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Chapter 29: Payouts, bookkeeping and weekly checks

This chapter covers when Amazon pays you, what to keep for your records, and a short weekly routine that catches problems early.

Payout timing (UK)​

Amazon settles your seller account on a regular cycle:

  • Settlement period: every 14 days (the first one starts about 14 days after your account is registered).
  • Funds available: under the usual policy, money from a sale becomes available 7 days after the order is delivered (often called DD+7). Amazon can hold funds longer if it sees risk.
  • To your bank: once a settlement is paid out, allow about five business days for the money to reach your account.

So a product you buy today may not turn into cash in the bank for several weeks. Plan purchases around that lag (Chapter 7).

Source: Getting paid.

Illustration of a settlement summary with sales, fees and refunds for a paid settlement period

Settlement summary: sales, fees and refunds for a settlement period that has been paid. Simplified illustration – the real screen may look different.

Bookkeeping without the overwhelm​

You don't need a complex system on day one. Keep:

  • Your receipts, order confirmations and purchase log, kept together (Chapters 23 and 25).
  • Amazon settlement reports, downloaded from Seller Central after each payout.
  • A simple sales log: date, ASIN, quantity sold, sale price, fees, and the cost from your purchase log so you can see real profit.

Point your accountant at these folders. They'll tell you what else they need for Self Assessment or your company accounts. (Don't guess tax rules from a handbook; see Chapter 2.2.)

If you use SellerToolKit or similar profit software, export costs from your purchase log or ArbiSource Sourcing List so the numbers match what you actually paid.

A weekly check (15–20 minutes)​

Pick a fixed time each week:

  1. Account Health: rating still Healthy? Any new notifications? (Chapter 23)
  2. Stranded and inactive listings: fix or close anything stuck.
  3. Inbound shipments: still Receiving or Closed? Compare received vs sent; open a reimbursement case for missing or damaged units if needed (Chapter 27).
  4. Returns: any patterns (wrong item, damage) that suggest a prep or match problem?
  5. Aged and slow stock: anything heading for aged inventory surcharges? Lower the price or create a removal order while you still can (Chapter 5.2).
  6. ArbiSource: auto refresh still on for your Sourcing List (the refresh icon shows Disable Auto Refresh once it's on), Alerts still relevant, Restriction Tracker email skimmed (Chapter 11 and Chapter 22).

Write one line in a notes file: what you fixed, and one thing to watch next week.

Checklist​

  • I know my settlement rhythm and roughly when cash hits the bank
  • I download each settlement report
  • My purchase log and sales log can be matched by ASIN
  • I run the weekly check on a fixed day