Amazon Purchase Quantity Variance (PQV): How To Dispute Shortage Claims

What Is Purchase Quantity Variance?

Amazon uses Purchase Quantity Variance (PQV) as its internal term for a shortage claim. Amazon deducts the cost of missing units from your invoice payment, and the claim appears on your remittance as a separate debit entry.

PQV is the most common form of shortage claim on Vendor Central. A second type, Purchase Price Variance (PPV), is triggered by a price mismatch between your invoice and the PO, but PPV represents a small fraction of total shortage claim volume.

How Amazon Generates a PQV Claim

Step 1: Invoice submitted and quantity mismatch detected

Amazon's system compares the quantity on your invoice or ASN against the quantity its receiving center has logged. If the received quantity is lower, the system flags a shortage. Amazon typically generates the PQV claim approximately five days before the invoice due date and sends an email notification to the accounts payable contact on file.

Step 2: SC suffix added to invoice

When a PQV claim is raised, the suffix -SC is appended to the affected invoice ID. A temporary deduction is applied to the account. The -SC invoice appears in Vendor Central under Payments > Invoices > Review/Dispute Shortages.

Step 3: Amazon's internal review

Amazon runs an internal matching process for up to 35 days after a PQV is raised. During this time, the system searches for receipt records associated with the missing units and attempts to match them to the invoice. If the match is found, the claim is automatically reversed, and the invoice suffix changes from -SC to -SCR.

A good portion of PQV claims self-resolve within 60 days without any action required from the supplier. Filing a dispute on a claim that Amazon might resolve wastes your time and your one-shot dispute opportunity on that invoice. Wait 30 days before filing. By that point, Amazon will have resolved some claims, leaving you with the ones you should target.

The Two-Year Dispute Window

In 2024 through 2025, Amazon implemented a strict two-year dispute window for all PQV and PPV claims in America. Any claim on an invoice older than two years is automatically rejected by the Vendor Central dispute system, regardless of validity. This timeline was previously extended up to five years.

This forces a real-time dispute management system. You must monitor invoices, identify new PQVs, and file disputes before the window closes.

A second significant change is the elimination of the standard settlement process for most suppliers. Lump-sum agreements that resolved multiple outstanding deductions at once are no longer a standard option. They now require an assigned Amazon Vendor Services (AVS) manager or a dedicated vendor manager to initiate. For suppliers without dedicated AVS support, individual invoice-level disputes are the only available path.

Why You Should Wait 30 Days Before Disputing

Unless the claim is approaching a deadline, wait at least 30 days from the PQV notification before filing. Amazon's auto-reconciliation process runs for up to 35 days, and claims that self-reverse do not need your team's time. Amazon's policy is that each invoice can be disputed only once for a shortage claim.

How to Dispute a PQV Claim in Vendor Central: Step by Step

1. Navigate to the dispute portal

• Log in to Vendor Central and click the three-lined Menu tab.

• Select Payments from the Menu bar, then scroll to Invoices.

• Click Review/Dispute Shortages to access the shortage claims view.

• Locate the -SC invoice you want to dispute. Sort by invoice number, date, or amount if needed.

• Click Actions, then Dispute Shortage by Line Item, to begin the dispute workflow.

2. Complete the required fields

• Dispute quantity: Enter the quantity you believe was delivered. In most cases, disputing the full shortage quantity is the correct approach.

• Shipped product: Enter the ASIN, EAN, UPC, or barcode of the shipped product.

• Shipped date: Enter the date the carrier delivered the product to the fulfillment center.

3. Upload supporting documentation

This is where disputes are won or lost. Required documents:

• ASN copy confirming the quantity transmitted matches your invoice.

• Packing records showing carton unit counts and timestamps that confirm the shipment quantity.

• Carton-level images. Open-faced carton photos with individual units and barcodes visible are the preferred format.

4. Submit and track

• Scroll to the Comments column and add any additional context about the dispute.

• Click Submit. Do not save as a draft.

• Amazon's review takes up to 35 days.

• Track the status under Payments, then Invoices, then Claims Under Review.

• Successfully reversed claims change the suffix from -SC to -SCR.

PQV Claims Arriving Faster Than Your Team Can Dispute?

With one dispute submission allowed per invoice, a 30-day filing window, and a 35-day review cycle, PQV claim management becomes a full-time job at volume. Suppliers who let claims pile up before disputing, or who miss the two-year window on older invoices, consistently leave significant recoverable revenue on the table.

iNymbus automates the PQV dispute process in Amazon Vendor Central. Our agents monitor your invoice queue, identify new -SC claims, assemble documentation packages, and file disputes directly on your portal.

Schedule a demo to see how it works for your Amazon Vendor Central account.