Amazon Air Cargo has introduced a money-back guarantee for shipments in the US and Puerto Rico as it expands its wholesale air freight service, reports American Shipper.

The guarantee, launched in October, refunds shipping fees up to US$10,000 per flight if cargo arrives more than two hours late due to service failure. The deal is valid for 12 months from the first shipment.

Amazon Air Cargo, which commercialised its wholesale service in September 2024, operates more than 100 freighters serving 65 destinations. The retailer has doubled its customer base in the past 15 months, with launch clients including Kuehne+Nagel and DHL Express.

The carrier has added daily flights between Miami and Bogota, extended service to the Dominican Republic, and partnered with South Korea's Air Premia to relay belly cargo via Honolulu to US hubs. It also moves perishables such as Maui Gold pineapples and US cherries to domestic and Asian markets.

Kres Nielsen, director of business development at Amazon Air Cargo, said the guarantee positions the network more like an integrator product, offering predictable delivery windows and financial accountability. He added that Amazon is integrating cloud-based supply chain solutions with AWS and exploring agentic AI to optimise logistics.

Industry executives noted guarantees are rare in traditional air cargo due to multiple handoffs. Brandon Fried of the Airforwarders Association said Amazon's move could pressure rivals in e-commerce and express shipping. John Costanzo of LDK Global Logistics said Amazon already offers strong value through excess capacity and scheduling without needing guarantees.

Shipments must be booked through Amazon's new digital Supply Chain console, which provides instant quotes, guaranteed space, real-time monitoring and unified support services. Nielsen said the system aims to remove friction from time-sensitive shipping.