When a seller creates a multi-shipment FBA inbound plan, Amazon requires every shipment in that plan to be shipped, in full. If any shipment that is part of a confirmed shipping plan is deleted or is not shipped within the FBA-required time window, Amazon charges an FBA Inbound Defect Fee for the affected units.
Defects are generated when:
- A domestic shipment doesn't arrive within 45 days of creation
- An international shipment doesn't arrive within 75 days of creation
- A shipment doesn't arrive within 30 days of the first shipment in a multi-destination plan
There are two cost layers:
- The defect fee
- Inbound placement fee recalculation — if you selected a Partial shipment splits plan but only send one shipment, Amazon retroactively charges you the higher Minimal shipment splits rate on all received units
Note: Starting in 2026, Amazon is consolidating these into a single inbound defect fee — but the rates increase significantly, so compliance becomes more important, not less.
Pattern's Process & Policy
Pattern creates & confirms inbound shipment plans based on the information included on the packing slip and within the inbound shipment data to Pattern. When the packing slip, the inventory receipt (IR) data in Pattern Hub, and the physical shipment all match, shipments process cleanly with no defect risk. Defects arise when there's a discrepancy between any of those three sources.
When Pattern is responsible: If Pattern entered shipment details incorrectly, we will make it right with the brand.
When Pattern is not responsible: If the packing slip was inaccurate — for example, if a supplier changed case pack quantities without informing Pattern of the change prior to the delivery of the item — the resulting defect is not Pattern's liability. This is the most common root cause we see, often triggered when case pack quantities are changed in the catalog without a corresponding update to the pack slip before the shipment is created.
What brands can do to prevent this:
- Ensure case pack quantities in Pattern's catalog match exactly what is physically shipped in
- Communicate any changes to case packs before a shipment is created
What Pattern does when a defect occurs:
- We investigate the tracking and shipment records to determine the root cause
- If a shipment was fully unsent, we will delete it rather than leave it abandoned (avoiding the fee entirely where possible)
- If units were short-shipped due to a pack slip discrepancy, Pattern will assess whether a correction shipment is feasible