What causes discrepancies between sales and financial reports?

Sales reports and financial reports in MerchantSpring serve different purposes and rely on different types of data from Amazon. Because of this, it is normal for the numbers in these reports to differ slightly—especially over short time periods.

Understanding the difference between these datasets can help explain why discrepancies occur.

Sales Data vs Financial Data

MerchantSpring retrieves two primary categories of information from Amazon:

Sales Data

Sales reports typically reflect orders placed by customers.

These reports focus on metrics such as:

• Units sold
• Order revenue
• Product performance
• Conversion rates

Sales reports usually reference the order date.

Financial Data

Financial reports focus on the money associated with those transactions.

They include:

• Amazon fees
• Refunds
• Reimbursements
• Promotional deductions
• Adjustments

Financial events are recorded based on the posted date, which may differ from the order date.

Why Differences Occur

Several factors can cause discrepancies between sales and financial reports:

Timing Differences

Financial events may appear days after the original sale.

Refunds and Returns

Refunds reduce financial revenue but do not remove the original sale from sales reports.

Adjustments

Amazon may post financial corrections after the initial transaction.

Fee Posting Delays

Certain Amazon fees are recorded after the order ships.

Best Practices When Comparing Reports

To accurately compare sales and financial data:

• Review longer date ranges
• Allow time for refunds and adjustments to appear
• Focus on finalized settlement periods rather than daily snapshots

Over time, the reports will reconcile as Amazon posts all related financial events.

Notes: 

• Differences between sales and financial reports are normal.
• Amazon’s internal processing timeline affects when financial events appear.
• Monthly reporting is typically the most reliable for reconciliation.