Note: This article was updated on December 19, 2024, to include a clarified definition of "manufacturing cost."
We’re updating our Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) inventory reimbursement policy to help provide you greater transparency and more predictability in how reimbursements are calculated for items that are lost or damaged before a customer order. This will help drive a more consistent approach that works as we support sellers with supply chain services across their sales channels.
Effective March 10, 2025, we’ll reimburse you based on the product manufacturing cost of the affected inventory. "Manufacturing cost" means your cost to source a product from a manufacturer, wholesaler, reseller, or produce the item if you are the manufacturer. It excludes costs such as shipping, handling, customs duties, or other costs.
To help provide you greater control and accuracy, you can choose how we determine the manufacturing cost for your products:
- We’ll provide a manufacturing cost estimate for you. This estimate is based on a comprehensive evaluation of comparable products sold by Amazon, by other sellers, and through wholesale channels.
- You can provide your manufacturing costs directly. If you don’t provide your own costs, we’ll automatically apply our estimate which you can change when you’re ready.
To help you prepare, you can view and manage manufacturing costs in the Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal starting in late January using a new Manage Your Manufacturing Cost page.
We’re constantly refining our operations and processes to prevent products from being lost or damaged and having to be reimbursed. For cases where reimbursement is necessary, we’re focused on ensuring timely compensation. We now offer automatic reimbursements for items lost in our fulfillment centers, saving you time, and eliminating the need for you to submit a claim to receive reimbursement.
For items that are lost or damaged after a customer order in Amazon’s store, we’ll continue to reimburse you for the sales price on the original order minus applicable fees.
For more information on the policy change, please visit the Changes to program policies.