Reconcile your shipment
On this page, you will learn how to use the Shipment Reconciliation tool, which you can find in the Reconcile tab of the Summary page in your shipping workflow.
After your shipment has arrived at an Amazon fulfilment centre, the Shipment Contents tab on the Summary page will display the status of the units as they are received. If there are any differences between what you have sent in the shipment and what is received, use the tools on the Reconcile tab to:
- Get detailed information about discrepancies between your shipping plan and what the fulfilment centre received
- Provide more information about the shipment contents
- Request an investigation into missing or unexpected items
If the reconcile tab does not show the discrepancies between your shipping plan and what the fulfilment centre received, then your shipment is not eligible for reconciliation and it may be for one of several reasons:
- The shipment is still being processed by the fulfilment centre.
- The shipment has not been delivered to the fulfilment centre.
- The shipment contents have been received in full or have been reconciled.
Eligibility requirements
Most products will be received within 14 days after the entire shipment has been scanned at an Amazon fulfilment centre. However, some shipments can take longer to complete if issues are encountered during the receiving process or if products are reshipped to other locations in order to store them closer to customers.
For the most up-to-date information regarding the receiving status of your shipment, refer to the Reconcile tab in your Shipping Queue in Seller Central. Once your shipment is eligible for research, you can submit an investigation request to Seller Support. Waiting until your shipment is eligible for research helps ensure that the inventory in your shipment has had sufficient time to reach the appropriate fulfilment centres.
To be eligible for research, your shipment must meet the following conditions:
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Proof of delivery |
For small-parcel shipments, Amazon needs the tracking numbers for all of the parcels shipped. If you did not provide these when you created the shipment, enter them on the Track Shipment tab. For less-than-truckload (LTL) or full-truckload (FTL) shipments, use the Upload Documents section on the Reconcile tab to upload a bill of lading (BOL) showing the number of boxes in the shipment and the total weight when it was collected by the carrier.. The document must be stamped by Amazon confirming that the shipment arrived at the fulfilment centre |
| All boxes of one shipment have been received | If you sent your shipment in multiple boxes, they may be delivered to our fulfilment centres at different times. Amazon cannot begin researching discrepancies until all of the boxes in your shipment have arrived and been received. |
| Shipment eligibility date has been reached |
Your shipment will be eligible for investigation on or after the date shown in the Reconcile section of your shipment summary. Waiting until that date helps ensure that the products in your shipment have had enough time to be processed and, if necessary, shipped to other fulfilment centres. |
|
Request was submitted within six months of the first unit received in a shipment |
After delivery of your shipment, notify us of any discrepancies in the shipment within six months of arrival at the fulfilment centre, otherwise, our researchers will not have the opportunity to search for your missing units. After this time has passed, we will no longer accept a request for reconciliation on missing units, in accordance with the FBA lost and damaged inventory reimbursement policy. |
Located unit messages
The Located column explains the item discrepancy or a previous reconciliation. You can find this information by hovering over the arrow next to the quantity.
| Message | Description |
|---|---|
| Received | These products are accounted for through the standard receiving process. The Received quantity is displayed in the Delivery contents tab. |
| Auto-reconciled | When possible, we investigate product discrepancies automatically and add the reconciled units to your shipment. You can see additional details for your automatically reconciled units in the Located column on the Reconcile tab. |
| Reimbursement | If Amazon accepts responsibility for lost or damaged products, they are accounted for as Reimbursement. Reimbursement amounts are listed in the Transactions View tab of the Payments report. |
Request research
Products in the shipment that are eligible for additional research will have an option for you to select an action in the Status/Action Required column. This information helps Amazon complete the research and resolve issues efficiently. Products must have a status and/or action selected before you can preview and submit the research request.
| Status/action name | Description |
|---|---|
| Units not shipped | You have confirmed that you or your supplier did not ship these units or shipped a different product instead. |
| Missing – please research | You have confirmed that these units were included in your shipment, and you need Amazon to research further. |
| Extra units shipped | You have confirmed that you or your supplier included extra units or a different product than was originally recorded on your shipment. |
| Unexpected – please research | You have confirmed that these units were not included in your shipment, and you need Amazon to research further. |
| No action required | The product has been reconciled automatically, so no further action is necessary. |
| Pending dangerous goods (hazmat) review |
Your products may be reviewed for compliance with requirements for dangerous goods. Whilst these products are under review, they cannot be received at the fulfilment centre. Learn more about the FBA dangerous goods review process. |
| Investigation completed – quantity counted and confirmed | The units of this product received have been investigated, and the unit count has been confirmed at our fulfilment centre. If you have information that helps us locate these units, contact Seller Support through our Contact Us page. |
| Submitted | The product has already been submitted through the Reconcile tab, so no further action is required. |
Upload documents
Use the Choose File button to select all documents and the Upload button to attach documents to the research request. Certain documents are required for Amazon to research the discrepancies; uploading them will help Amazon resolve the research request as quickly as possible.
Amazon requires the following documents to be submitted with the research request:
-
Proof of inventory ownership: Proof of inventory ownership will help identify any potential discrepancies that may have occurred. Some examples of acceptable documents are an invoice from a supplier, receipt from another seller or signed packing slip if you are a manufacturer. The following information must be provided:
- Date of purchase
- Product names matching the missing products
- Quantity
- Proof of delivery: For LTL or FTL shipments, a bill of lading showing the number of boxes in the shipment and the total weight when it was picked up by the carrier. The document must be stamped by Amazon confirming that the shipment was received and signed for at the fulfilment centre. Your carrier should have a copy of this document. This information helps to verify that the entire shipment was picked up and delivered as expected.
Provide additional information
For any additional discrepancies, you can ask Seller Support to investigate. Describe the discrepancy in the form provided. This information helps Amazon complete the research and resolve issues as quickly as possible.
| Information type example | Description |
|---|---|
| Any known discrepancies | Did you or your supplier ship more or fewer units than you originally expected? Did you or your supplier ship the wrong product? |
| A description of the shipping boxes | Our team does a physical check of the fulfilment centre, so information about the colour, size or any distinguishing marks on your shipping boxes can help us find them more quickly. |
| Product codes | Verify the UPC, EAN or JAN on your products. Does it match the product code shown in Seller Central? |
| Any prep activity that was missed | An item that was not properly prepped before being shipped can cause delays in the receiving process, as we must prep the item for you. |
Preview and submit your request
After you have classified the discrepancies remaining on your shipment, click Preview your request, review the information and, if everything is correct, click Submit Request. The submission will create a case with Seller Support for the products that require research.
After submitting the request, you will be provided with a case number, which will also be shown in the Shipment Reconciliation tool when you next visit the page. You can watch for status updates and communications by clicking on the case number or going directly to your Case Log.
