Amazon Pay A-to-z Guarantee for Merchants

The following policy applies to the purchases made on third-party sites using Amazon Pay.

Over the years, Amazon has built a base of millions of satisfied buyers by being responsive to their concerns and acting quickly to resolve these concerns. We extend this valuable buyer trust to merchants like you who are using Amazon Pay services, through the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Program. The Amazon A-to-z Guarantee provides buyers with an opportunity to obtain a full reimbursement for their purchase using Amazon Pay.

We encourage you to answer all buyer inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Good communication with buyers promotes good feedback for merchants.

The vast majority of buyers will never need this program, but for those who do, the guarantee gives us a chance to provide confidence and trust when they shop from the universe of merchants who use our service.

When can a buyer file an A-to-z Guarantee claim for an Amazon Pay transaction?

Buyers can file an A-to-z Guarantee claim when one of the following conditions applies:

• They did not receive an item/service.
• They received the item/service later than the maximum estimated delivery date provided by you.
• They received the item but it was defective, damaged, had missing parts, or was not the item depicted in your description.
• They returned the item as per their agreement with you but you did not provide the agreed-upon reimbursement after receiving the item.
• You are not accepting the return of the item in accordance with the return policy posted on your website.
• They believe that you charged an amount greater than the amount authorized for the purchase.

See the Amazon Pay A-to-z Guarantee for Buyers Help topic to view the A-to-z Guarantee information that buyers see on the Amazon Pay website.

What should I do to avoid a claim?

The Amazon Pay Customer Service Policy describes the practices that Amazon expects you to follow in order to offer a high quality customer experience. In addition, we encourage you to review the Customer service best practice tips topic.

Finally, these 4 tips are most useful in mitigating the risk of an A-to-z Guarantee claim:

1. Deliver a service well in time based on your promise to the customer.
2. Inform customer in case of any issue with respect to delivery of a service/an item.
3. Ship promptly and use a shipping method that ensures reliable delivery.
4. Ship with tracking information and provide this information to the buyer.

How do I view and manage my claims?

For every claim, Amazon sends you an email with details, and requests a response, giving you an opportunity to present your side of the issue. You can respond to a claim by replying to the email claim notification with the requested information.

What are my obligations when a claim is filed?

• You have 3 business days in case of a digital service and 7 business days for physical item to respond to Amazon's notification, but it is a best practice to reply immediately. Within this period you can issue a refund to the buyer or represent your case to Amazon. If the item has not yet shipped, you can cancel that portion of the order. If you do not respond within this time frame, we will automatically assign the claim to you. For assigned claims, we will reimburse the buyer and debit your account or cancel any future payment, as applicable.
• For an "Item/Service Not Received" or "Item/Service Received Late" claim, explain your side of the issue by responding to Amazon's email. You should also provide the following information:
• A verifiable shipment tracking number, or proof of shipment date, carrier, method, and class if shipped via a non-traceable method in case of physical item.
• A copy of the email provided to the buyer that indicated the delivery.
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation email you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition.
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon communication manager.
• For "Materially Different" claims, explain your side of the issue by responding to Amazon's email. For claims on Amazon Pay purchases, you should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition;
• A description of the disputed item and URL of the detail page where the disputed item is listed; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon communication manager.
• For "Returns" or "Refund" related claims, explain your side of the issue by responding to Amazon's email. You should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item/service, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition;
• The URL of the page where you describe your returns policy and return address;
• A copy of the return label provided to the buyer, if any; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon communication manager.
• For "Charged more than expected" claims, explain your side of the issue by responding to Amazon's email. You should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of Amazon communication manager.

If you fail to provide a sufficient response to the claim, violate the Amazon Pay, Inc. Customer Agreement, or if we determine you were at fault, we will reimburse the buyer and debit your account for the amount of that refund, including item price, tax, and shipping. We may also cancel any future payment for the disputed order, if applicable.

How does Amazon determine whether an item/service was not received by a buyer?

