Sales Dashboards vs. Profit & Loss: What's the Difference?

Overview

SellerLegend users often notice discrepancies between their Sales Dashboard and Profit & Loss (P&L) reports. This is expected because each addresses different business questions: "What was ordered?" versus "What was paid out?"

Core Distinctions

Sales Dashboard tracks order activity based on when customers purchase, showing total revenue from pending and shipped orders plus estimated PPC costs. It excludes non-sales expenses like storage fees.

P&L Report focuses on actual financial settlement, reflecting when Amazon releases payments. It includes settled orders, all fee types, final PPC charges, and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Why Numbers Differ

Timing Misalignment

The Dashboard uses order dates while the P&L uses settlement dates. An order placed July 5 appears immediately on the Dashboard but typically surfaces in the P&L around July 14, following Amazon's processing timeline.

Order Set Variations

The Dashboard captures all July orders; the P&L shows only those Amazon settled during July -- potentially including June orders while excluding late-July ones.

PPC Reporting

Daily estimates appear on the Dashboard, while the P&L shows final billed amounts. Refunds are assigned to original sale dates in the Dashboard but logged by processing date in the P&L.

Amazon's DD+7 Policy

Amazon delays fund releases for seven days after delivery. Since the Finances API only exposes released transactions, SellerLegend cannot display deferred orders until funds clear.

Practical Application

Use the Sales Dashboard to monitor sales trends and volume. Consult the P&L for accurate profitability analysis and to track non-sales costs like storage and inbound shipping fees. Both reports are essential -- just for different purposes.