The Amazon Inventory Ledger records every unit that enters, moves inside or leaves FBA, and the Reason column says why. Two codes matter most for claims: M (misplaced) and E (damaged by Amazon while sellable). If one of those lines is still unreconciled, you have 60 days from the day Amazon recorded it to claim. Here’s how to read the rest.
What is the Inventory Ledger?
Amazon describes the Inventory Ledger as “a consolidated, end-to-end view of your entire inventory”. It shows your starting balance, units received, customer orders, customer returns, adjustments, removals and your ending balance. It’s updated daily.
It replaced six older reports in 2022: Daily Inventory History, Monthly Inventory History, Inventory Event Detail, Inventory Adjustments, Inventory Reconciliation and Received Inventory. If an old guide tells you to open the Inventory Adjustments report, use the ledger instead.
You’ll find it with your FBA reports in Seller Central. It has two views. The summary view shows how many units you had in stock on each day. The detailed view lists each event on its own line, with the reason code. Use the detailed view for claims.
Source: Amazon Seller Forums announcement “New report simplifies FBA inventory information”, checked October 2026.
What do the Inventory Ledger reason codes mean?
| Reason code | What it means | Can you claim it? |
|---|---|---|
| M | Misplaced. Amazon can’t find the unit. | Yes, if it stays unreconciled |
| F | Found. A missing unit was located and added back. | No. It cancels an earlier M |
| E | Damaged at an Amazon fulfillment center while the unit was sellable | Yes, if it stays unreconciled |
| D | Disposed of | Only if you never asked for the disposal |
| H | Damaged, but the unit was already customer-damaged | Rarely paid at full value |
| K | Damaged, but the unit was already defective | Rarely paid at full value |
| U | Damaged, but the unit was already distributor-damaged | Rarely paid at full value |
| 6 | Damaged, but the unit was already carrier-damaged | Rarely paid at full value |
| 7 | Damaged, but the unit was already expired | Rarely paid at full value |
Source: Amazon Seller Central, Inventory Ledger report help page and “FBA inventory reimbursement policy”, checked September 2026.
The short version: M and E are the claims. H, K, U, 6 and 7 describe units that were already unsellable before Amazon damaged them, so there’s little value left to pay. Amazon’s policy also excludes defective items, items damaged by the customer and items disposed of at your request.
What do Reconciled and Unreconciled Quantity mean?
The detailed ledger has two columns most sellers skip: Reconciled Quantity and Unreconciled Quantity.
- Reconciled: for a lost or damaged unit, Amazon found it again or paid you for it.
- Unreconciled: neither has happened yet.
Filter the detailed view for lost or damaged lines with an unreconciled quantity above zero. Those are the units to follow.
Which ledger lines can you claim, and by when?
Since November 2024 Amazon reimburses most warehouse losses without a claim. You only need to file when the automatic payment doesn’t arrive. The windows are short, and the clock starts when Amazon records the event, not when it happened.
| What the ledger shows | Claim window | Paid without a claim? |
|---|---|---|
| M or E line, still unreconciled | 60 days from the day Amazon marks the unit lost or damaged | Usually |
| Warehouse Transfer: more units out than in | 60 days from the day Amazon marks the loss | Usually |
| Receipts line with a negative quantity | Day 15 to day 60 after delivery to Amazon | Never |
| Sellable customer return that never went back into stock | Day 60 to day 120 after the refund (US) | Usually |
Source: Amazon Seller Forums announcement “Update on Reimbursement Automation and Eligibility Window” (October 23, 2024) and Amazon “FBA inventory reimbursement policy”, checked September 2026. Every deadline is on our claim windows page.
How do you check warehouse transfers?
Amazon moves stock between fulfillment centers all the time. The ledger records each move as a Warehouse Transfer: units out of one building, units into another.
Add them up per product. Once a move is finished, units out should equal units in. If more went out than arrived weeks later, and no reimbursement followed, those units were lost inside Amazon’s network. That’s a warehouse loss, with the same 60-day window.
What if Amazon disposed of units you didn’t ask it to?
The ledger shows every unit Amazon disposed of. Your Removal Order Detail report shows every disposal you asked for. They should match.
When a unit was disposed of with no disposal order from you, raise it with Seller Support and include the ledger line. Do it within 60 days of the disposal.
Check the reason first. Amazon can dispose of expired, recalled or hazardous units on its own. Also check your automated unfulfillable settings: since September 30, 2025, Liquidations is the default setting in the US and Canada, so units may have been liquidated under a setting you never changed.
A monthly Inventory Ledger check
- Download the detailed view for the last 60 days, plus your Reimbursements report for the same dates.
- Filter for M and E lines with an unreconciled quantity. Note the date Amazon recorded each one.
- Match each line to a payout. Look for a reimbursement or an F line for the same product. No match after a few weeks means it needs a claim.
- Total your Warehouse Transfer lines per product. Out should equal in.
- Compare D lines with your Removal Order Detail report.
- Look for negative Receipts lines and compare them with your packing list and proof of delivery.
- Check reversals. Every reversal in the Reimbursements report should match a found unit in the ledger around the same date.
- File what’s left, oldest first, with the transaction item ID from the ledger.
A late correction can eat most of a window, so if you ship often, run this every two weeks.
Common mistakes
- Counting 60 days from the wrong date. The window runs from the day Amazon marks the unit, not the day you noticed it.
- Claiming every damaged line. H, K, U, 6 and 7 units were already unsellable.
- Filing before checking for an F line. Amazon’s policy warns against “insufficiently researched or premature requests”, and repeat senders can face account action. A claim for a unit that was already found is likely to be denied.
- Using only the summary view. Reason codes and the reconciled columns are in the detailed view.
- Treating “paid” as “paid correctly”. Lost units are valued at your sourcing cost, or Amazon’s estimate if your cost isn’t on file. Check the amount too.
Frequently asked questions
Which Inventory Ledger reason codes are reimbursable?
M (misplaced) and E (damaged by Amazon while sellable), when the units stay unreconciled. D is claimable only when you never requested the disposal and Amazon had no reason of its own to dispose of the unit.
How long do I have to claim a lost unit?
60 days from the day Amazon marks the unit lost or damaged in a fulfillment center.
Does Amazon reimburse lost units automatically?
Mostly, since November 2024. Removal orders, short inbound shipments and fee errors are never paid automatically. Our Amazon FBA reimbursements page lists what still needs a claim.
What does an F code mean after an M code?
Amazon found the unit and put it back in your stock. If you were already paid for it, expect a reversal in your Reimbursements report.
How RetailerBox helps
Our team reads your Inventory Ledger against your Reimbursements, Customer Returns and Removal Order Detail reports, and lists every unit that’s still claimable with its deadline. You get a written summary within 48 to 72 hours. We work through user-permission access, never a password. Claims we file before January 1, 2027 are free. After that the fee is 10% of what Amazon actually pays on claims our team files. Nothing recovered, nothing owed. Start with a free 6-month reimbursement audit.