FedEx damage claim photos: requirements, deadlines and missing contents

FedEx's claims process looks similar to every other carrier's, with two differences that cost sellers money: the deadline runs from the day the parcel shipped, and since June the LTL side of FedEx has a separate claims process. This guide covers what FedEx asks for as of October 2026, how to handle missing-contents claims, and how to answer a denial. The rules for the other carriers are in the shipping damage claims hub.

What a FedEx claims reviewer is checking

A FedEx reviewer is checking three things: that the parcel is the one in the claim, that the damage or shortage happened in FedEx's network, and that the value claimed is real. The supporting documents FedEx lists map onto those three questions.

• Identity: the tracking number, your FedEx airbill or Ship Manager printout, and serial numbers of the damaged or lost merchandise.
• Where it happened: photos of the package and the damaged contents, or an inspection report with images of the packaging and contents.
• Value: the vendor's original invoice, your retail invoice or receipt, the online order confirmation with proof of payment, a repair invoice or statement of non-repair, or an appraisal.

The packaging question sits inside the second point. FedEx's packing guidance says a box should leave room for two to three inches of cushioning on all six sides, and that boxes should be sealed with tape at least three inches wide using the H method. A reviewer who sees an item pressed against the carton wall in the recipient's photo will read the claim through that lens.

FedEx claim rules at a glance

All rules below come from FedEx's file a claim page, checked October 2026.

When FedEx asks for an inspection

FedEx says it will notify you if a claim requires an inspection, and that it will then ask for images of the shipment's packaging and damaged contents. For U.S. parcel shipments with a declared value above $100 and below $1,000, you can run that inspection yourself and upload the report, using FedEx's inspection report form linked from the claims page.

A self-inspection is only as good as the packaging that survived. Photograph the box before opening it further, then the inner packaging in place, then the materials laid out beside the box, then the item. Put your own pack-out stills next to those photos in the same upload, so the reviewer sees the packing before and after transit side by side.

Missing contents: the claim where your packing record matters most

A FedEx missing-contents claim asks a narrower question than a damage claim: what was in the box when it left you? The carrier can show the parcel moved; it cannot show what you put in it.

That makes the evidence different. Photos of a broken item prove damage; for a shortage, the recipient can only photograph what is not there. The useful evidence is:

• The sealed state on arrival. Photos of the tape and seams. Intact original tape points away from theft in transit; re-taped or cut seams point toward it.
• What did arrive. The remaining items, the packing slip and the inner packaging, laid out.
• What went in. Your pack-out record showing each item placed in that carton, the order reference in frame, and the carton sealed. This is the one piece of evidence that speaks to the moment in question.

The same reasoning applies when a buyer reports an empty box rather than a missing unit; the response pattern is in customer says the box was empty. If the buyer instead says the wrong item arrived, the evidence shifts to item identity, covered in customer says the wrong item was sent.

FedEx Freight: LTL claims now run separately

FedEx's claims page says FedEx Freight became an independent less-than-truckload company on June 1, that LTL claims are now filed on FedEx Freight's page, and that FedEx's legacy online claims application has been retired. Parcel and air freight customers keep using FedEx Claims Online.

Freight claims follow different rules from parcel claims. Under 49 U.S.C. 14706(e), a U.S. motor carrier may not set a claim filing period shorter than nine months. Under 49 CFR 370.3, a written claim must identify the shipment, assert liability and claim a specified or determinable amount, and a damage notation or inspection report standing alone does not meet those minimums.

For the receiving side of LTL damage, delivery-receipt notes, OS&D records and photos at the dock, see documenting freight damage at warehouse receiving. For the shipping side, the pallet as it was loaded, see freight loadout photos.

Step by step: filing a FedEx damage or missing-contents claim

Follow these steps in order, starting the day the report comes in.

Labels bought on eBay

FedEx labels bought on eBay include up to $100 of liability coverage, and you can buy more, up to $1,000, for every service except Ground Economy. Ground Economy claims are different: eBay says only sellers can file, using FedEx's Ground Economy claim form, within 90 calendar days of when FedEx received the package, with reimbursement of the wholesale cost up to $100 plus shipping, paid by check (eBay shipping insurance).

Copy-ready templates for a FedEx claim

Adapt the bracketed parts. Keep each message factual and specific.

How PallasMark builds the FedEx claim file

PallasMark gives a FedEx claim the evidence a recipient's photos cannot: the parcel as it was before FedEx picked it up.

Packers scan the barcode on the label or picking slip, the order opens, and the recording is bound to it. They film each item going in, the cushioning on every side, and the carton being sealed and labeled, on any phone. Each file gets a SHA-256 fingerprint and there is no edit button, so the record a FedEx examiner sees is provably the record that was made. Read more about tamper-proof video.

When a claim comes in, generate the evidence PDF from the order: four stills per video, the photos, the order details, the carrier and tracking number read from your store, and the fingerprints. Upload it with the recipient's photos and your invoice. For pallets and outbound freight, the same capture works as a warehouse record tied to a shipment, pallet or lot, and can be shared with a carrier through a revocable link that shows only that record.

See the carrier and insurance claims use case for the full workflow. The free plan needs no card.

Compare the same claim at UPS and USPS, read why claims are denied for packaging, or go back to the shipping damage claims hub.