Amazon FBA shipment reconciliation is the process for resolving differences between the inventory in your shipping plan and the units Amazon accounts for. A shipment must be Closed before it can be eligible for reconciliation; then use Track shipment → Contents to review discrepancies and request research. You need proof of inventory ownership and proof of delivery, not just a statement that units are missing.
This guide covers the missing-unit investigation after shipment closure, not the entire inbound journey or reimbursement valuation. Platform details below come from Amazon’s US Reconcile your shipment help page, data checked 2026-11-03. The workflow is documented guidance, not a walkthrough performed inside a seller account.
Amazon FBA shipment reconciliation: eligibility first
Start with two separate questions: is the shipment Closed, and is the affected product eligible for research? A closed shipment is not an automatic reimbursement approval, and a shortage visible during receiving is not automatically ready for a claim.
Amazon’s US help page, checked 2026-11-03, describes the eligibility date in the reconciliation tool as an estimate of when the shipment will be ready for investigation. Processing can still be incomplete, final counts can be pending, or extra units may need more time to be matched. A shipment received in full or already reconciled may have nothing left to investigate.
| What you see | What it means for the next step |
|---|---|
| Shipment still Receiving | Follow receiving progress rather than treating the count as a final shortage |
| Shipment Closed, product marked Action required | Review the discrepancy and select the appropriate action for that product |
| Units located. No action required | Amazon has received the product in full or reconciled it automatically |
| Case submitted | Research has already been requested through Contents; follow the existing case |
| Claim window expired | Check the applicable reimbursement policy and the shipment’s displayed status; closure does not reopen the window |
Automatic closure and the claim window are different concepts. The same official page lists automatic closure after 45 days for domestic shipments and 75 days for international shipments created after February 1, 2024. Those are shipment-closure rules, not a statement of the deadline for filing a reimbursement claim. Use the current applicable reimbursement policy for that deadline rather than calculating it from closure alone.
For statuses before this point, use the end-to-end FBA shipment tracking guide. Keep this investigation focused on the remaining discrepancy.
Build a missing-unit evidence packet
The strongest packet lets someone trace the same product from purchase or manufacture to the shipment being investigated. Organize it by shipment ID and SKU, then connect the documents rather than uploading an unexplained pile of files.
Amazon’s documentation, checked 2026-11-03, requires both proof of inventory ownership and proof of delivery with the research request. Ownership supports that the stock was yours; delivery documentation supports the shipment’s movement. Neither, by itself, answers every question about the units inside a box.
Ownership: choose the document that fits your business
Amazon lists a supplier invoice, a receipt from another seller, or a signed packing slip only if you are the manufacturer as ownership-document examples. A manufacturer packing slip is not a universal replacement for a reseller’s purchase invoice.
| Document | Information Amazon specifies |
|---|---|
| Purchase invoice | Purchase date, product names matching the missing products, quantity purchased |
| Manufacturer’s signed packing slip | Packing list date, shipment or purchase order ID, missing-item product names, quantity shipped, manufacturer signature or stamp |
| Receipt or invoice containing purchase prices | Amazon says the prices paid are not required and may be obscured |
Amazon does not accept pro forma invoices or similar contracts as ownership evidence because they do not show a completed purchase. It also requires invoices and packing slips in non-editable form: a scan or picture of the original in PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF, rather than an Excel or Word document. Invoices must clearly originate from the supplier or manufacturer.
Before attaching the file, check that its product description can be matched to the affected SKU. If supplier wording differs from your listing title, explain the connection in your case description. Keep that explanation separate from the original document so the reader can distinguish source evidence from your interpretation.
Delivery: preserve the shipment-level details
For LTL or FTL shipments, Amazon’s help page specifically calls for documentation showing the number of boxes and total weight when the carrier picked up the shipment, and says the carrier should have a copy. Request that document while you assemble the ownership evidence.
For other shipping methods, use the proof-of-delivery requirements presented for the shipment and request any missing carrier records. The cited help page’s LTL/FTL wording is not a reason to invent a universal small-parcel document checklist.
Add the carrier reference and shipment ID to your evidence index. Note any mismatch between the shipping plan and what the supplier actually dispatched. A carrier record may support that boxes traveled, but it does not replace the product-and-quantity evidence needed to explain their contents.
An evidence index that makes review easier
Use a short index in your working notes:
- Shipment ID and destination fulfillment center.
- Affected merchant SKU, FNSKU or other product identifier, and product description.
- Expected quantity, units located, and the discrepancy shown in Contents.
- Ownership attachment filename and the matching product line.
- Delivery attachment filename and carrier reference.
- Any known short shipment, extra shipment, substitution, or labeling issue.
The Send to Amazon shipping workflow covers creating the plan and recording box contents. Here, use those records to explain the specific discrepancy rather than recreating the shipping plan tutorial.
Submit through the Contents tab
Amazon’s documented submission path, checked 2026-11-03, is Shipments → Track shipment → Contents. Work from that shipment-specific page so the request is connected to the inventory discrepancy.
1. Compare expected units with located units
Read the Units expected/Units located information and the discrepancy column. Amazon says hovering over the located-unit number provides more detail about received and reconciled units. Review that breakdown before assuming the entire difference is unaccounted for.
