To dispute a wrong referral fee category on Amazon India, compare the fee charged per order in your settlement report with the rate card for the ASIN's correct category and price band. Fix the listing category, then raise a Seller Support case with ASINs, order IDs, charged versus expected fees and the rate card reference. Track the credit in later settlements.
Why the wrong referral fee category gets applied
Referral fee on Amazon India is a percentage of the selling price. The rate depends on the product category and, for many categories, the price band. The rate card sits in your seller agreement and the Seller Central help pages. Confirm the latest version and its effective date before you dispute anything.
Typical causes of a wrong category charge:
- The ASIN is mapped to the wrong browse node or product type in the catalogue.
- The listing was created under a category you did not intend, or it matched an existing ASIN with different attributes.
- A catalogue update or bulk upload changed the category without you noticing.
- The wrong price band was used, for example because of how the selling price was read.
- A revised rate card was applied to orders placed before its effective date.
Confirm the error before you raise a case
Amazon support will ask for specifics. A vague claim that fees look high usually gets a templated reply. Do this check first:
- Download the referral fee rate card that applies to your account and note its effective date.
- Open the listing in Seller Central and note the category and product type of each suspect ASIN.
- Export the settlement or payment report for the period and pull the referral fee per order line.
- Work out the expected fee: selling price multiplied by the rate for the correct category and price band.
- Flag orders where the difference is consistent across units. Ignore small rounding gaps.
Seller Central also has a fee preview tool for listings. Menu names and report formats change, so check the current help pages.
Build the evidence pack
One well-organised pack saves several rounds of back and forth. Include:
- A spreadsheet with ASIN, SKU, order ID, order date, selling price, fee charged, fee expected and difference.
- Screenshots of the listing showing category and product type.
- The rate card page or document showing the correct rate, with its date.
- The settlement report extract that shows the referral fee line for each order.
- The date you corrected the category, if you changed it.
Raise the dispute step by step
- Correct the listing first. Update the category or product type so new orders are charged correctly. If it cannot be changed from your account, ask for it in the same case.
- Open a case through Seller Central Help or Contact Us, under the fees or payments topic.
- State the issue in two lines: the ASINs, the category charged, the category that applies, and the period affected.
- Attach your spreadsheet and rate card reference. Quote the total excess amount.
- Ask for two things: a refund of the excess for past orders, and confirmation that the fee category is corrected going forward.
- Stay in the same case thread. If you get a generic reply, restate the numbers and reference the case ID rather than opening a duplicate.
Group cases by ASIN or by cause so each one is easy to verify. Check your agreement and help pages for any time limit on fee claims, and raise cases promptly.
Track the recovery until the money lands
A promise in a case reply is not recovery. Credits usually appear as adjustments in a later settlement. Match each one back to the case.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Case ID and date | For follow-up and escalation |
| ASINs and order IDs | Scope of the claim |
| Amount claimed | Charged minus expected |
| Amount credited | From the settlement adjustment line |
| Status | Open, part-credited, closed, rejected |
If a case is closed with only part credit, compare the credited amount against your sheet and reply with the remaining orders.
Stop it happening again
Review fees monthly, not only when a settlement looks odd. Re-check categories after any bulk upload or catalogue change. Compare the effective date of every rate card revision with the orders it was applied to. Keep a standing sheet of ASIN, category and expected rate.
MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle checks commissions and fees against agreed terms and tracks recovery cases. It currently reviews Myntra Excel reports, and other marketplaces such as Amazon are a scope discussion. Pricing is a tailored quote.
Worked example
Illustrative example only. The rates and amounts below are made up to show the method. They are not Amazon's actual rates. Use your own rate card.
- Product sold at ₹1,000 per unit, 400 units in the month, so sales are ₹4,00,000.
- Correct category rate per your rate card (assumed): 8%. Expected fee: ₹32,000.
- Category charged (assumed): 15%. Fee charged: ₹60,000.
- Excess fee to claim: ₹28,000, before any GST on fees, which you should check with your tax adviser.
Your case would list the ASIN, the 400 order IDs, ₹60,000 charged versus ₹32,000 expected, and ask for a ₹28,000 credit plus a category correction.
Questions and answers
Can I get a refund for past orders charged in the wrong category?
Often yes, if you can prove the mismatch with order-level data and the rate card. Claim windows and conditions vary, so check your seller agreement and Seller Central help for current terms, and raise the case as soon as you find the issue.
Should I change the category before or after raising the case?
Do it first, or request it in the same case. If the category stays wrong, new orders keep attracting the higher fee. Note the date of the change, so your claim clearly covers the period before it.
What if Amazon rejects my case with a generic reply?
Reply in the same thread with the case ID, a short table of charged versus expected fees, and the rate card reference. Ask for a specific review of the listed orders. Avoid opening duplicate cases, which can fragment the history.
How do I know the refund actually arrived?
Look for fee adjustment or reversal lines in later settlement reports and match them to your claim sheet by order ID or amount. If the total credited is lower than the claimed amount, reply on the case with the remaining difference.