Selling on Amazon can be rewarding, but it comes with its challenges. One area that often causes confusion for both new and experienced sellers is pending orders. Most transactions on Amazon are straightforward: a customer adds an item to their cart, completes the payment, and you prepare the item for shipment. In many cases, this process is completed in just a few minutes. Yet, there are moments when an order appears as Pending in your Seller Central dashboard, and this can raise questions about what’s happening behind the scenes.
In this article, we will explore what Amazon pending orders mean, why they occur, and how both sellers and buyers can deal with them effectively. Understanding this concept can help you avoid delays, maintain good customer relations, and ensure smooth operations in your online store.
What Does “Pending” Status Mean?
When an order shows up as Pending, it means Amazon has temporarily placed a hold on the transaction. This is a standard step designed to protect both the buyer and the platform. The Pending status allows Amazon to verify the payment method, confirm that the transaction is legitimate, and give the buyer a short period in which they can cancel the order if they change their mind.
In most situations, this hold lasts around 30 minutes. During that time, Amazon confirms that the customer’s payment can be processed successfully. Once the payment is verified, the order moves from Pending to Unshipped, indicating that it is ready for fulfillment.
However, not all Pending orders are resolved quickly. Payment issues, bank delays, or verification problems can extend the Pending status, sometimes for several days. Until the order becomes Unshipped, sellers cannot ship the product. Shipping a Pending order prematurely may create problems, including potential financial loss or violation of Amazon policies.
Being proactive and keeping an eye on order statuses allows sellers to provide accurate delivery estimates and manage customer expectations, which are essential for maintaining a strong reputation on the platform.
How Amazon Handles Orders
To better understand why an order may remain Pending, it helps to know how Amazon processes transactions. The system follows a clear workflow:
- The customer adds an item to the cart and completes the checkout process.
- Amazon immediately places the transaction in Pending status.
- During this time, the order appears gray in the Manage Orders section and cannot yet be processed.
- Amazon checks the customer’s payment method and confirms that the payment can be authorized.
- If everything is correct, the order moves to Unshipped, signaling that the seller can fulfill it. If the verification fails, the Pending status continues until the problem is resolved.
- Once the order becomes Unshipped, Amazon communicates the expected delivery date to the customer.
- Sellers receive a notification to ship the item or, if necessary, cancel the order.
This workflow is designed to ensure secure transactions, protect customers, and prevent errors. Understanding these steps helps sellers plan their order processing efficiently and avoid unnecessary stress when an order remains Pending.
Why Orders Become Pending
Pending orders occur for several reasons, each of which can affect the timeline for fulfillment:
- Payment Issues: The most frequent cause of Pending orders is a problem with the customer’s payment method. If Amazon cannot confirm that the payment is valid, the transaction cannot move forward until the issue is resolved.
- Incomplete Purchases: Sometimes, buyers begin the checkout process but don’t complete it right away. Amazon holds these orders briefly to allow the buyer to finalize or cancel the purchase.
- Multi-Item or FBA Orders: When a customer orders multiple products, especially through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), pending status may appear while the system prepares the shipment. If one item is temporarily out of stock, the order may remain Pending until everything is ready to ship.
- High-Volume Periods: Busy shopping times such as Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday often cause an increase in Pending orders. Payment verification and processing may take longer due to the surge in transactions.
- Digital Products: Pending orders are not limited to physical goods. Digital items such as gift cards, game codes, or downloadable content can also remain Pending. Payment verification delays or security checks may temporarily prevent the delivery of digital products, meaning the customer may not receive the code immediately.
Recognizing these common scenarios helps sellers understand that Pending orders are usually temporary and not a reflection of poor performance or inventory issues.
How Sellers Should Manage Pending Orders
When it comes to Pending orders, there are two different scenarios: you are either selling through FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) or FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant).
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
If you are using FBA, the process is fully managed by Amazon. You send your products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and once an order is placed, Amazon handles everything — payment verification, order confirmation, and shipping.
As long as the order is in “Pending” status, you will not see any actionable steps. Once the payment is confirmed, the order automatically moves to “Unshipped,” and Amazon ships the product from their warehouse.
In short, FBA sellers do not need to take any additional action for Pending orders. Amazon ensures that the order only proceeds after successful payment authorization.
FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant)
If you are using FBM, things work differently because you hold the inventory and are responsible for shipping.
When an order is in “Pending” status under FBM, it appears in your dashboard but is non-actionable — meaning the shipping buttons are disabled, and you cannot dispatch the item. The order becomes actionable only once it moves to “Unshipped.”
Pending orders matter for FBM sellers because:
- Inventory impact: A Pending order temporarily reserves your stock, which can affect planning and availability.
- Customer communication: If the order remains Pending for an extended period, customers may contact you. In that case, you should explain that Amazon is still verifying the payment and shipment will only proceed once the status updates.
- Rare exceptions: While you cannot resolve a Pending order yourself, in unusual cases you may reach out to Amazon Seller Support for clarification.
FBM sellers cannot directly manage Pending orders since payment verification is controlled by Amazon. However, monitoring them is important for inventory planning and customer communication.
Finding and Cancelling Pending Orders
Locating Pending orders in Seller Central is straightforward. Go to Manage Orders and check the relevant tab to see orders awaiting processing. Pending orders are usually gray and non-actionable, and they may not appear in standard Orders Reports or Unshipped Orders Reports. Despite this, your inventory will reflect the reserved items, ensuring accurate stock tracking.
Keeping track of Pending orders is important for maintaining correct inventory levels and planning shipments without overcommitting stock. This allows sellers to prevent overselling and ensure smooth operations.
Sellers have the ability to cancel orders that have not yet shipped. Once the payment is verified and the order becomes Unshipped, you can access the Confirm Shipment and Cancel Order buttons in Manage Orders. To cancel, select the order, provide a reason, and submit. Amazon will notify the customer automatically.
For professional sellers, bulk cancellations can be performed using Amazon’s Order Cancellation file. This flexibility helps manage stock effectively, especially when multiple Pending orders need attention simultaneously.
Conclusion
Pending orders are a standard part of selling on Amazon, designed to protect both buyers and sellers. They give Amazon time to verify payments, allow customers to cancel orders if needed, and ensure that shipments are processed accurately. While they may occasionally cause delays, understanding their purpose and managing them effectively can reduce stress and maintain customer satisfaction.
Sellers should keep a close eye on their dashboards, communicate clearly with buyers, and avoid fulfilling orders before confirmation. By staying organized and proactive, you can minimize disruptions, maintain high seller performance, and ensure smooth operations on Amazon.
Monitoring tools and analytics also provide an advantage, helping sellers respond quickly to any pending issues and optimize inventory management. Platforms like Amazonitor offer real-time tracking of listing changes, inventory shifts, and order status updates—giving sellers the visibility they need to act fast and stay ahead.