A shipment can contain multiple affected products with different explanations. Keep those explanations at the SKU level. A genuine supplier short shipment on one product does not establish what happened to another product in the same delivery.
2. Classify every Action required line
Amazon requires an option for every product marked Action required before you can preview and submit. Its options distinguish acknowledgment from a request to investigate:
| Option | Use when your records establish this situation |
|---|---|
| Units not shipped | You or your supplier did not ship the units, or shipped a different product instead |
| Research missing units | You confirmed the units were included and need Amazon to research them |
| Extra units shipped | You or your supplier included extra units or a different product from the original plan |
| Research extra units | You confirmed the extra units were not included and need research |
Select the description that matches what actually left your supplier or warehouse. A shortage in Contents is a discrepancy to explain, not proof that Amazon lost the units.
3. Attach documents and explain identifying details
Use Choose File and Upload to attach the packet. Amazon’s help page asks for useful additional information such as known shipping discrepancies, box color or distinguishing marks, product codes, and missed prep activity.
Make the description operational: identify what is missing, where the matching evidence is, and what could help locate it. If a supplier sent a different product, say so explicitly instead of leaving the investigator to infer it from an attachment.
4. Preview, submit, and retain the case number
Check the product choices, quantities, and attachments in Preview your request. Submit Request creates a Selling Partner Support case for the products requiring research. Amazon says the case number appears after submission and on later visits to Contents; updates are available through that number or the Case Log.
Record the case number alongside your evidence index. Follow that case for communications and additional document requests rather than losing the history across disconnected notes.
Read the result before reopening the issue
The Contents tab is an accounting of what Amazon has done with the units, not just a raw count of physical arrivals. According to the official page, checked 2026-11-03, received units and reconciliation adjustments contribute to the located-unit information.
| Result or message | How to interpret it |
|---|---|
| Received | Accounted for through normal receiving |
| Reconciled | Amazon has investigated automatically and adjusted the shipment’s reconciled units |
| Reimbursed | Amazon accepted responsibility; reimbursement amounts are listed in Payments report Transactions View |
| Received on another shipment | Units have been reallocated from another shipment belonging to the same seller |
| Different item received under another FNSKU | Examine the item-substitution or SKU mismatch explanation before repeating the original shortage |
One especially important result is Investigation completed - shipment contents counted and confirmed. Amazon says this means it matched delivered boxes and physically counted the units; these products are no longer eligible for research through that route. If you have information that can help locate the missing units, its documented next step is contacting Selling Partner Support. If units are located, they are added to inventory; otherwise Amazon says they are deemed short-shipped and reimbursement cannot be issued.
New information matters here: a distinguishing box mark, a documented product substitution, or evidence linking a misidentified item to the shipment gives support something specific to investigate. Repeating only the original expected count does not explain the discrepancy.
For reimbursement amounts and broader recovery categories, continue to the FBA reimbursement guide. A submitted research request is not itself a reimbursement decision.
A reusable case description
Adapt this outline to your actual records. Replace the bracketed fields in your case submission; this is a writing template, not evidence of a shipment we operated.
Shipment: [shipment ID]. Affected product: [SKU, FNSKU, description]. Contents shows [expected quantity] expected and [located quantity] located. Our dispatch records show [quantity actually sent]. We selected [research option] because [specific explanation].
Ownership evidence: [filename and relevant line]. Delivery evidence: [filename and carrier reference]. The boxes can be identified by [color, dimensions, marks, or other known details]. Known discrepancies or prep issues: [facts, or none identified]. Please research the remaining discrepancy using these records.
Keep separate product lines separate when the evidence differs. If you discover fewer units were sent, update your explanation to reflect that finding. If Amazon requests another document, preserve the response and its attachment name alongside the case number so the next review starts with the complete record.
Common mistakes and submission checklist
The avoidable errors are usually mismatched evidence or misread status, not missing persuasive language:
- Treating Closed as proof of a lost unit or as the claim deadline.
- Requesting research without first checking reconciled or reallocated units.
- Uploading a pro forma invoice or an editable spreadsheet as ownership proof.
- Using a manufacturer’s packing slip exception for a reseller purchase.
- Leaving an Action required product without a selected option.
- Treating a completed count as though the original research dropdown were still available.
Before submission, confirm the shipment and product eligibility, match each affected product to ownership evidence, attach the applicable delivery documentation, classify every required line, and review the preview. After submission, retain the case number and follow its updates. That gives the investigation a traceable record without confusing a request, a located unit, and a reimbursement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reconcile an FBA shipment while it is Receiving?
Amazon’s US help page, checked 2026-11-03, says a shipment can only be eligible when Closed. Use the estimated eligibility date and current status to follow progress; a receiving-stage shortage is not a final investigation result.
Is an invoice enough to request research?
No. The cited help page requires both inventory-ownership evidence and delivery evidence. It also specifies the information needed on invoices and manufacturer packing slips. Match the documents to the shipment and missing products.
Do 45 and 75 days define the reimbursement claim window?
No. Those figures describe automatic shipment closure in the cited page. Claim-window expiry is a separate status tied to the FBA inventory reimbursement policy. Check the applicable current policy rather than deriving a deadline from the closure rule.
Where do I follow a submitted reconciliation request?
Amazon says submission creates a support case. Use the case number shown after submission or in Contents, or open the Case Log. If the product already says Case submitted, follow that existing investigation.