Amazon Seller Reinstatement Support (hereafter "we") is not an official Amazon contact channel and has no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. This article is for sellers whose account is not suspended and whose Account Health shows no apparent problem, yet whose sales proceeds are not being disbursed, or whose Payments screen shows a "reserve" or "under review".
To give the answer first: in this article we divide what looks like a "hold" into four states, as entry points for checking. Pending transactions, where each order is held for a set period; the account-level reserve, held to cover A-to-z Guarantee claims, chargebacks and the like; the state in which the account is "under review" so that seller-fulfilled deliveries can be verified; and withholding under the funds withholding policy. Which one applies can be told from the Payments screens and Performance Notifications. This article sets out how to tell them apart and the order in which to check. Whether and when a hold is released is decided by Amazon.
This article is based on the Seller Central Help pages "Why haven't I been paid?", "What is an account-level reserve?", "Pending transactions for accounting and payment reconciliation", "Seller-fulfilled selling account review", "When will I be paid?" and "Why did my disbursement fail?", together with the "Funds withholding policy", checked on 19 October 2026. Screen names differ between the old and new Seller Central, so please also check the latest Help.
What we handle is preparing and revising submission drafts. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself.
The four states that look like a "hold": tell them apart by where they appear on screen
First, rule out the "why haven't I been paid" reasons from the top
The Help page "Why haven't I been paid?" lists the common reasons a payment is delayed. Before suspecting a review or withholding, first rule out the following items from the top.
- Payment in progress: it can take up to 5 business days from Amazon completing the disbursement to the funds reaching your bank account
- Bank account or credit card details unknown or invalid: both are required. After you change bank details, Amazon cannot start a transfer until 3 days have passed, and card details take up to 48 hours to be reflected
- A negative or zero balance at the time of payment: caused by selling fees or refunds
- A shipping confirmation has not been sent for the order
- Order proceeds are held for 7 days from the latest estimated delivery date (delivery-date-based payment)
- The minimum selling account balance needed to receive a disbursement is 351 yen
- Orders placed by Amazon Business customers using Pay by Invoice wait for the customer's payment
If none of these applies, use the next table to identify the state.
If the general reasons have been ruled out and the funds are still held, a different mechanism in the Help is at work. Use the following table to tell which one applies.
| State | Where it appears on screen (as stated in Help) | Main reasons | When it is released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending transactions | In the new Seller Central, filter "Manage Transactions" by "pending" (the settlement ID and the actual payment date are shown). In the old one, "Transaction View" (the scheduled payment date is shown) | Delivery date-based reserve (until the buyer is recognised as having received the item; 7 days from the latest estimated delivery date), Pay by Invoice orders (usually 30 to 45 days from the order date) | Released automatically once the condition is met and paid on the disbursement schedule |
| Account-level reserve | The "account-level reserve" section of the Payments summary | Unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims, chargebacks, performance below the required standard, the account being under review, income tax withholding (varies by store) | Differs by reason. A-to-z Guarantee claims until processing is complete; chargebacks until all processing is complete |
| Account under review | A detailed message in Performance Notifications. A seller-fulfilled review is shown under "Account Health" | A review to verify delivery of seller-fulfilled orders (within 30 days) and the like. Being under review is also one of the reasons for a reserve | Resumes automatically once delivery is confirmed, and returns to the normal disbursement schedule |
| Withholding under the funds withholding policy | The funds withholding notice (email) and the steps in Seller Central | Where Amazon judges there is a risk of returns, chargebacks, claims, disputes or policy violations | In principle 90 days. May be extended if the risk or the investigation continues. May be released on appeal |
The account-level reserve: five reasons, which can overlap
According to the Help page "What is an account-level reserve?", the account-level reserve is an amount held to ensure that there are enough funds to meet financial obligations such as refunds, A-to-z Guarantee claims and chargebacks that are not covered by the delivery-date-based reserve policy. The following five common reasons are given.
- There is an unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claim: the claim amount is held until processing is complete, and resolution can take up to 14 days or longer
- A chargeback has been received on one or more orders: if there has been a chargeback on a transaction in the last 90 days, part of the balance is held and released once all chargebacks are processed
- Seller performance is below the required standard: in many cases because of a high rate of A-to-z Guarantee claims, chargebacks or returns
- The account is under review: where there has been an unexpected change in sales or in the selling account, or where a new seller's delivery lead time is longer than the settlement period
- Local regulations require Amazon to withhold income tax (varies by store)
A reserve can be applied for several reasons at the same time. In the Help's example, where an 800-yen order has a chargeback and a 400-yen order has an A-to-z Guarantee claim, the account-level reserve totals 1,200 yen. Even if you feel there is "no problem with Account Health", any unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims or chargebacks are held as a reserve for that amount. How to respond to A-to-z Guarantee claims is covered in the article on A-to-z Guarantee claims.
