All of that said, the real key to protecting margins and making your vendor operations hum is prevention. How can you ensure you’re not committing errors and making mistakes that lead to an ASN chargeback?
Chargeback prevention is where operational precision meets strategic foresight.
Top Strategies to Prevent Amazon ASN Chargebacks
Follow these best practices for your Amazon ASNs:
Use EDI or portal-based tools to cross-check unit counts, expiration dates, PRO/BOL numbers, and ARN references before submission.
Build in logic to flag missing or mismatched fields in real-time.
Sync your ASN timing with carrier appointments.
Submit ASNs after the shipment is confirmed but before it arrives at the FC.
Ensure the carrier’s appointment matches the ARN and ASN exactly, especially for LTL/FTL shipments.
Ensure dates are present on the ASN, in the correct format (YYYY-MM-DD), not expired, or too close to the receive date.
Use a pre-submission checklist to check each step of ASN generation and submission.
Train your warehouse and EDI teams to understand the impact of ASN errors.
Create SOPs for ASN creation, validation, and submission.
Regularly review chargeback trends in Vendor Central, then use the data to pinpoint recurring issues and make adjustments to your processes to prevent future chargebacks.
Submission Timing
Vendors must submit the ASN within 30 minutes of the shipment leaving the vendor facility or 6 hours before shipment arrival at the Amazon facility. Failure to meet this deadline can result in an On-time non-compliance (OTNC) chargeback.
Same-Day Rule: If technical issues prevent EDI transmission, Amazon requires the ASN to be submitted on the same day the shipment leaves the vendor facility, ideally within 30 minutes of departure.
Avoid batch submissions; submit in real-time.
Dates
Including accurate expiration dates at the item level in Amazon ASNs is critical for compliance, customer safety, and operational efficiency.
Proper dating:
Promotes product safety and regulatory compliance.
Aids FC shelf-life management.
Avoids chargebacks and returns.
Ensures inventory accuracy and improves the customer experience.
Protects your Vendor Scorecard.
3P Coordination
Ensure third-party services have accurate and timely information, and that PRO/BOL numbers match the carrier’s. Close synergy with these services (3PLs, carriers, warehouse teams, etc.) can greatly enhance your ASN compliance and operational flow.
Coordinated workflows allow 3PLs to apply Amazon-compliant carton and pallet labels during packing, align pickup schedules with ASN submission windows, and ensure real-time data capture for item-level details like expiration dates, lot codes, and pallet IDs.
Maintain tight communication with these vital partners.
Monitor
Regularly monitor EDI certification and transmission statuses. Transmission errors often go unnoticed until a deduction or dispute arises.
Proactive monitoring helps you catch issues like:
Missing segments in EDI messages
Failed acknowledgments
Unprocessed invoices due to format mismatches
