A shortage claim indicates a difference between expected and received units. The correct response depends on your relationship with Amazon. A Vendor Central invoice deduction and a Seller Central FBA inventory discrepancy use different records and policies.
First identify the program
- Vendor Central: Amazon purchases your inventory. Match the invoice deduction to the purchase order, shipment and receiving evidence.
- Seller Central FBA: you send inventory for Amazon fulfillment. Check the inventory ledger, shipment reconciliation and reimbursement eligibility for the specific event.
- Multi-Channel Fulfillment: separate policy provisions apply to orders fulfilled for channels outside Amazon.
Amazon's Inventory Defect and Reimbursement portal guidance explains how Seller Central groups eligible, in-progress and resolved inventory cases. That is seller guidance, not a deadline source for Vendor Central deductions.
Reconcile the quantities
Compare the purchase order or shipment plan, shipped units, invoice quantity, receiving count and any adjustments. Normalize eaches, cases and bundles. Account for split shipments, receiving delays and previously issued credits before calculating the shortfall.
Attach evidence that supports the disputed units
Keep the relevant invoice, packing list, carrier tracking, signed delivery record and receiving detail together. State which SKU and quantity is disputed and how the documents establish it. A delivery confirmation is not necessarily a count of every unit inside the shipment.
The shortage documentation guide provides a packet checklist. Add any program-specific documents requested by Amazon.
Check the current claim window
Use the policy shown in the appropriate Amazon account for the claim type. Do not treat 30 or 90 days as a universal Amazon deadline. Eligibility and evidence requirements differ among missing inbound units, inventory damage, customer returns and vendor invoice disputes.
This article does not claim that a certain percentage of shortages will be recovered at a particular age. Track your own outcomes by program, claim type and evidence quality.
Close the loop after the decision
Record the case number, submission date, response and next action. When a reimbursement or credit is issued, match it to the original discrepancy and check that it was not counted twice. Keep rejected and unresolved claims visible.
Revya's connected records help teams distinguish the shipment issue, financial deduction and payment outcome instead of treating them as one status.