How to Create an Amazon Seller Account in 2026

ByGulfam Haidar

Amazon seller account creation needs a photo ID, a bank account, a credit card that accepts charges from abroad, and your tax details. You also need a bank or card statement from the last 180 days that shows your address. Sign up takes a few hours. Amazon says the ID check usually takes three business days or less. Most rejections come from details that do not match.

Key facts

  • There is no sign-up fee. The Professional plan costs $39.99 a month, and the Individual plan costs $0.99 per item sold (Amazon pricing, checked 22 September 2026).
  • Your proof of address must be dated within the last 180 days (Amazon registration guide).
  • The video verification call lasts about 20 minutes (Amazon identity verification guide).
  • After a rejection, that guide gives you 30 days to resubmit.
  • The INFORM Consumers Act took effect on 27 June 2023. Sellers with $20,000 or more in yearly revenue must have their name and address shown to buyers (FTC).

This page covers the sign-up itself. If you still need to pick products, start with our guide on how to sell on Amazon. Then come back here.

What documents do you need for an Amazon seller account?

You need a photo ID, a recent statement, a credit card, a bank account and tax details. A company also needs its registration papers. The hard part is the match: every name and address must be the same on every document.

Amazon checks your papers against each other and against what you typed. One stray middle initial can stop the whole review. In the accounts we set up, we lay every document side by side before we open the form.

Document Amazon’s rule Common mistake
Government photo ID (passport or driver’s license) Original, not expired, name exactly as you type it ID expires next month, or the name has a middle name you left off the form
Bank or credit card statement Dated within the last 180 days, shows your name and home address Using a 7-month-old statement, or a screenshot of the app instead of the full page
Credit card Must accept international charges Using a prepaid or debit card that declines Amazon’s test charge
Bank account Account and routing number in your name or your company’s name Using a spouse’s or partner’s account
Tax information SSN or EIN, entered in the tax interview Typing an EIN that the IRS records under a different business name
Business registration (companies only) Legal name and address match the account Registered agent’s address used instead of the business address
Email and phone One you control long term Using a VA’s email that you lose access to later

Scan every page in full color. Amazon’s guide accepts PNG, JPG, PDF and TIFF files and asks for full pages, not crops.

Should you register as an individual or a business?

You can register without a company. Amazon’s form has a “None, I am an individual” option for people who have not formed a business. You then use your Social Security number (SSN) for tax details.

An EIN is a tax number the IRS gives to businesses. The IRS issues EINs free online. A sole owner can get one without forming an LLC, which keeps the SSN off supplier forms.

An LLC is a simple company that keeps business debts apart from your personal assets. It makes sense in three cases:

  • You plan to sell products where a buyer injury claim is possible, such as supplements or kids’ items. Ask a lawyer about your state’s rules.
  • Your trademark sits in a company’s name. We keep the seller account under the same legal name, so the Amazon Brand Registry application has no mismatch to explain.
  • You want to hide your home address from buyers once the INFORM rule applies (more on that below).

Decide before you register. Changing the legal entity later means a new round of verification, and that costs time.

Individual or Professional plan: which should you pick?

Pick Professional if you expect to sell more than about 40 items a month. Below that, Individual is cheaper.

Here is the math. Individual charges $0.99 per item sold, and 40 items times $0.99 equals $39.60. Professional costs a flat $39.99 a month. So the two plans cost about the same at 40 sales, and Professional wins above that. Both plans also pay referral fees on each sale. Our Amazon seller fees guide breaks down every fee.

The 5 steps of Amazon seller account creation

Once your papers match, the form itself takes a few hours. Amazon splits it into five steps. Keep one browser tab open and turn off any VPN. A sudden change of location can trigger extra checks.

Step 1: Business information

Choose your business location and type. Pick “None, I am an individual” if you have no company. Then enter your legal name exactly as it reads on your ID.

Step 2: Seller information

Enter your citizenship, date of birth, home address and ID details. Type the ID number and expiry date by hand, and check each digit twice.

Step 3: Billing

Add your bank account for payouts and your credit card for fees. Amazon places a small test charge on the card. If your bank blocks it as fraud, call the bank and approve it before you retry.

Step 4: Store and product information

Enter a store name, and say whether you have UPCs (the barcodes on retail products) and whether you own a brand. You can rename the store later, so do not stall here.

