Navigating Amazon returns: from the request to return shipping and refund checks

A return request isn't always over once you approve it and issue a refund. Missing a response deadline or getting the refund steps wrong can lead to A-to-z Guarantee claims and a worse Order Defect Rate. This article walks through the process deadline by deadline and step by step: the difference between seller-fulfilled and FBA orders, deciding on return requests, giving return shipping instructions, issuing the refund, and confirming it in your payment statements.

The big picture: who handles returns depends on seller fulfillment vs. FBA

The first thing to check is who shipped the order. For orders you shipped yourself (seller-fulfilled orders), buyers submit their return requests directly to you. For FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) products, Amazon handles returns and refunds on your behalf. The return policy for FBA products is the same as for products sold by Amazon.co.jp, and exchanges are not accepted.

Item	Seller-fulfilled	FBA
Where the buyer requests a return	The seller	Amazon (handles returns and refunds on your behalf)
Seller's main tasks	Approving or closing requests, providing return shipping instructions, and refunding after receipt	Checking return-related costs and considering reimbursement claims for lost or damaged items

The rest of this article mainly assumes seller-fulfilled orders. It is based on Amazon Help content as of September 2026. Policies and on-screen labels can change, so please also check your actual screens and the latest Help pages before taking action.

The standard for return terms: "equal to or better than Amazon"

Sellers must offer a return policy that is equal to or better than Amazon's return policy. The benchmark conditions for items shipped by Amazon.co.jp are as follows.

• Returns are generally accepted within 30 days of the item's arrival
• For returns for the customer's own reasons, a full refund of the item price (including tax) is given if the item is unused and unopened, and 50% if it has been opened. Shipping charges, fees, and gift-wrap charges are not refunded
• For returns due to a defect, the item price, shipping charges, fees, and gift-wrap charges are refunded in full, or the item is exchanged for an identical one

Used or opened consumables, items with missing accessories, and food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, and similar products are not eligible for returns for the customer's own reasons. However, that does not mean you can refuse returns caused by a defect or other problem.

Note that mail-order purchases in Japan are not subject to a cooling-off period, and the return provisions of the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (withdrawal or cancellation within 8 days of delivery) give way to your own return terms if those terms are displayed in your listings. For how the law applies to a specific case, consult a lawyer or other professional as needed.

An overview of the return flow and its deadlines

The most common stumbling block in handling returns is overlooking a deadline. Once a deadline passes, there are situations in which the buyer can file an A-to-z Guarantee claim (Amazonマーケットプレイス保証; a program that lets buyers ask Amazon for compensation when a problem with a seller isn't resolved, referred to below as a "guarantee claim"). Here are the main deadlines, in the order of the process.

Stage	Deadline or guideline	Notes
Return request	Within 30 days of the item's arrival	May be extended over the year-end holidays (in 2025, purchases made in November and December could be returned until January 31, 2026; check the Help page "Holiday return policy" (ホリデーシーズン中の返品ポリシー) for each year's terms)
Responding to the request	Within 24 hours recommended; manual approval within 48 hours	If you don't approve within 48 hours, a guarantee claim may be granted and the amount debited from your account
Returns to an overseas address	Within 5 days of the request	Provide a return address in Japan or a prepaid return label (a prepaid label is required if the item is to be returned overseas)
Refund after receiving the return	Within 2 business days	Decide on a full or partial refund and issue it
Unprocessed requests	Closed automatically 50 days after creation	The 48-hour deadline comes first
Buyer's guarantee claim	Up to 90 days after the last day of the estimated delivery date	Keep return records with time to spare, allowing for the appeal period as well (our suggestion)
Granted guarantee claim	You can request an appeal within 30 days	The refund cost or the impact on your Order Defect Rate may be reversed

"2 business days" and "7 days" are easy to mix up. Two business days is the refund deadline set by the seller Help pages; if you miss it, a guarantee claim may be granted and the amount debited from your account. Seven days is the guideline in the buyer Help pages: if the item was returned using a trackable method and no refund has been issued 7 days after the seller received it, the buyer can file a guarantee claim.

When you receive a return request: from review to response

The buyer selects "Return items" from "Your Orders," enters the return reason and other details, and sends the request. The seller reviews it and responds in one of three ways: approve, close, or refund without requiring a return.

STEP 1. Review the request in Manage Returns

You can review return requests under the Orders (注文) menu > Manage Returns (返品管理). "Edit return settings" (返品設定を編集) in the upper right contains the General Settings (一般設定), Resolutions (解決), and Manage Return Address (返送先住所の管理) tabs. If you enable the email settings, you can also process requests from the "Authorize," "Close," and "Contact buyer" links in the emails.

