return on a seller-fulfilled order, Amazon evaluates the request against the seller's configured returnless resolution rules. If the return meets the defined criteria — such as falling below a certain price threshold, matching a specific return reason, or belonging to a designated product category — the system automatically processes the resolution without requiring the buyer to ship anything back. The seller either issues a refund or sends a replacement, and the buyer retains the original item. This automated approach saves time on both sides and eliminates the costs associated with return shipping, restocking, and inspecting returned merchandise.