January 30, 2026

Amazon’s Seller Assurance for E-Commerce Transactions (SAFE-T) program has long been a financial safety net for seller-fulfilled (FBM) sellers. It allowed brands to recover losses from buyer abuse, damaged returns, or missing shipments — often weeks after the original transaction. That safety net just tightened. Starting February 16, 2026, Amazon is reducing the SAFE-T claim filing window from 60 days to 30 days, significantly increasing the urgency around return and refund management. What Is Amazon SAFE-T? SAFE-T allows US FBM sellers to request reimbursement after Amazon issues a refund when the seller is determined not to be at fault. Eligible scenarios include: Items returned damaged or materially different Buyer abuse or item swapping Lost shipments Refunds issued due to delivery errors Only Amazon-issued refunds qualify, and claims must be backed by documentation. What Changed in 2026 Under the updated policy: Sellers have 30 days to file SAFE-T claims The countdown begins from: Return delivery scan Refund date Last scan for lost shipments Claims older than 30 days are automatically rejected This aligns SAFE-T with Amazon’s broader refund and appeal timelines but reduces seller recovery flexibility. Why This Increases Seller Risk The reduced window exposes sellers to: Missed reimbursements Faster operational bottlenecks Higher unrecoverable return costs Margin erosion on high-value SKUs Legacy workflows built around weekly or monthly audits are no longer viable. Best Practices Under the 30-Day Rule To stay compliant, sellers should: Review refunds and returns daily Use Amazon’s Guided Refund Workflow (GRW) Capture images immediately upon receipt Track scans and refund timestamps File SAFE-T claims proactively, not reactively How Big Internet Ecommerce Helps We help sellers: Build SAFE-T tracking dashboards Standardize evidence collection Audit return-heavy ASINs Reduce buyer abuse exposure Protect margins under tighter timelines SAFE-T is now a race against the clock. Schedule a call to safeguard your reimbursements. Follow Big Internet Ecommerce (BIE) on Instagram & LinkedIn to stay updated with the latest trends in Amazon selling.