February 10, 2026
Article
Amazon is making returns faster and easier for buyers — but significantly riskier for sellers.
Starting February 8, 2026, Amazon will remove the long-standing exemption for high-value items from its Prepaid Return Label (APRL) program. From that point on, all eligible U.S. seller-fulfilled returns will be handled through an automated system, regardless of item price.
For sellers, this is not an operational tweak. It is a direct shift of financial risk.
What’s changing in 2026
Amazon’s updated policy introduces three key changes that materially affect sellers:
1. Faster refunds
Refund timelines will be reduced from up to 14 days to roughly 7 days, accelerating cash outflows before disputes can be reviewed.
2. No buyer–seller communication
The return process will eliminate buyer–seller messaging, removing a critical step sellers previously used to verify issues or flag suspicious claims.
3. Loss of manual review for high-value items
Refunds may now be issued before the seller physically receives and inspects the returned product, even for premium or sensitive SKUs.
Why this matters for sellers
Amazon’s priority is clear: buyer convenience and speed.
For sellers — particularly those dealing in higher-value or fragile goods — this change increases exposure to:
Return abuse
Damaged or incomplete returns
Fraudulent “empty box” claims
Faster margin erosion due to premature refunds and return shipping costs
What used to be a controllable process becomes a default financial liability.
Returns Are No Longer Operational — they’re a Financial Risk
Under this new system, returns shift from a customer-service issue to a cash-flow and risk-management problem.
Sellers should already be preparing to:
Tighten documentation and product condition records
Identify and audit high-risk SKUs
Understand and proactively use Amazon’s SAFE-T reimbursement process
Adjust pricing and margin assumptions to account for faster refunds
For sellers dealing with overseas manufacturing, QC, and cross-border logistics, these risks compound even earlier — before goods ever reach Amazon. Clear documentation, inspection checkpoints, and defined handover points become critical upstream.
How our sourcing process works?
"See how this works in practice in our How it works overview."
The bottom line
Amazon is removing friction for buyers — and removing safeguards for sellers.
If you sell premium products, regulated goods, or items prone to abuse, this policy change demands process redesign now, not later.
The sellers who adapt early will absorb the shock.
The rest will feel it directly in their margins.
What’s your strategy for handling accelerated returns and reduced control?