As automatic authorization rules, you can also choose either "Automatically authorize all requests that meet Amazon policy" or "Automatically authorize all requests." If you see an authorized request you don't recognize, it may be due to your automatic authorization settings or to a Seller Fulfilled Prime (マケプレプライム) order (a program that lets sellers offer the products they ship themselves as Prime-eligible).

STEP 2. Decide whether the request falls under your return policy

You must approve every request that falls under your return policy. Requests that don't can be declined, but you must respond with the rejection within 48 hours. Help even gives an example of a return that the seller did not approve because they judged it to be for the buyer's own reasons, but which actually met Amazon's return policy and led to a guarantee claim. Don't jump to conclusions based only on the reason selected; if needed, ask the buyer to send images. There are limits on the format and size of the attachments buyers can send (as a guideline, around 10 MB for messages to sellers), so let the buyer know in advance to, for example, compress large images.

The response deadline keeps running while you wait for images, so ask early, and don't delay approving a request that falls under your policy on the condition that images be submitted.

If you approve: give return shipping instructions at the same time

To approve, open the request in Manage Returns and follow the on-screen instructions. According to the buyer Help pages, the buyer is contacted by email within 48 hours of the request, and on approval is given one of the following. You will always be providing one of them.

1. A return address in Japan
2. A prepaid return label showing the return address (required if the return address is overseas)
3. A refund that does not require the item to be returned

The default address on the Manage Return Address tab is used as the return address unless you select a different one when approving. After moving warehouses, for example, make sure it isn't still the old address. Follow the on-screen instructions to issue a prepaid label. Failing to provide a valid return method, or giving an invalid tracking number for the prepaid label provided at approval, are grounds for a guarantee claim.

If you decline: state the reason and close the request

To end a request without approving it, click "Close return request" (返品手続きを終了; Help also uses the label 返品リクエストを終了, so go by what your screen shows), select "This item cannot be returned" (この商品は返品できません) as the reason, and explain specifically in the message field why the item can't be returned. Closing cannot be undone. To approve it after all, either have the buyer submit a new request or leave it closed and issue the refund from Manage Orders (注文管理). The latter leaves no record in Manage Returns, so note what happened in the seller memo.

For returns caused by an error in the product information on Amazon's site, use "Close return request," select "I've given the customer product information and the issue is resolved" (お客様に商品についてご案内し、問題は解決しました), and tell the buyer to contact Amazon Customer Service about the return and refund. This procedure is for cases where the product information on the site itself is wrong; if the error is in a description or image you registered yourself, it is safer to accept the return as usual.

Here is a sample message for declining a return requested for the customer's own reasons (adapt it to your own policy).

Thank you for contacting us. The item you purchased is a consumable product for which we do not accept returns for the customer's own reasons once it has been opened, so we are unable to accept this return. If the item is defective or damaged, please let us know and include images showing its condition. We will review them and get back to you.

Adding a note asking the buyer to contact you if there is a defect helps prevent guarantee claims caused by misunderstandings.

If you refund without requiring a return

If you decide the item doesn't need to be sent back, you can issue a refund while the buyer keeps it. In that case, refund the full amount promptly and state clearly that no return is required. Amazon doesn't set a single threshold for when not to request a return, so check your screen for any related items in your return settings, and set your own criteria by comparing return shipping costs, the work of inspection, and the likelihood of reselling the item.

Return shipping and refund amounts: decided by the reason and the item's condition

Who pays for return shipping and how much you refund are determined by the return reason and the condition of the returned item.

Who pays return shipping depends on the return reason

Return shipping for Seller Fulfilled Prime products is generally paid by the seller, and you can deduct it from the refund only when the reason is one the buyer is responsible for. The main reasons are as follows.

Paid by	Main return reasons
Buyer	"Ordered by mistake," "No longer needed or wanted," "Found a better price," "Wrong size," and so on
Seller	"Damaged during shipping," "Wrong item was sent," "Defective or does not work properly," "Inaccurate website description," and so on

For Seller Fulfilled Prime products in the Clothing & Fashion Accessories, Luggage & Travel Gear, and Shoes & Bags categories, the seller pays return shipping regardless of the reason. This table reflects the rules for Seller Fulfilled Prime products, so for other seller-fulfilled products, specify in your own return policy who pays for each reason, and check it against the latest Help pages before approving.

When you pay return shipping, stating in your return policy and in your approval instructions how it will be settled (for example, by providing a prepaid return label or by including the shipping the buyer paid in the refund) helps prevent misunderstandings.

