Hoe to Resolve a Rejection, Suspension, or Request | Issues Starting an Amazon Seller Account

Whether you’ve not yet applied for an Amazon Seller Account, or, if you’ve applied and been rejected or suspended, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to cover the topic of issues starting an Amazon Seller Account. 

To begin, during the application process for an Amazon Seller Central Account, you may encounter two things. Either a request for further documentation or a suspension or rejection of your application. This happens quite often! If this happens or has happened to you, try not to panic. Approximately 50% of all new Amazon sellers applying for an account face these issues. The format of your documentation, a submission of any incomplete information, or the newness of your company or business could be the reason why Amazon issued a request, rejection, or suspension. Sometimes an individual seller wants to upgrade to a professional seller account and then that gives Amazon reason to review your application with more scrutiny. 

Amazon’s Application Process | Utility Bills, Business License, Active Listing Information…

The way Amazon processes your application information when starting an Amazon Seller Account has everything to do with the issues you might encounter. The rejection, suspension, or request for documentation does not mean you did anything wrong! Much of the application process is automated on Amazon’s end. Understanding that Amazon Seller Accounts are handled in an automated way will help you achieve success when applying. 

Many sellers will receive an email from Amazon asking for several forms of documentation. That includes a utility bill with your name and address visibly printed on it, a business license, and/or for those with active listings – invoices, receipts, and delivery orders. 

The utility bill is frequently requested and may confuse some sellers. For businesses, the document ought to state the business name and address, and for individuals, the document should have your name and address. The utility type can be gas, water/sewer, cable/internet, electricity, waste, or a landline phone. Amazon doesn’t accept a cell phone bill as a utility bill. The utility bill also has to be within 90 days old. For the business license, if you have one, submit that to Amazon. Regarding active listing documentation, this only applies to those who’ve already registered their account. If you’re new to selling on Amazon, you wouldn’t need to send this documentation in. 

Your Documentation Needs to Match!

We want to make it clear that all the information and documentation you submit to Amazon has to match. That means the credit card, bank account, business name/address, phone number, utility bill, etc all have to pertain to the same entity – whether a business or individual. 

The issue(s) that Amazon is finding could exist within your registration information. Know that the name of your bank, the logo of the bank, and the bank’s address have to be on your bank statement. Your bank account holder name needs to be the same as what’s on the Amazon Seller Account. And, the bank statement has to be no older than 90 days. Amazon is accepting of the majority of big banks around the world, but doesn’t accept every single bank, especially smaller ones. If that applies to you, you can use Wise or a similar international business account to link your account with Amazon. 

Amazon Seller Accounts & Credit Cards

For credit cards, you’ll need to have an internationally chargeable card on your Amazon Seller Account. That means, a credit card that will be accepted nearly anywhere across the globe. The card needs to have a legitimate billing address in one of the countries that Amazon approves of selling from. Just search for the countries accepted for seller registration on Amazon and check if your country is included. You’ll want to avoid using credit cards that have a minimum charge amount. If Amazon charges your card and is denied because it doesn’t meet that minimum, Amazon can suspend your account.

And, what about debit cards? Amazon doesn’t usually accept debit cards for those starting an Amazon Seller Account. Prepaid credit cards, checks, gift certificates, PayPal or the like – also not accepted! 

Be Patient Once You’ve Submitted the Documents

Once you’ve submitted all the requested documentation, Amazon may take up to 30 days to reply back to you. Patience is crucial! Do your best to avoid spamming Amazon within the waiting period with emails. That will not help your case and can lead to further delays! 

Sometimes, Amazon will still not approve applicants for an Amazon Seller Account, even after the requested documentation was provided. If this happens, you’ll get an email from Amazon that says they reviewed the documentation, but determined you still can’t sell on Amazon. Don’t worry because this is not final! Thankfully, this determination is temporary and you may still reply/appeal and get approval. In many cases, prospective sellers submit all the information they need to, but are missing a miniscule detail that is leading to a red flag on their account. 

Issues With the Format of Your Documents

The format of the documents you submitted to Amazon may be the issue! Amazon doesn’t accept screenshots, bank passbooks (except if in India or Japan), and incomplete or edited documents, and Word, Excel, and ZIP files. When submitting identification, send the ID as a color scan, include both sides (if applicable), and as one file. Beware of clipped edges! Amazon doesn’t accept documents that have clipped edges. Amazon prefers documents that are in PDF or PNG format, unless they specifically request a different format. The language of the documents also matters. Amazon has a list of approved languages, which pertains to the documents you’ll need to submit. Be sure the language of your documents is approved before sending them in! 

Don’t Make a Second Account | Resolve Your Existing Amazon Seller Account

Anyone who makes a second Amazon Seller Account is making a mistake! Lots of folks get a suspension from one account and decide to make another. That’s not the wisest move! Amazon has to issue written permission for anyone to open a second account. Amazon will go ahead and link these accounts – meaning you’ll then have to get both accounts unsuspended. If you have an older account that’s been dormant, address any issues with that one before trying to make a second account. 

These are some of the common issues faced when starting an Amazon Seller Account. As an individual or business, selling on Amazon comes with its fair share of challenges. Are you dealing with an issue selling on Amazon that you’re not sure how to resolve? Contact our team at Stockman & Poropat, PLLC today for a free consultation!

Up next we will be discussing how to create an Amazon Plan of Action.