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Why do Amazon Vendor purchase-order quantities change between ordered and received?

The quantity Amazon orders, the quantity a vendor accepts and the quantity Amazon receives can differ.

An Amazon Vendor purchase order moves through several stages. The quantity can change as the Vendor confirms the order, ships the inventory and Amazon receives it into its network.

Purchase-order quantity stages
Stage What it means
Ordered or submitted quantity The quantity Amazon initially requests from the Vendor
Accepted quantity The quantity the Vendor agrees to supply
Rejected quantity The portion of Amazon’s request the Vendor does not accept
Cancelled quantity Quantity removed if Amazon revises or cancels part of its original request
Received or receipted quantity The quantity Amazon records as received
Shortage quantity The difference between the accepted quantity and the quantity Amazon records as received
Why can the accepted quantity be lower than the ordered quantity?

A Vendor may accept only part of Amazon’s requested quantity because of:

  • Insufficient available stock
  • Production or supply constraints
  • Purchase-order timing
  • Delivery-window requirements
  • Packaging or case-quantity restrictions
  • Operational capacity

For example, if Amazon orders 100 units and the Vendor accepts 80, the remaining 20 units are recorded as rejected.

Why can the received quantity be lower than the accepted quantity?

A difference can arise after the Vendor accepts the order because of:

  • The Vendor shipping fewer units than accepted
  • Inventory being lost or damaged in transit
  • Amazon counting a different quantity on arrival
  • Products being rejected during receiving
  • Shipment or delivery delays
  • Amazon warehouse processing delays
  • Units being received against a different shipment or date

For example, if the Vendor accepts 80 units but Amazon records only 75 as received, the remaining five units may appear as a shortage.

Can Amazon change the order?

Yes. Amazon may revise or cancel part of a purchase order after it has been issued.

A cancelled quantity is different from a rejected quantity:

  • A rejected quantity is the portion the Vendor does not agree to supply.
  • A cancelled quantity is the portion Amazon later removes from its original request.
What should I check?

When investigating a quantity difference:

  1. Confirm the purchase-order number, Vendor code and ASIN.
  2. Compare Amazon’s original ordered quantity with the Vendor’s accepted quantity.
  3. Check for purchase-order amendments or cancellations.
  4. Review the quantity shown in the Vendor’s shipment documentation.
  5. Compare the shipment quantity with Amazon’s receipt records.
  6. Check whether the delivery or receiving process was still underway during the reporting period.
  7. Review shortages, rejected units or receiving discrepancies recorded by Amazon.
Important note

A quantity difference does not, by itself, identify where the discrepancy occurred. The purchase order, Vendor confirmation, shipment documentation and Amazon receipt records should be reviewed together.

Need help?

Contact support@merchantspring.io and include the relevant account, purchase-order number, Vendor code, ASIN, reporting period and any helpful screenshots or exports.