Why are my FBA sales orders showing zero as the subtotal from Amazon?

Why are there sales orders with zero subtotal from Amazon?

If you're managing your FBA orders with Finale and notice sales orders coming from Amazon that show a zero subtotal, you might wonder why this happens and how it affects your stock levels. These zero-subtotal orders often occur when the order is still in the "Pending" state in Amazon Seller Central. 

What Does "Pending" Mean on Amazon?

In Amazon, an order is placed in the "Pending" state when it has been created but is awaiting payment verification. This could happen for a variety of reasons, including:

• The payment method is being confirmed.
• The buyer's payment information is being processed or validated.
• There is a delay in confirming the buyer's funds.

While the order is pending, Amazon doesn't yet consider the product revenue as received. As a result, the subtotal on the order remains zero until payment is verified.

Why Are These Zero Subtotal Orders Showing in Finale?

Even though the order’s payment is pending, the stock for these items is still reserved. This means that Amazon expects to fulfill the order once payment is confirmed. To ensure accurate inventory tracking, Finale commits the stock for these pending orders, which is why they still need to exist in the system.

If Finale did not include these orders, your available inventory could be incorrectly inflated, leading to discrepancies in Finale and Seller Central. By displaying these pending orders, Finale ensures that your stock levels are accurate and that the inventory is reserved appropriately.

How Finale Helps Manage These Orders

• Accurate Stock Levels: By including these zero-subtotal orders in Finale, your inventory counts are always accurate. The stock for these pending orders is reserved until the order is completed or canceled.
• Order Updates: Once Amazon verifies the payment and updates the order status, Finale will automatically update the order to reflect the actual subtotal and confirm the sale.
• Commitment to Inventory: Even if the payment hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s essential to commit the inventory to ensure it’s not sold to someone else, maintaining operational efficiency.

Best Practices for Managing Zero Subtotal Orders

1. Monitor Pending Orders: Keep an eye on pending orders in Amazon Seller Central. This will help you stay aware of which orders are awaiting payment and understand why they appear with a zero subtotal in Finale.

2. Allow for Updates: Be patient as the orders progress through Amazon’s system. Once payment is confirmed, Finale will automatically update the order’s details.

3. Avoid Double-Counting Inventory: Don’t manually adjust your stock levels in Finale based on zero-subtotal orders. These orders are accounted for automatically to ensure your inventory is accurately reflected in real-time.