Amazon Flat File Errors: How to Fix Error 12998, 90057, and Ghost FBM Listings

Amazon flat file uploads are the backbone of bulk listing management, but a single wrong value in one column can silently break dozens of listings. The error messages Amazon returns are often vague, and the real damage, like FBA listings switching to FBM without warning, sometimes only surfaces when a customer places an order you cannot fulfil.

This guide covers the most common flat file errors we see across client accounts, what causes each one, and exactly how to fix it. Every fix here comes from real uploads and confirmed root causes, not guesswork.

Error 12998: wrong Fulfilment Channel Code

This is the flat file warning we see most often across the UK accounts we manage. The full message reads: "The fulfillment channel associated with the given fulfillment channel code does not support the provided inventory type." It fires on every row where the Fulfilment Channel Code is wrong, and while Amazon labels it a "warning" rather than an error, the consequences are real: affected listings can default to FBM instead of FBA.

What causes it

Three values commonly trigger this warning:

• AMAZON_EU - a legacy code that appears in older templates and some third-party tools. It looks plausible but Amazon UK no longer recognises it as a valid FBA channel code.
• AMAZON_NA - the North America code, wrong marketplace entirely for UK listings.
• RAFN codes (AMAZON_UK_RAFN, AMAZON_UK2IE_RAFN, etc.) - these are Remote Fulfilment Network codes that Amazon manages on the backend. They appear in Category Listings Reports on SKUs that Amazon has automatically enrolled in cross-border fulfilment, but they are not meant to be set manually in uploads.

The fix

On the UK templates we work with, that is the value that processes cleanly for FBA listings. Values can vary by product type, so check the dropdown in your own template. Note the British spelling, "Fulfilment", with a single l before "ment": the US spelling "Fulfillment" will not match the dropdown value. The values listed in the UK template we work with are:

• Fulfilment by Amazon (EU) - standard FBA, use this for all FBA listings
• Fulfilment by Merchant (Default) - for seller-fulfilled listings
• AMAZON_EU_RAFN, AMAZON_UK_RAFN, AMAZON_UK2IE_RAFN, AMAZON_UK2NL_RAFN, AMAZON_UK2SE_RAFN - Amazon-managed, do not set manually

Ghost FBM listings: the Quantity column trap

This one causes real damage. If your FBA listings are suddenly showing as "Dispatched from and sold by [Your Business Name]" instead of "Dispatched from and sold by Amazon," the most likely cause is a value in the Quantity column of a flat file upload.

What happens

In every case we have seen on UK accounts, Amazon treats any number in the Quantity column as seller-fulfillable stock. Their system does not support a single listing with both seller-fulfillable and Amazon-fulfillable quantities, so entering a quantity forces the listing to seller-fulfilled (FBM). This happens silently. There is no error, no warning, no rejection. The listing simply switches, and the first sign of trouble is often a customer order that you have no infrastructure to ship.

The fix

If your listings have already switched to FBM, fix them by uploading a Price & Quantity template with:

1. SKU column filled with affected SKUs
2. Fulfilment Channel Code set to Fulfilment by Amazon (EU)
3. Quantity column left blank
4. Your Price filled to preserve current pricing

In our experience the update usually propagates within 24 hours, though it can take longer. Check the live product pages after that to confirm the listings show Amazon as the seller again.

Error 90057: unrecognised Listing Action

The full message: "record_action is unrecognized. Please provide a value from the drop-down and resubmit." This error fails every row it hits and cascades into error 90041 ("missing required fields"), which makes it look like you have two separate problems when you actually have one.

What causes it

Using shorthand values in the Listing Action column instead of the exact text from the template dropdown. The most common mistake:

• PartialUpdate instead of Edit (Partial Update)
• Create instead of Create or Replace (Full Update)
• full_update or partial_update (programmatic names that sometimes appear in third-party tools or scripts)

The fix

Use the exact dropdown text. The UK templates we work with offer three values:

Error 90041: missing required fields

This error reads: "We could not process your file due to missing required fields." On its own, it usually means exactly what it says. But if you see it paired with error 90057 on the same rows, it is a cascading failure, not a missing data problem. Fix the Listing Action value first, and 90041 will resolve with it.

When 90041 appears without 90057, check these common causes:

• Missing Product Type - required on every row, even partial updates. Amazon needs it to determine which attribute schema applies.
• Missing SKU - every row needs a SKU, no exceptions.
• Missing Listing Action - blank Listing Action column fails the row.

Error 8541: listing data does not match Amazon catalogue

The message: "The data you submitted conflicts with what is already in the Amazon catalogue." This fires when you provide a value for a locked attribute that differs from what Amazon already has on file.

Common triggers

• Brand name mismatch- you submitted "Northgate" but Amazon's catalogue has "Northgate Footwear." Amazon locks the brand field once a product is catalogued, and any flat file value that does not match exactly will fail.
• Colour mismatch- you submitted "Beige" or "Honey" but the catalogue says "Yellow." Colour Map and Colour are both validated against catalogue data.

The fix

Pull a fresh Category Listings Report to see what Amazon currently has for each attribute, then match your flat file values to the catalogue exactly. Do not assume your source data is correct. Amazon's catalogue is the authority, and your flat file needs to match it, not the other way around.

Missing SKUs in processing summaries

If your processing summary shows fewer SKUs than you uploaded (for example, 67 processed out of 68 in your file), the missing SKU was not rejected. It was never received. This typically happens during tab-delimited export or when a row is silently dropped due to file corruption, character encoding issues, or a stray delimiter in a data field.

How to catch it

1. Count the SKUs in your source file before uploading.
2. Compare that count to the "Number of SKUs processed" in the summary.
3. If the numbers do not match, list all SKUs from both files and diff them to identify the missing ones.
4. Resubmit any missing SKUs in a standalone file.

Pre-upload checklist

Run these checks before every flat file upload. They catch the errors above before Amazon does.

1. Fulfilment Channel Code - every FBA row must say exactly Fulfilment by Amazon (EU). Flag any row with AMAZON_EU, AMAZON_NA, or any RAFN code.
2. Quantity column - must be blank on every FBA row. Any value converts the listing to FBM.
3. Listing Action - must be one of the three exact dropdown values. No shorthand.
4. Product Type - required on every row, even partial updates.
5. Brand name - must match the Amazon catalogue exactly. Pull a fresh CLR if unsure.
6. SKU count - count your rows before upload so you can verify against the processing summary.
7. Example row removed - most Amazon templates include a sample row (SKU: ABC123). Delete it before uploading or it will attempt to create a listing.