Returns are already a headache. With e-commerce return rates sitting around 20.8% in 2026, every return is a cost center sellers have to manage carefully. Now Amazon is making that job a little harder for Fulfilled-by-Merchant (FBM) sellers.
Starting in August 2026, Amazon is removing the field in Return Settings that let sellers write their own return instructions. As Amazon put it in its own announcement: “Starting August 2026, the option to add return instructions in your return settings will no longer be available.”
That might sound like a small interface tweak, but it strips away one of the only tools FBM sellers had to explain how a return should actually happen: what condition an item needs to be in, whether original packaging is required, and who’s responsible for return shipping. Without that space, customers approving a return may no longer see the specific guidance a seller previously provided, which raises the odds that returned merchandise shows up used, damaged, or incomplete, with no clear way to prevent it upfront.
Amazon hasn’t said what, if anything, will replace the field. For now, sellers are left to lean on their broader return policy and whatever other approved communication channels they have to set expectations before a return ships.
The Return Settings That Still Matter
Losing the instructions field doesn’t change the mechanics underneath it, and those mechanics are worth a refresher, because they determine who handles a return and who pays for it.
Return Option | Who Pays | Key Point |
Amazon prepaid | Amazon/seller program | Standard prepaid option |
Unpaid label | Customer | Customer covers return shipping |
Seller prepaid | Seller | Seller covers shipping upfront |
Amazon authorization | Amazon | Amazon handles approval |
Seller authorization | Seller | Seller handles approval |
Exempt items | Varies | Bulky, handmade, or custom products |
A few of these are worth flagging. Returns made with Amazon’s prepaid labels generally follow Amazon’s own return policy rather than any seller-defined requirements, while exempt products have different label rules altogether. And the choice between unpaid and seller-prepaid labels decides who eats the shipping cost first, the customer or the seller.
One more thing sellers shouldn’t sleep on: safety claims. Once a returned item is back in hand, sellers generally have four days to file a safety claim, and eligible claims can cover the return label plus up to 50% of the item’s price, depending on the product and circumstances. That’s a real recovery path, but only if sellers are watching the clock. Working with an agency or return solution provider can help here: reviewing workflows, flagging eligible claims, and finding ways to recoup costs as Amazon reshapes the process.
A Second Change: Shorter Return Windows in Germany
The instructions field isn’t the only shift on the calendar. Starting September 1, 2026, Amazon is cutting the return window for 16 product categories in Germany (including furniture, beauty, pet supplies, food and beverages, luggage, musical instruments, tires, and mobile electronics) from a 30-day voluntary window down to the 14-day statutory minimum.
Not everything is affected: clothing, shoes, watches, jewelry, and Amazon devices like Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle keep their 30-day window. There’s also a grace period: items delivered by October 1, 2026 still get the old 30-day window, and sellers remain free to offer longer return periods if they choose.
For the categories that are affected, customers get 14 days from delivery to declare a return and another 14 days to actually send the item back. It’s a separate change from the return-instructions removal, but it lands in the same window and adds another layer sellers need to account for, especially for inventory with high processing costs, short shelf life, or low resale value.
Neither change is catastrophic on its own, but together they mean FBM sellers have less room to set the terms of a return and less time to plan around it. The practical move is to stop treating “was the return approved” as the finish line, and start reviewing how your return settings, policies, and customer communications actually hold up once Amazon’s guardrails shift. Sellers in the affected German categories should double check their stated policies match the new windows, and everyone relying on the old instructions field should start figuring out now where that guidance is going to live next.