If there's a problem with the condition, consider a partial refund

If a returned item is damaged or its condition differs from when it was shipped, you can refund only part of the amount. In that case, before refunding, let the buyer know through "Contact buyer about the return request" (返品リクエストに関する連絡) that the refund will be partial, and take photos of the item's condition when you received it. However, if it's clear the item was already damaged or defective when you received it back (for reasons such as a defect, damage in transit, or the wrong item being sent), a full refund — including the item price and shipping — is the norm under Amazon's standards.

Depending on the conditions, you may be able to deduct a restocking fee calculated on the item price, excluding shipping (for example, when you accept a return after the return window has passed; see "Frequently asked questions" below). According to Help, the guideline is up to 20% for returns for the customer's own reasons in the same condition as when shipped, and up to 50% for returns for the customer's own reasons where a non-media item comes back damaged or in a condition significantly different from when it was shipped; you cannot charge the fee for items that were damaged or broken at the time of delivery or that differ significantly from what was ordered. However, since your policy must be equal to or better than Amazon's standards described at the start (a full refund for unused, unopened returns for the customer's own reasons, and a full refund including shipping for defects), some ways of deducting the fee could fall below those standards and lead to a guarantee claim. Check the latest conditions in the Help page "Restocking fee guidelines" (返品手数料の請求に関するガイドライン) before deciding.

How much a single refund actually costs you

When you issue a refund, the referral fee is returned to you, but the lesser of ¥500 or 10% of the referral fee is deducted as a "Refund Administration Fee" (返金処理手数料). In the calculation example in Help (a 15% referral fee on a ¥1,000 item), the charge at the time of the refund is ¥865 (¥1,000 + ¥15 Refund Administration Fee − ¥150 returned referral fee), and compared with the ¥850 you received at the time of sale (¥1,000 − ¥150), your out-of-pocket cost in fees is ¥15. To estimate the actual cost of one return, add to this the outbound shipping, any return shipping you pay, and the cost of goods if the item can't be resold.

Issuing and confirming the refund: the steps and what to do if you make a mistake

When the return arrives, check its condition and issue the refund within 2 business days. Examples of what to check are as follows (our suggestion).

The steps for issuing a refund are as follows.

1. Find the order in Manage Orders and click "Refund order" (注文を払い戻す)
2. Select the "Full refund" (全額返金) or "Partial refund" (一部返金) tab
3. Select "Customer return" (購入者からの返品) as the refund reason (for a partial refund, also enter the amount)
4. Enter a message to the buyer and a seller memo (the reason for the return and what was agreed)
5. Click "Submit refund" (返金する) or "Submit partial refund" (一部返金する)

You can also issue a refund from Manage Returns. Once you refund, the return request is closed automatically, and it can take up to 15 minutes for this to be reflected.

If you make a mistake, cancel while it's still "Pending" (up to 2 hours)

Manual refunds remain "Pending" (保留中) for up to 2 hours, during which you can cancel them using "Cancel all refunds for this order" (この注文にあるすべての返金をキャンセルします). If the link isn't displayed, the refund can't be canceled, so get the buyer's consent and ask them to have Amazon Customer Service recharge them. Refunds submitted through a feed are processed immediately.

Verify the refund in three places

Where to check	What to look for
Manage Returns	Whether the request has been closed
Order details	Whether the refund amount, refund reason, and so on are as intended (check on screen which items are displayed)
Reports (レポート) > Payments (ペイメント)	The refund line, the fees returned and deducted, and whether your balance has gone negative

If refunds and fees exceed your sales, your balance goes negative, and if this isn't cleared in the next settlement, your registered credit card may be charged. Because sales are held for a set period after the delivery date (7 days by default), in months with many returns, use the refund lines and adjustments in the Payments report to check that the amount deposited isn't lower than expected. How to check this when your account is suspended is covered in how to check your sales proceeds after a suspension.

What sellers should check for FBA orders

With FBA, Amazon handles returns and refunds for you, so as the seller, you need to check costs and inventory.

• Costs: The fulfillment fee includes the cost of handling returns, but when Amazon offers the buyer free return shipping, a "customer return fee" (購入者返品手数料) is charged. Check the fee information for which items it applies to and how much it is.
• Lost or damaged items: If FBA inventory is lost or damaged by Amazon or Amazon's carrier, it is eligible for reimbursement. One type of claim is the "reimbursement claim for customer returns" (購入者返品に対する補てん申請); the conditions include that the item is not defective and was not damaged by the buyer, and that your account status is normal. If you don't agree with the reimbursement amount, you can file a claim through "Contact us" (お問い合わせ) within 60 days of the refund.