How it differs from pending transactions
According to the FAQ on the same page, most transactions are held for a set period while waiting for the order to be delivered or for the buyer's payment (pending transactions). The account-level reserve, by contrast, applies to proceeds already counted towards payment, for one of the reasons above. Pending transactions show a payment date for each order, so first use "Manage Transactions" (or "Transaction View" in the old Seller Central) to separate amounts held per order from amounts held at account level.
When payment stops because the "account is under review": the 30-day seller-fulfilled review
According to the Help page "Seller-fulfilled selling account review", to protect buyers Amazon monitors seller-fulfilled orders, and may place a selling account under review to verify the delivery status of recent seller-fulfilled orders. This review period lasts up to 30 days. During the review, selling privileges may be restricted (such as suspension of all listings or of seller-fulfilled listings), and while the proceeds remain in the account, the ability to receive disbursements is temporarily restricted. Once delivery of recent orders is confirmed, listings are reactivated automatically and disbursements return to the normal schedule.
Factors that lead to a review
The Help lists the following factors, and says an account may be placed under review when several of them are present at once.
- Limited sales history (a first-time seller, or a long period of inactivity)
- Multiple buyers claim they have not received their orders (refund requests, A-to-z Guarantee claims, low ratings and so on)
- No tracking information, or invalid tracking information
- An unusual change in selling patterns (a sudden rise in sales, a large change in the type of inventory)
- Selling high-risk items (computers and peripherals, electronics, trending items and so on)
- Business information that helps confirm a good history with buyers (website, address, contact details) is not up to date
What to do during the review
The Help says to keep shipping any unshipped orders during the review period, and that proof of delivery can help speed up the review. It also says that if sufficient proof of delivery is not found within the 30 days, further action may be taken, which can lead to suspension of the account, and that an email arrives after the period explaining what action was taken.
Appealing to speed up the review
If you believe there has been an error or want to speed up the review, appeal from the "Account Health" tab in Seller Central, or send an email to the address given in the email notification you received about the review. The Help lists the following to include in your submission.
- Update the tracking information for recent seller-fulfilled orders and confirm that the uploaded tracking information is correct
- Proof that recently shipped seller-fulfilled orders were delivered (buyer confirmation of receipt, proof of delivery and so on)
- URLs or physical addresses of other stores (including other Amazon accounts) where you sell similar items and can prove delivery
- Evidence identifying your business and supporting a good transaction history with buyers (company website, email address, bank details and so on)
- If a logistics problem caused shipping delays, the reason and supporting evidence
The Help also says that when asking buyers for feedback, pressuring them or offering incentives is prohibited.
When the hold will not clear although Account Health shows no apparent problem: the 90 days of the funds withholding policy and the appeal after 60 days
If none of the above applies and you have received a funds withholding notice, this is withholding under the "Funds withholding policy". Under this policy, where Amazon judges that the seller's conduct or performance may give rise to a risk of returns, chargebacks, claims, disputes or policy violations, the proceeds are withheld for 90 days in principle. This can be extended where the risk continues or the investigation continues, and it applies to the entire balance that had not been disbursed at the time the hold was placed.
An appeal is made by following the steps in the funds withholding notice or in Seller Central. If the hold is not released after an appeal, or if you do not appeal, then at any time after 60 days have passed from the date of withholding you can contact disbursement-appeals@amazon.co.jp to make a separate appeal to receive payment. The policy says Amazon verifies the seller's identity and assesses the account for false or illegal conduct when deciding whether to release the hold, and in the process may ask for additional information or documents about identity verification, financial matters and the sourcing of products.
How to read a hold applied at the same time as a suspension, and how to prepare for a video interview, is covered in the article on sales proceeds after a suspension.
The records to gather before contacting Amazon, and the order in which to check
Whatever the state, it helps to summarise the following on a single page before contacting Amazon.
