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Getting paid and our reserve policy

I’ve just had my first transaction, now what do I do? Find out the essentials for getting paid.

Getting paid for your sales using Amazon Pay requires just four steps:

  1. Set up your checking account in Seller Central; we can’t pay you until you specify your ACH-enabled checking account. (ACH—Automated Clearing House—means that we can directly deposit your funds.)
  2. Ensure that you have a valid credit card number in Seller Central. This is required in order for disbursements to be made to your bank account.
  3. Sell your products using “Amazon Pay” buttons, and ship them only to the addresses specified by the buyer.
  4. Capture payments for your orders; this is required to collect payment from the buyer.

If you set up or change your bank account at any time, your disbursements will be suspended for three days. Also, there is usually a 3- to 5-day period between the time we post your disbursement and the time when it appears in your bank account.

Here’s a look at a sample transaction timeline for more insight on the buyer order cycle

Here’s how the order cycle works for merchants using Amazon Pay:

  1. A customer purchases from your website using Amazon Pay.
  2. Amazon Pay receives the transaction and attempts to authorize the customer’s payment method. Amazon Pay also sends a “payment initiated” email to the customer 5 minutes after the order is Confirmed.
  3. If the payment Authorization is successful, you can then collect the payment and fulfil the order.
  4. After payment is Captured, the buyer will receive an email notifying them that the payment has been collected.
  5. If needed, you can Refund the funds to the buyer after the funds are captured.

How this relates to the Amazon Pay Reserve Policy

Amazon Pay will withhold a minimum balance in your account to secure payment obligations that may arise after delivery, such as refunds or A-to-z Guarantee claims. We call this minimum balance a reserve.

Amazon Pay requires a reserve to manage transactions that are disputed by customers, including claims under the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee (because the A-to-z Guarantee covers qualifying purchases that your buyers made on your site using Amazon Pay). Reviews of A-to-z Guarantee claims, customer complaints, returns, and chargebacks can take 90 days or more. Rather than hold all funds that might be subject to a claim, we ensure a positive and reliable shopping experience for your buyers by reserving only a portion of the funds in your account. We may waive some or all of the reserve requirements for specific merchants that meet internal Amazon Pay criteria.

How does Amazon Pay calculate the reserve amount?

Amazon Pay calculates your reserve based on the Reserve Tier you qualify for.

For detailed information about the Amazon Reserve Policy, see additional help content.