Merchants are accountable for resolving A-to-z Guarantee claims for an item/service not received. The claims will be processed according to the following policies:

• Digital service not received
  If a merchant is not able to represent proof of delivery within 3 business days by showing a copy of an e-mail sent to the buyer, the merchant will be held liable for the same.
• Delay in providing digital service
  If there is a delay in providing a digital service to a customer for whom it becomes no more useful, the merchant will be held liable for the same. On the other hand, if the seller is able to show the delivery of service well within the promised time frame, A-to-z Guarantee team will deny the claim.
• Products shipped without tracking
  A merchant will be liable for a not-received claim if the estimated delivery date (“EDD”) has passed and the order was shipped without tracking information. This policy applies to all orders, including those shipped by media mail.
• Products shipped with tracking — in transit
  If a product is not delivered by the end of the EDD range, and tracking information shows an expected delivery in the near future, the claim will not be granted and the buyer will be asked to wait for the product. The merchant will not be liable. However, if tracking information does not show expected delivery in a reasonable time frame, the claim will be granted and the merchant will be held liable. This will apply to packages lost in transit as well.
• Products shipped with delivery confirmation tracking — where tracking shows delivery but the buyer claims item not received
  The A-to-z Guarantee team will investigate the dispute. Amazon may contact the buyer to confirm non-receipt. If no receipt is confirmed, the merchant may still be held liable for lack of fulfillment — Amazon will not cover service errors, including loss, theft, or postal/shipping issues. Amazon will, however, continue to protect merchants from fraudulent buyers and A-to-z Guarantee abusers.
• Products shipped with signature confirmation tracking — where tracking shows delivery but the buyer claims item not received
  If the name on the signature confirmation matches the buyer, the A-to-z Guarantee team will deny the claim. If signature confirmation does not match the buyer, the A-to-z Guarantee team will deny the claim and ask the buyer to follow up with the individual that signed for the package. Guarantee claims for packages that are signed for by a freight forwarder or an agent of the buyer (e.g. receptionist, family member) will be denied. However, if an investigation determines that the customer did not receive the order due to a shipping error beyond his or her control, the merchant may be held liable. We anticipate that this would be a very rare occurrence.

Am I required to allow returns for items that the buyer believes are materially different, defective, or damaged?

As a merchant, you are responsible for managing the returns process as per your policies mentioned on your website for materially different, defective, or damaged items, including providing buyers with a way to make the return and promptly processing the refund for the return. Failure to not abide by your policy may result in a debit to your Pay account if the buyer is refunded pursuant to an A-to-z Guarantee claim, even if the item is not returned to you. You may also be held responsible if no response is received from you on an A-to-z Guarantee claim, or for declining to handle a return request that falls within your return policies.

Do buyers see the information I provide to Amazon to investigate a claim?

Buyers do not see comments provided by you in response to our email; they are sent only to Amazon investigators.

How do A-to-z Guarantee Claims affect my account?

A-to-z Guarantee claims affect your Defect Rate, which is used to calculate your reserve. Please see our Reserve Policy page for more details. Excessive A-to-z Guarantee claims can lead to warnings, suspensions, or account termination. You should take care to minimize the number of claims granted against you on your account. Issuing a refund is the easiest way to resolve the issue.

How does Amazon prevent buyers from filing both an A-to-z Guarantee claim and a chargeback?

Amazon denies an A-to-z Guarantee claim under review when we receive a chargeback from the credit card issuing bank. If the A-to-z Guarantee claim is already granted to the buyer for the full amount of the transaction before Amazon receives a chargeback, Amazon will represent the chargeback to the issuing bank.

How does Amazon handle an A-to-z Guarantee claim when I have already issued a refund?

Amazon denies an A-to-z Guarantee claim if you have already issued a full refund for the items in question. In order for Amazon to track the refund, you must issue the refund through Amazon Pay and provide the necessary information to Amazon. If you have resolved the issue with the buyer outside of Amazon's knowledge and Amazon has granted the claim to the buyer, Amazon cannot guarantee recovery of funds. In such a case, you should summarize the resolution and send it to the buyer. If you have a Seller Central account then you must send this communication from the Amazon Communications Manager in Seller Central. You can also request the buyer to reverse the A-to-z Guarantee claim by informing them to simply reply to initial claim confirmation e-mail received from Amazon Pay.

How can I appeal a claim granted against me?

If the claim is decided against you, you have up to 7 calendar days to appeal that decision by simply replying to confirmation e-mail received from Amazon Pay. During the appeals process, Amazon may request additional details from you about the transactions. If the decision is reversed by Amazon, your account will be credited.

What if I have additional questions?

If you have additional questions about the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee, please contact us.