In November 2024 Amazon made a change to how payouts are displayed in Seller Central, so if you are still getting to grips with ‘deferred transactions’ and wondering why payments for your sales are now classed as ‘deferred’, read on to learn more. 

What’s changed?

Previously, ‘deferred transactions’ only applied to sales made to Amazon Business customers, which were settled by invoice. From the autumn of 2024 however, Amazon changed this, and now the majority of sales will fall under ‘deferred transactions’, with the aim of providing sellers a clearer view of their payouts. 

What is a deferred transaction on Amazon?

A deferred transaction on Amazon is a sale for which payout to the seller is temporarily held and paid out at a later date. 

Your payouts can be deferred for the following reasons:

1. Delivery Date Based Reserve (DDBR) policy – sales that are awaiting delivery. Payouts for sales are held until delivery is confirmed, plus a reserve period to cover refunds, claims or chargebacks. 

2. Invoiced orders – sales that are pending payment from Amazon Business customers. For sales to Amazon Business customers, payouts are deferred until the customer pays their invoice, which, depending on the customer’s settlement terms, is usually between 30-45 days from the order date. Invoiced orders are also subject to the Delivery Date Based Reserve policy, however in most cases the invoice due date will be later than the reserve period. 

    Where can I see my Amazon deferred transactions?

    You can see a clear and detailed view of your deferred transactions in your payments dashboard in Seller Central. 

    Within Transaction View, select Deferred Transactions, and you will be able to see your sales, along with further details, including the reason for the deferral, and the expected payout date for each sale.

    Note: Up until November 2024, sales which fell under the Delivery Date Based Reserve (DDBR) policy appeared under the account-level reserve section on your payments dashboard and reports.  

    Why can’t I see any deferred transactions?

    If you don’t sell to Amazon Business customers, or, if you are not subject to the DDBR policy, your dashboard will remain the same. Read more about DDBR here. 

    When will I receive payouts for deferred transactions?

    In your deferred transactions view, you will be able to see the status and estimated payout date. 

    The status of your deferred transactions will change from deferred to released when Amazon is satisfied that the item has been delivered (plus your reserve period), or for Amazon Business, when the business customer settles their invoice, usually 30-45 days after the order date.

    Once a transaction is updated from deferred to released, it will be available for payout in the next settlement cycle.

    How can I receive my deferred transactions payouts faster?

    Amazon sellers wait between 14-60 days for payouts for their deferred transactions. These payment delays can have a negative impact on both the day-to-day running and growth of your business. 

    At Storfund, we fund your deferred transactions as soon as you sell, so that you can receive payouts for your sales, or invoices, faster. Getting cash sooner rather than later means you can restock quicker, meet demand and, in the long term, shorten your cash cycle to grow your business.

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