Hello, Sellers. Have you ever shipped a package and then noticed an unexpected charge on your account afterward? You're not alone — shipping adjustments are one of the most common surprises sellers face, and the good news is that many of them are preventable.

This post breaks down what shipping adjustments are, why they happen, and — most importantly — what you can do to avoid or dispute them.

What Are Carrier Shipping Adjustments?

Shipping label charges are based on the information you provide for the package. Similarly, for returns, we provide customers with prepaid return shipping labels with carrier charges based on the information provided in the label.

Carriers may charge or credit your account after the package is shipped in the form of adjustments. These adjustments are the result of discrepancies between the original label information and the carrier-audited shipment information. They can range from a few cents to much larger charges for oversized shipments.

Important: These charges do not originate from Amazon. They are charges from the carriers that Amazon passes through to sellers.

Where Do I Find Carrier Shipping Adjustments?

Shipping adjustments can be viewed in Seller Central by checking Transaction View > Transaction Type: Shipping Services, then looking for Product Details: Adjustments. They will be linked to the Order ID.

Click the linked adjustment amount to see the breakdown of the adjustment, with the customer-entered/carrier-audited information and other details.

Why Do Carrier Shipping Adjustments Happen?

The most common reasons that shipping adjustments are applied are Differences in Dimensions and Weights. When the carrier-audited dimensions/weight are different than the label information, this can lead to an adjustment.

Note: In some cases, updated seller-audited weights/dimensions information may not be displayed in Seller Central. If you're seeing adjustments for FedEx shipments despite matching customer/carrier information, you can try visiting the FedEx website to view tracking details. You can also review the Other adjustment reasons section below.

Dimensional (DIM) or Default Weight Updates – Please note that the updated carrier-audited weight shown may be either dimensional weight or a carrier-set minimum weight.

• Dimensional Weight: Carriers calculate fees based on the size of the package, not just its actual weight. If your package is large but light, you may be charged based on its dimensional weight instead.
• Default Weight: Carriers may have default adjusted weights for some shipments. For example: 90 pounds is the minimum billable weight for a UPS oversize shipment. Per UPS: "An oversize charge applies to packages that exceed 96" in length or 130" in length and girth. There is a 90-lb. minimum billable weight."

Return shipment adjustment reasons – For return shipments, sellers may see adjustments if the item was returned in a package size different than the outbound size. Sellers may also see address correction fees if there is an issue with their return address. (Outbound shipments are not subject to address correction fees.) UPS Area Surcharges can apply to packages delivered to ZIP Codes designated by UPS

Other adjustment reasons – Adjustments unrelated to dimensions/weights include fuel surcharges, differences in the origin location on the original label and the actual location, special handling fees due to irregular packaging size or material.

How Do You Prevent Carrier Shipping Adjustments?

Follow these steps before you create a shipping label:

✅ Measure and weigh your package after it is fully packed — note that dimensions displayed on the carton by the manufacturer may be the inside dimensions and not the full outside dimensions. Differences may be small, but might lead to adjustments.

✅ Check your product info — if you're not using Amazon Buy Shipping for your outbound labels, we may use incorrect weights/dimensions to create the return labels. You can review and update product dimensions and weights by navigating to the SKU attributes tab in your return settings.

✅ Round up to the nearest whole inch when entering dimensions

✅ Double-check your entries before purchasing the label — a few seconds of review can save you money

✅ Be especially careful with FedEx One Rate — this service has strict maximum package thresholds of 50 pounds and 2200 cubic inches. Being slightly over these limits, or the package experiencing bulging/expansions in transit, can push the package above 2200 cubic inches and lead to substantial adjustments.

How Can You Dispute a Carrier Shipping Adjustment?

If you’d like to dispute carrier adjusted shipping charges, those requests need to be submitted to seller support.* If you are disputing carrier-audited weights/dimensions, I recommend including photos or product details that support the accuracy of the original label information. Ideally these would be photos showing the packaging with dimensions and weight (especially for return shipments), but can also include product detail page information indicating a large discrepancy between your label and the carrier-audited information.

*Exception: Sellers should submit disputes directly to FedEx for adjustments on FedEx Ground Economy (Smart Post) shipments. For detailed step-by-step guidance on filing Ground Economy (Smart Post) claims, sellers should refer to the comprehensive (external link) FedEx Ground Economy Claims How-To Guide available through FedEx's resource page.

If FedEx denies the claim, one common reason is that the seller's name and address on the claim form do not match the shipper information associated with the tracking number. This is necessary for the claim to be processed successfully. Please refile the claim and with this corrected information if it was not processed correctly the first time.

We know that unexpected fees can be frustrating, especially when you're working hard to manage your margins. We hope this guide helps you ship with confidence and keep more money in your pocket.

Share Your Experience 💬

Have you dealt with shipping adjustments before? What steps have helped you avoid or correct them?

Drop your tips and questions below — let's learn from each other! 👇

Resource: Carrier shipping correction charges