Remove inventory automatically
This article applies to selling in: United States

Remove inventory automatically

You can set up automatic removals for your inventory at Amazon fulfillment centers. You can enable automatic removals for the following:

  • Unfulfillable inventory
    Note: Amazon has enabled the automated unfulfillable settings and grayed-out the Disable option. It is not possible to opt out of the automated unfulfillable settings.
  • Fulfillable inventory:
    • Inventory that is subject to 365+ days aged inventory surcharge
      Note: Inventory that has been in a fulfillment center for 181 to 365 days will still be subject to the 181-365 aged inventory surcharge. For more information about inventory cleanup dates and surcharges, go to Aged inventory surcharge. To avoid this surcharge, create a removal order using the standard process on the Create removal order page. For more information, go to Remove inventory (overview).
    • Units of ASINs that have not sold in six or more consecutive months and that have been in fulfillment centers for more than 180 days

Per-item removal fees are applicable. For more information, go to FBA removal order fees and FBA disposal order fees.

We fulfill orders using inventory based on its location, to quickly deliver products to buyers. We don't fulfill inventory in the order that it was received in our facilities. For more information, go to Expiration dates on FBA products.

Remove unsellable inventory automatically

When inventory that is in a fulfillment center is not in sellable condition, its status changes to Unfulfillable and it is set aside. This inventory must be removed from the FBA network. You may configure your removal preferences using automated unfulfillable settings. If you do not configure a removal preference, your items will be disposed of at Amazon’s earliest discretion based on capacity, including immediately after returns evaluation. For more information, go to Required removals.

You can remove unsellable inventory at any time by submitting a removal order. For more information, go to Remove inventory from a fulfillment center.

You can also choose to have unsellable inventory refurbished, liquidated, or returned to you automatically by enabling the service in your seller account.

  1. Go to Automated unfulfillable settings and optionally select one or more of the following value-recovery services for unsellable inventory:
  2. Select one of the following required removal options:
    • None (available only if you did not enable automated removals when you signed up for refurbishment)
    • Return to have unsellable inventory returned to you
    • Dispose to have unsellable inventory disposed of
  3. If you selected Return, select your preferred schedule:
    • Weekly (on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 28th)
    • Twice a month (on the 5th and 20th)
  4. If you selected Return or Dispose, provide your preferred email address.
  5. If you selected Return, provide the address and phone number for the delivery destination.
  6. Click Update.
Note:
  • You can choose to configure any or all of the value-recovery services (grade and resell, refurbishment, liquidation, and donation) in combination with a required removal option (return or dispose). Or, you can choose to configure a required removal option only, with the exclusion of any value-recovery service.
  • All of the configurations above (value-recovery services with removal or removal only) will be processed and executed immediately, with the exception of the required return-only removal configuration.
  • Required return-only removals will be executed according to your preferred schedule, either weekly or twice a month, as described above in step 3.
  • If you enroll in automated removals, your manual removal orders may get canceled while an automated removal of the same inventory is in progress.
  • If you select immediate removal, unsellable customer returns will be disposed of at Amazon’s earliest discretion based on capacity, including immediately after returns evaluation.
  • Items that are immediately removed will be reported in the FBA Customer Returns report. Immediate removals will not be available in the Removal Order Detail report.
  • Some items may not be eligible for immediate disposal. If you use the FBA repackaging and refurbishment services, we will evaluate customer returns, repackage eligible items, and return them to sellable inventory. If an item is not eligible for repackaging and sale, it will be removed in accordance with your Automated unfulfillable settings. The usual storage and removal fees will apply.

Remove fulfillable inventory automatically

You can choose to have aging and slow-moving inventory removed through the automated fulfillable inventory settings. Once you’ve enabled automated removals, we’ll return, liquidate, or dispose of the following:

  • Fulfillable inventory that has been in a fulfillment center for more than 365 days
  • Units of ASINs that have not sold for six or more consecutive months and that have been in a fulfillment center for more than 180 days

Important: Removal orders will be created one to two weeks after the inventory cleanup date. For more information about cleanup dates and fees, go to Aged inventory surcharge.
  1. From the settings menu in Seller Central, select Fulfillment by Amazon.
  2. Locate Automated fulfillable settings, and click Edit.
  3. Select Enable for the automated fulfillable settings.
  4. Select either Return or Dispose as your removal preference. Then, select the inventory age at which automated removals would begin.
    • If you select Return:
      1. In the Email address text box, enter your preferred email address.
      2. Provide the address and phone number for the delivery destination.
        Note: To avoid errors when saving information in your seller account, the full name and address fields cannot be longer than 50 characters, and the return address must be a physical street address.
      3. Click Update.
    • If you select Dispose:
      1. Optionally enable Liquidations to recover value from eligible units. To learn more about product eligibility, go to FBA Liquidations.
        Note: Once enabled, you can exclude ASINs from liquidation by entering them as a comma-separated list.
      2. In the Email address text box, enter your preferred email address.
  5. Click Update.
    Note: Once a removal order is successfully created, we do not charge storage fees on the units during the processing period until its completion.
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