Keeping returns from turning into guarantee claims and a higher Order Defect Rate

The Order Defect Rate is the percentage of orders over a 60-day period that received negative feedback, a guarantee claim, or a chargeback, and it must be kept under 1%. The main conditions under which a buyer can file a guarantee claim related to a return are as follows.

• The item was returned using a trackable method, but no refund was issued 7 days after it was received
• No refund was issued, or the refund amount was wrong
• The seller withdrew the return request without issuing a refund
• No valid return method was provided, or the tracking number for the prepaid label provided at approval was invalid

Before filing a claim, the buyer must contact the seller and wait 48 hours. Answering inquiries quickly and accurately is the foundation of preventing claims.

Responding when a claim comes in

For return-related claims, you may be asked for your return address in Japan, details of return shipping costs, the reason you closed the return request, and similar information. Respond within 48 hours from Performance (パフォーマンス) > A-to-z Guarantee Claims (Amazonマーケットプレイス保証申請) > the "Action Required" (対応が必要な申請) tab > "Send details to Amazon" (詳細説明をAmazonへ送信) (if you don't respond, the buyer's claim will be upheld). You can't attach files in the comment field, so send documents through Buyer-Seller Messaging (メッセージ管理) and mention this in your response. How to review these orders is covered in how to sort out orders that affected your Order Defect Rate.

Records to keep for each return

Keeping the following records for each return makes it easier to respond to claims and prepare appeals (this is our suggestion).

If you're asked to explain the history or justification of a refund, also see what to do when asked to justify refunds and payments.

What not to do when handling returns

• Leaving requests unattended: Requests close automatically after 50 days, but if the response deadline passes without your approving or closing the request, that can cause a guarantee claim to be granted.
• Linking refunds to reviews: Asking for a review to be updated in connection with a refund is prohibited. If a buyer hints at a negative review to get a refund, you can report it through "Report Abuse" (不正または違反の報告) on the Account Health dashboard, and sellers who go along with such demands are also held responsible. For details, see how to deal with product review warnings and review your buyer communication.
• Withholding a refund on your own judgment: Even if it looks like you received a different item from the one reported, gather your records and follow the proper procedures, such as checking with the buyer, responding to the guarantee claim, and appealing.
• Relisting an item as new without inspecting it: If an opened item reaches the next buyer as new, it can lead to a complaint. Also see how to review new and used condition settings.

Frequently asked questions

Q. I'll be on vacation and unable to respond for a few days. What should I do about returns?

A. Amazon's guidance is to deactivate your listings while you can't ship, and either set up return request emails with Authorize and Close links or turn on automatic authorization. Even while your listings are inactive, you still need to process return requests and reply to emails within 24 hours.

Q. A buyer asked to return an item after the 30-day return window.

A. You don't have to accept returns after the return window has passed, and if you do accept one, you may be able to deduct a fee in line with the restocking fee guidelines. If you decline, close the request within 48 hours and state the reason. If the holiday extension applies or you've set a longer return window yourself, go by that deadline.

Q. An empty box or a different item was sent back.

A. Don't withhold the refund on your own judgment. Take photos of the packaging before opening it and of the contents after opening, and note the return tracking number. Confirm the facts with the buyer through "Contact buyer about the return request," and if a guarantee claim comes in, attach those records when you respond or appeal.

Q. Where should I start reviewing products with a lot of returns?

A. Tally the reasons for accepted returns by product. If "Inaccurate website description" or "Wrong size" is common, look at your product description; if "Damaged during shipping" is common, your packaging; and if "Defective" is common, your sourcing or inspection.

Summary

Handling returns comes down to three things: decide within the deadline, provide a return method, and once the item arrives, refund promptly and confirm it went through.

• For seller-fulfilled orders, the seller accepts returns; for FBA, Amazon does. Your return policy must be equal to or better than Amazon's
• Aim to respond to return requests within 24 hours, and never let 48 hours pass. If you approve, provide return instructions; if you decline, state the reason
• Once the item arrives, refund within 2 business days and confirm it in Manage Returns, the order details, and the Payments report
• Notify the buyer in advance of a partial refund, never link refunds to reviews, and keep records for each return

Repeatedly missed deadlines can affect your entire account through guarantee claims and the Order Defect Rate. If warnings that appear to be caused by returns keep coming, take stock of the situation together with an Account Health score check, and consider consulting a specialist if needed.

*This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.

Further reading

Before making repeated Amazon returns: restriction notices and purchase history Read article → Reviewing your Amazon Account Health Rating: warnings and improvement priorities Read article → Improving Amazon's Valid Tracking Rate: carriers, tracking numbers and shipment confirmations Read article →