How To Get A Receipt From Amazon As A Seller in 2023 (Complete Expert Guide)
As an ecommerce seller, having proper documentation of your Amazon purchases is critical for tracking inventory costs, reconciling sales and streamlining accounting. So how can sellers easily access Amazon receipts?
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything sellers need to know about finding receipts on Amazon in 2023.
Why Amazon Receipts Matter for Sellers
With Amazon controlling 38% of the US ecommerce market and Prime membership surpassing 197 million globally, many sellers rely on the platform for a majority of sales. This means Amazon receipts play an instrumental role in sellers‘ financial and inventory management.
Unlike paper receipts that get lost in the shuffle, Amazon provides all sellers with an electronic record of every order and transaction made on the marketplace. By taking advantage of these digital receipts, we can:
- Accurately track cost of goods sold (COGS) for wholesale purchases
- Streamline bookkeeping with monthly sales and expense summaries
- Maintain inventory counts by ASIN/FNSKU based on receipts
- Support tax preparation and audits with documentation
- Speed up refunds, returns and exchanges with receipt proof
Without organized access to receipts, many sellers end up with transaction gaps, duplications, and accounting headaches. So let‘s look at how to avoid those issues!
Downloading Your Amazon Seller Receipts
The process of downloading receipts on Amazon is quick and straightforward:
- Log into Seller Central account
- Click “Orders” from the menu
- Select order/invoice you need
- Open the “Order Details” page
- Click “Download Invoice” button
This will generate a PDF receipt containing all info related to that particular order. Repeat these steps to gather receipts for any past Amazon orders.
Pro Tip: Save the PDF receipts to a designated Seller Central folder on your computer for organized access later.
Fig 1. Screenshot showing how to download receipts in Amazon Seller Central
Alternatively, sellers can enable auto-delivery of all Amazon receipts by email for added convenience. Simply navigate to Settings > Account Info > Notification Preferences and check the box for "Send me e-mail notifications when refunds/reimbursements are processed."
Accessing Past Receipts on Amazon
Amazon Seller Central keeps extensive records, so you can find receipts dating back to your very first sale on the marketplace.
Under the Orders tab, use the search filters for date range, product name, status and more to quickly pull up old receipts. You can also search order IDs or ASINs/FNSKUs if you have those handy.
No matter when you made a purchase through Amazon as a seller, you can rest assured the documentation is there in your Seller Central account.
Key Differences Between Confirmation Emails and Receipts
Whenever we place an order on Amazon as a seller, two emails get sent:
Order Confirmation – basics like order number, date, total amount, shipping speed
Receipt – full detailed breakdown of products, fees, payments etc.
While it‘s easy to assume the confirmation email is enough, it actually lacks critical details only found in the comprehensive receipt.
Here‘s an overview of the key differences:
Order Confirmation | Full Receipt |
---|---|
Order ID and date | Line items with ASINs/FNSKUs, conditions, quantities |
Total amount charged | Itemized product costs, seller fees, shipping fees, promotions |
Shipping address and speed | Breakdown of total fees, item subtotal, payments |
Complete address and payment method specifics | |
Returns/refunds processing instructions |
For purposes of record keeping, accounting, product reconciliation, the full receipt from Seller Central is an absolute must-have.
What‘s Included in an Amazon Seller Receipt?
As a seller, the receipt from your Amazon orders will contain:
- Date and order number – essential for matching to shipments
- Product details – ASIN/FNSKU, conditions, quantities, item costs
- Breakdown of fees – Referral, variable closing, shipping, FBA
- Shipping address – where the order was sent
- Billing details – payment method and related info
- Returns processing – how to handle if buyer requests a return
Having all this organized in one PDF makes order management much simpler.
Pro Tips for Seller Receipt Management
As high-volume sellers, we‘ve picked up some useful receipt management tips over the years:
- Download monthly Summaries – Tracks all orders in one spreadsheet
- Organize by ASIN – Reconcile receipts to inventory for each product
- Auto-save to a dedicated folder – Avoid mixed in with personal purchases
- Back up on external drive or cloud – Critical financial data to preserve
- Note items for COGS – Wholesale receipts help determine true costs
- Print for physical records – Essential for audit and tax purposes
- Enable receipt emails – Creates a paper trail for your bookkeeper
Following best practices with your Amazon receipts will save major headaches at tax time or if any order issues arise!
Integrating Amazon Receipts into Accounting Systems
Rather than downloading Amazon receipts in silos, many sellers prefer integrating them directly into accounting software for a smoother workflow.
With the SellerCentral API, receipts can sync up with QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite and similar platforms. This automates theflow of sales data, expenses, fees, and other transactions from Amazon into your financial records.
Consult your accounting software or web developer to set up an API integration that matches your business needs. This level of automation typically improves record accuracy and saves sellers significant time.
Securely Storing Amazon Receipts Long-Term
As a seller, I need to retain Amazon receipts for at least 3-7 years per IRS guidelines. To keep decades of records organized and secure, I recommend taking these steps:
- Save receipts in clearly labeled digital folders by year
- Back up the folders to a trusted cloud storage provider
- Export another backup to an external hard drive stored offsite
- Print any receipts related to capital purchases for physical records
Follow this digital redundancy model to ensure your Amazon seller receipts are always available when needed for taxes, accounting, or order inquiries.
Key Takeaways on Amazon Seller Receipts
Getting receipts from the Amazon Seller Central platform is straightforward – simply navigate to order details and download the PDF files for your records.
Unlike paper receipts, these digital files are stored indelibly on Amazon so sellers have perpetual access to every past order. Beyond downloads, enabling auto-receipt emails and accounting integrations can further simplify financial management.
With Amazon‘s dominant ecommerce market share, maintaining organized access to receipts gives sellers vital data for reconciling inventory expenses, monitoring sales profitability, and streamlining accounting. By putting receipt best practices in place early on, we can avoid unnecessary financial headaches down the road!