Amazon Cuts SAFE-T Claim Window to 30 Days for US Sellers

Amazon has announced a key policy change affecting US seller-fulfilled orders. Starting February 16, 2026, the filing window for a SAFE-T claim will be shortened from 60 days to 30 days.

This adjustment aligns the SAFE-T timeline with the standard US returns cycle and the A-to-z claim appeal window, aiming to keep related rules consistent across return- and refund-linked processes.

What the SAFE-T Claim Process Is Designed to Cover

The SAFE-T claim mechanism is intended to help sellers recover losses in situations that are not fully within the seller’s control—such as policy abuse by buyers, damage in transit, or other scenarios where the seller is not reasonably at fault. For many sellers managing seller-fulfilled orders, SAFE-T can serve as an important protection layer within Amazon’s broader Amazon return policy ecosystem.

How the New 30-Day Deadline Will Be Calculated

Under the new rule, the 30-day filing period will start from the later of the following two timestamps:

1. The time the returned item is delivered to the seller’s facility and successfully scanned
2. The time the refund is completed

For lost shipments, the filing period will begin from the last carrier scan recorded in the logistics tracking history.

What Amazon Is Urging Sellers to Do Before February 16, 2026

Amazon is reminding sellers to review their return/refund cases as early as possible before the rule takes effect—especially any cases that are already older than 30 days but that the seller may still want to submit for a SAFE-T claim under the current timeline.

What Changes After the Effective Date—and What Doesn’t

• Starting February 16, 2026, sellers will no longer be able to file SAFE-T claims for relevant events that occurred more than 30 days earlier.
• This rule change will not affect claims that are already in progress and still under review at the time the policy becomes effective.

Final Takeaway for Sellers

This shift is not just a “shorter deadline”—it changes how sellers should operate day to day. For seller-fulfilled orders, it becomes essential to tighten workflows around returns, refunds, and carrier tracking so you can identify eligible cases quickly, document them clearly, and submit a SAFE-T claim within the new window. In practice, that means building faster internal checks around your Amazon return policy cases and making “last scan/refund time” a routine monitoring point rather than an afterthought.

And if you’re shipping inventory from China to Amazon and want fewer surprises across the fulfillment chain, Forest Shipping can help. As an international freight forwarder, Forest Shipping supports Amazon sellers with logistics from China to Amazon warehouses—helping you move goods reliably, maintain smoother replenishment cycles, and reduce operational risks that can turn into costly disputes later.