What date does MerchantSpring use for financial events in the P&L?

MerchantSpring’s Profit & Loss (P&L) reporting is built on Amazon financial event data, which uses a specific timestamp called posted_at to record when financial events occur.

MerchantSpring uses this posted date when assigning financial events to reporting periods.

This approach ensures that profit reporting aligns with Amazon’s finalized financial records, rather than the order placement date.

Why MerchantSpring Uses the Posted Date

Amazon processes financial transactions in stages. For example:

1. An order is placed.
2. The order is shipped.
3. Fees are applied.
4. Amazon posts financial events to the account.

The posted date represents the moment Amazon records the finalized financial transaction.

By using the posted date:

• MerchantSpring ensures accurate reconciliation with Amazon financial data
• Profit reporting reflects finalized financial events
• Settlement-level reporting remains consistent

Example Scenario

Consider the following timeline:

In this example:

• MerchantSpring records the financial event under January 4, because that is when Amazon posted the financial transaction.

How This Affects P&L Reporting

Because financial events are tied to their posted date:

• Refunds may appear days after the original order
• Fees may be posted after shipping
• Adjustments may appear weeks later

This behavior ensures your P&L reflects Amazon’s finalized accounting records.

Notes:

• Sales reports and financial reports may use different dates.
• Sales reports often use the order date, while financial reports use the posted date.
• This difference can cause short-term discrepancies between reports.

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