Sync Amazon Refunds and Returns with Your Store

M2E Multichannel Connect keeps refund and return information synchronized between your store and Amazon in both directions. You can issue a refund in your store, and M2E synchronizes it with Amazon. Refunds or returns you process on Amazon are synchronized back to your store.

The use cases below cover the refund and return scenarios supported by M2E.

ℹ️ Amazon refund and return synchronization is available for Shopify stores.

Enable refund and return synchronization #

Before M2E can synchronize refunds and returns between your store and the marketplace, enable the corresponding option first. Find it under Settings > Orders > Return & Refund Management. The option applies to all connected Amazon accounts.

ℹ️ Refund and return synchronization applies to Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) orders. Returns for FBA orders are handled by Amazon, which receives, inspects, and refunds the item without seller involvement.

Use case 1. Seller refunds an unshipped order in the store #

Once M2E detects the refund in your store, it cancels the order on Amazon instead of refunding it. This is because an unshipped order has no captured payment to adjust.

In your store: the order shows the issued refund.

On Amazon: the order is marked as Canceled. 

Partial refunds are supported in this case. For example, a multi-item order contains a jacket and a scarf, and you’ve issued a refund for the jacket in your store. If the order has not shipped, M2E cancels the jacket line item on Amazon, and the scarf remains to be shipped. 

⚠️ Refunds issued for unshipped Amazon orders are submitted as seller-initiated cancellations. They affect your Amazon performance metrics regardless of the reason.

Use case 2. Seller refunds a shipped order in the store #

Once M2E detects the refund in your store, it submits the refund to Amazon as a payment adjustment against the shipped order.

In your store: the order shows the issued refund.

On Amazon: the buyer is refunded. 

Partial refunds are supported in this case. For example, an order contains a jacket ($120) and a scarf ($30), and you’ve issued the refund for the jacket in your store. If the order has shipped, M2E submits a $120 refund to Amazon, and the scarf line item remains unaffected.

Use case 3. Buyer initiates a return on Amazon #

M2E synchronizes the buyer-initiated Amazon return request to your store, where you can review and process it.

On Amazon: the return request is created and waits for your response.

In your store: the order shows the return request. As you process it, the status changes to reflect the current stage: Return requested when the buyer creates the request, Return in progress once you approve it, and Return closed when the return is complete.

What the seller needs to do: approve or reject the return request in your store, and issue the refund once you have received and inspected the item. M2E synchronizes your decision and the refund to Amazon.

After the refund: the order in your store shows the refunded amount and the refund status. Partial refunds are recorded with the amount refunded rather than the full order value.

⚠️ Amazon allows 24 hours to approve or reject a return request. Process the request in your store within that time to avoid affecting your seller performance metrics.

Inventory handling for returned/refunded items #

M2E does not adjust inventory when a return or refund is processed on Amazon. This is because a synchronized refund or return does not confirm that the item has been received or is fit for resale.

When you process the return in your store, use your store's standard returns workflow to specify whether the item should return to inventory. If you issue a refund without a return, adjust stock manually once you have received and inspected the item.

How Amazon return and refund data reaches external systems #

M2E does not connect to ERP, 3PL, or warehouse systems directly. It records order-related Amazon events in your store, and your external system reads them from there through your store's standard API, the same way it reads order and shipment updates. 

For events that originate on Amazon, the data flow is:

Amazon → M2E Multichannel Connect → Store → ERP / 3PL / warehouse system

Need help? #

If you have questions about how M2E synchronizes returns and refunds, or if an order in your store does not reflect what happened on Amazon, please contact our support team.