- The amount held and where it appears on screen (pending transactions / account-level reserve / balance)
- The date, subject and text of Performance Notifications and the funds withholding notice (copied without paraphrasing)
- The number and order numbers of unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims, chargebacks and returns
- Tracking numbers and delivery completion records for recent seller-fulfilled orders
- The date you last changed your bank account or credit card details
- The date, channel, case ID and reply for each contact
The order is: (1) read Performance Notifications for any notice of a review or withholding; (2) separate per-order holds from account-level reserves in "Manage Transactions"; (3) if a seller-fulfilled review is under way, appeal from "Account Health" (follow any different steps given in the notice); (4) check bank or balance problems and anything unclear on screen through a Technical Support case (see the article on contacting Technical Support); (5) for withholding under the funds withholding policy, once 60 days have passed, contact the address in the previous section. Keep a note of where you sent each message, the date and the case ID, so that exchanges do not get mixed up. How to read performance metrics is covered in the article on the Account Health Rating.
What we can do about held sales proceeds
Sending appeals, updating tracking information, changing bank details and emailing Amazon are procedures you carry out yourself from Seller Central. We do not log in to your account or send anything on your behalf.
What we help with is reviewing the notices you received and copies of your Payments screens to sort out which of the four states applies, and preparing and revising the draft of the explanation for an appeal against a review or a hold.
Whether and when a hold is released is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise an outcome. For cases we consider difficult, we tell you so before you engage us, to the extent known at that point.
Our fee is the same for every engagement: an initial fee of 80,000 yen plus a success fee of 80,000 yen (both including tax), paid by bank transfer. The initial fee is payable regardless of the outcome; the success fee is charged when the purpose of the engagement, such as reinstatement of the account, is achieved. If it is not achieved, no success fee is charged. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Frequently asked questions
Q. My Account Health is green, yet my proceeds are held as a "reserve". Why?
A. A reserve is set for reasons separate from the Account Health colour, such as unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims or chargebacks, an account review, or income tax withholding. The Help says several reasons can overlap at the same time. Check the "account-level reserve" amount in the Payments summary, and first see whether any unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims or chargebacks remain.
Q. When is a reserve released?
A. When the processing for each reason is complete. The Help says an A-to-z Guarantee claim can take up to 14 days or longer to resolve, and chargebacks are released once all processing is complete. No uniform number of days is given.
Q. I was notified that my "account is under review". Can I keep selling?
A. For the seller-fulfilled review, the Help says to keep shipping any unshipped orders during the review. Proof of delivery can help speed up the review. If your selling privileges are restricted, check the scope in Performance Notifications and "Account Health".
Q. More than 90 days have passed and the hold has not been released. What should I do?
A. Under the funds withholding policy, the 90 days may be extended where the risk or the investigation continues. Once 60 days have passed from the date of withholding, you can contact disbursement-appeals@amazon.co.jp to make a separate appeal to receive payment. You may be asked for identity verification information, financial information and documents related to product sourcing, so gather them in advance.
Q. Can I switch to a different bank account to get paid sooner?
A. The Help recommends not updating bank details within 3 days of a payment date, because for security reasons Amazon cannot start a transfer until 3 days after bank details are added or updated. It does not say that changing the account speeds up payment if the account is valid.
Summary
- What looks like a "hold" is one of four states: pending transactions, the account-level reserve, the account under review, or withholding under the funds withholding policy, each with different screens and contact points.
- First rule out the general reasons: 5 business days, bank and card details, a negative balance, the shipping confirmation, 7 days from the estimated delivery date, the 351-yen minimum balance and Pay by Invoice orders.
- A reserve is set for unresolved A-to-z Guarantee claims, chargebacks, performance, an account review or income tax withholding, and these can overlap.
- A seller-fulfilled review lasts up to 30 days and ends automatically once delivery is confirmed. Keep shipping, gather proof of delivery and appeal from "Account Health".
- Withholding under the funds withholding policy is 90 days in principle with possible extension; after 60 days you can make a separate appeal to receive payment.
When your proceeds are held and you aren't sure where to start checking
We are not an official Amazon contact channel and have no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. You can send us the text of the notice you received from Amazon on LINE (a screenshot is fine). Looking at the notice and your Payments screens, we help you sort out which state applies and prepare and revise the draft of the explanation to send to Amazon. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself. Whether a hold is released is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise an outcome. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Please do not send your login ID, password, or verification code.
Free consultation, 24/7 *This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.
Further reading
Checking funds after an Amazon suspension: holds, disbursement requests and video interviews Read article → 
When a buyer files an Amazon A-to-z Guarantee claim for "item not received": the seller's 48 hours, appeals and reimbursement Read article → 
Reviewing your Amazon Account Health Rating: warnings and improvement priorities Read article →