Open your settlement or transaction report, note the category and item price for each order, and look up the referral fee on the rate card in force on the order date. Recalculate the fee, including any price band, and compare it with the amount charged. Investigate any difference, starting with category mapping, then raise a case with order-level proof.
Know what the referral fee is and where the rule sits
The referral fee is Amazon's commission for selling in a category. It is usually a percentage of the item's selling price, and for many categories the percentage changes by price band. It is separate from the closing fee, shipping or fulfilment fees, and GST on those fees.
Three documents define what you should be charged:
- Your seller agreement and any accepted amendments.
- The current referral fee rate card published in Seller Central, which also shows what the fee is calculated on.
- Any category-specific or negotiated terms your account manager has confirmed in writing.
Rates and slabs change from time to time, so always take the rate from the card valid on the order date, not from memory or an old email.
Step 1: Confirm the category Amazon has mapped to each ASIN
Most wrong referral fees begin with the wrong category. Export your listings and check the product type or browse node for every ASIN. A product can sit in a different node from the one you expect, especially when it fits more than one description, such as accessories, combos or multipacks.
- List the ASIN, product type and browse node in one sheet.
- Compare them with the category names on the rate card.
- Flag ASINs where the node looks broader, narrower or simply different from your assumption.
If the mapping itself is wrong, the fee will be wrong on every order of that ASIN, so this check has the highest payoff.
Step 2: Find the applicable rate, including the price band
On the rate card, locate your category and read the rule carefully. Note these points:
- Whether the percentage is flat or changes by price band.
- Whether the band is decided by the item price, or by price with other charges included.
- The effective date of the card, in case rates changed during your review period.
- Any minimum fee or sub-category exceptions.
Do not assume the fee base. Confirm from the latest rate card and your agreement whether shipping or gift charges form part of the amount on which the fee applies. If the wording is unclear, ask Amazon seller support to confirm in writing.
Step 3: Pull settlement data and recompute order by order
Download the transaction or payment reports for your period from the Payments section of Seller Central (menu names may change, so check the current layout). Build one row per order item with these columns:
| Column | Source |
|---|---|
| Order ID, ASIN, date | Settlement or transaction report |
| Item selling price | Settlement report |
| Category used | Your Step 1 sheet |
| Expected rate | Rate card for that date |
| Expected fee | Price multiplied by rate |
| Fee charged | Settlement report |
| Difference | Charged minus expected |
Sort by difference. Orders with a zero variance can be set aside. Group the rest by ASIN, rate charged and date so patterns stand out.
Step 4: Diagnose the common causes of a mismatch
Before raising a dispute, identify the likely reason:
- Wrong category or node on the listing.
- Wrong price band, for example the fee follows a higher slab than the item price warrants.
- Old rate card applied after a change, or new card applied to older orders.
- Returns and cancellations where the referral fee was not reversed as your terms say. Check the policy for refundable portions.
- Your own error, such as comparing a fee that includes GST with one that excludes it.
Rule out your own errors first, so your case reaches Amazon clean.
Step 5: Raise the case and track recovery
Open a case through Seller Support with a short summary, a sample of order IDs, the rate-card page and date, and the calculation. Attach a sheet for the full set. If the cause is category mapping, ask for the listing to be corrected as well, otherwise the error will repeat.
Keep a log of case ID, amount claimed, amount credited and status. Teams that do this monthly in spreadsheets often find it heavy as order volumes grow. MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle is built to check fees against agreed terms and track recovery cases; it currently reviews Myntra Excel reports, and Amazon India coverage would be a scope discussion. Pricing is a tailored quote.
Worked example
Illustrative example only. The rate below is assumed for the arithmetic and is not an Amazon rate. Always use your current rate card.
| Item | Value (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Item selling price | ₹1,200 |
| Rate card rate for your category and band (assumed) | 8% |
| Expected referral fee | ₹96 |
| Rate actually applied (from settlement) | 10% |
| Fee charged | ₹120 |
| Difference per order | ₹24 |
| Orders affected | 150 |
| Total difference to claim | ₹3,600 |
Because all 150 orders belong to one ASIN, the likely cause is a category or band mapping, so you would ask for both a refund and a listing correction.
Questions and answers
Where do I find the Amazon India referral fee for my category?
Check the referral fee rate card in Seller Central, which lists categories, price bands and rates. Read it alongside your seller agreement. Rates change, so confirm the card version valid on each order date before comparing.
Why is my referral fee higher than the rate card shows?
Common reasons include the ASIN sitting in a different category or browse node, a higher price band applied, an outdated rate, or GST included in the figure you compared. Check each in that order before raising a case.
Is the referral fee refunded when an order is returned?
It depends on the policy in your agreement and the current fee terms, and it can differ by return type and category. Check the latest policy, then verify in your settlement report whether the fee was reversed or retained.
How often should I audit referral fees?
A monthly review after settlements close works for most sellers. Audit sooner after a rate card change, a new category launch or bulk listing edits, since mapping errors repeat on every order until fixed.