The Amazon DD+7 policy (Delivery Date + 7 days) is a reserve system where seller funds are held for seven days after an order's confirmed delivery before becoming eligible for disbursement. This policy ensures funds are available for customer refunds or claims, often shifting from a shipment-based release to a delivery-based release.
In late 2024, Amazon introduced a new payout policy for sellers: Delivery Date + 7 days (DD+7). Under this system, funds from a sale are held for seven days after delivery before becoming eligible for payout. These held funds are now classified as “Deferred Transactions” in Seller Central.
It means Amazon holds your funds for seven days after the customer's delivery date before releasing them for payout. Q: When will my funds actually reach my bank after the 7-day reserve period ends? A: Once the seven-day reserve window closes, your funds become eligible for Amazon's next disbursement cycle.
The Amazon A-to-z Guarantee will also reimburse you if you do not receive an agreed upon refund from a third-party seller or if a third-party seller charged an amount greater than the amount you authorized for your purchase.
Amazon's DD+7 policy means that Amazon now holds funds for 7 days after delivery before releasing payment to sellers. This is a major change from the previous system, where funds were typically included in settlements shortly after shipment. Before DD+7: Sales were included in Amazon payouts shortly after shipment.
You're eligible for the 2.5 billion Amazon settlement if you're a U.S. Amazon Prime customer who signed up between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, through a misleading sign-up process (a "challenged enrollment") or tried to cancel but couldn't, AND used fewer than 3 Prime benefits (like Prime Video, Music) in any 12-month period during that time. Automatic refunds of up to $51 are going out, but if you don't get one, you might still be eligible to file a claim by the July 27, 2026 deadline, with claim notices sent out in January 2026.
Amazon reserves the right to take additional actions to prevent fraud or abuse (including denial of returns, refunds or exchanges, or imposing return fees).
To request a refund:
Standard reserve periods: The common reserve period is typically between 14 and 90 days. The exact duration can depend on the seller's performance, sales history, product category, and other risk factors assessed by Amazon.
Yes, you can often get a refund (usually shipping fees) if your Amazon package is late, especially if it had a guaranteed delivery date; for Prime or guaranteed orders, you'll get shipping fees back by reporting the issue in "Your Orders," while for third-party sellers, you might get more through the A-to-z Guarantee, but contact customer service first for any late Amazon-shipped item.
Violating Amazon Section 3 policies by breaching the Agreement, operating multiple seller accounts, or engaging in deceptive and illegal activities can result in account suspension, which can significantly impact a seller's ability to conduct business on the platform.
If Amazon isn't refunding you, first check your order in Your Orders to see if you can Appeal a Denied A-to-z Guarantee Refund, provide evidence like tracking/receipts, or contact customer service directly for delays or issues with third-party sellers, especially checking for recent FTC settlement refunds if you're a Prime member. Be sure to check return policies for "Final Sale" items, provide clear reasons (like "incorrect item" vs. "defective"), and be persistent with Customer Service if the refund is stuck due to policy misunderstandings or processing errors.
What does 'deferred payment' mean? A deferred payment is one that is delayed, either completely or in part, in order to give the person or business making the payment more time to meet their financial obligations.
If your A-to-z Guarantee refund request is denied, you can appeal within 30 days if you have new information.
Items bought online, by mail or phone
Sales of this kind are known as 'distance selling'. You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their item that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the item once they've told you.
Some products are nonreturnable, such as perishables, products that may pose potential health and safety risks once sold, products with shipping restrictions, customized products made specifically for you, redeemable products, Amazon Pharmacy products, and digital products.
Conditions for How to Get a Refund on Amazon
Here are some of the conditions for a full refund: The item must be returned in its original condition, with all original packaging and accessories. The item must be returned within 30 days of purchase.
People are getting refunds from Amazon primarily due to a massive $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC over deceptive Prime subscription practices (hard enrollment/cancellation) and some surprise refunds from an internal review correcting past wrongful denials of legitimate returns, potentially linked to a 2023 lawsuit. Eligible customers may receive automatic payments or need to file a claim for Prime refunds, while others are seeing older return-related refunds reappear.