Step 5: Identity verification

Upload your ID and your statement. Then Amazon asks for one of two things. You either take a photo of your face holding your ID, or you join or book a video call.

Some sellers report a postcard or code sent to their address as an extra check. Amazon’s public guide does not list it, so treat it as possible, not certain.

What happens on the verification video call?

The call is short. Amazon’s guide puts it at about 20 minutes. An Amazon agent checks that the person, the ID and the statement all belong together.

Set up before you join:

  • Device: a phone, laptop or tablet with a front camera.
  • Browser: Chrome or Safari, up to date.
  • Papers on the desk: your original ID and the original statement from the last 180 days. Printouts of photos do not count.
  • Room: good light on your face, a quiet space, no VPN running.

The call usually runs in this order, based on the calls we have sat in on:

  1. The agent confirms your name and asks you to turn on your camera.
  2. You hold your ID next to your face, then close to the camera.
  3. You show the statement so the name and address are readable.
  4. The agent may ask basic questions, such as what you plan to sell.

Answer plainly. If a document fails on the call, the agent usually tells you why, and you can fix it and resubmit.

Why does Amazon seller verification get rejected?

Most rejections come from a mismatch or a bad scan, not from anything about you as a seller. Fix the exact cause, then resubmit within 30 days.

Rejection reason Fix
Name differs across ID, statement, card or form Edit the form to match the ID, or get a statement in the ID’s full name
Statement older than 180 days Download a new monthly statement and upload the full PDF
Cropped, blurry or black-and-white scan Rescan all pages in color, with all four edges showing
App screenshot used as a statement Use the official statement PDF, not a transaction list
Expired or soon-to-expire ID Renew the ID first, or use a valid passport
PO box or mail forwarding address Use your home address, which must match the statement
Card declined on the test charge Call the bank to allow the charge, or switch to a card that accepts foreign charges
VPN or location change during sign up Turn off the VPN and use your normal home connection

The 30-day window comes from Amazon’s verification guide. If you miss it, you may need to open a support case to restart the review. Do not start a fresh sign up with a new email, for the reason in the section on second accounts.

The INFORM Consumers Act: what will Amazon show buyers about you?

The INFORM Consumers Act is a US law that makes marketplaces collect and check seller details. It took effect on 27 June 2023, according to the FTC.

The law uses two thresholds:

  • High-volume seller: 200 or more sales and $5,000 or more in revenue, in any 12 months within the last 24. Amazon must collect your bank details, tax ID and contact information, and confirm them every year.
  • $20,000 or more a year: your name, physical address and contact details must be shown to buyers.

Here is a worked example. You sell 260 units at $22 each in your first year. That is $5,720 in revenue, so you count as high-volume. You are still below $20,000, so buyers do not see your address yet. At about 910 units a year at $22, you pass $20,000 and disclosure applies.

For a sole proprietor, the address on file is often a home address. That home address may then be shown to buyers. A business address, such as a company office, avoids this. A PO box will not pass Amazon’s own address check, so plan the address before you grow.

The FTC says the marketplace must suspend a seller who does not respond within 10 days of a notice. When Amazon asks you to confirm your details, do it the same day.

Can you open a US seller account from outside the US?

Yes. Amazon lets sellers from many countries register for the US store. The rules on documents, banks and taxes depend on your country. Read Amazon’s guide for your location first.

A few points hold true everywhere:

  • Use your real passport or national ID, and a statement at the address where you live.
  • Do not borrow a US friend’s address, bank account or card. The match rules still apply, and borrowed details fail them.
  • In the tax interview, non-US people usually fill in a W-8BEN form instead of a US form. Confirm this with a tax adviser in your country.
  • Check that your payout bank can receive Amazon deposits before you finish Step 3.

Do not form a US LLC only to make sign up easier. It adds US tax filings, and verification still checks the person who owns it.

Why does opening a second account make things worse?

A second sign up almost never fixes a stuck first one. Amazon links accounts by shared details such as names, bank accounts, cards, addresses and devices.

Agencies and sellers widely report a one-account rule. Amazon allows a second account only when it approves a clear business need. We could not confirm the current wording on a public Amazon page, so check Seller Central Help before you act. In the cases we have seen, a linked second account can pull the first one into review as well.

The safer path is to fix the first application and resubmit.

Where this advice could be wrong

Amazon changes the sign up flow without notice, and the screens differ by country. The video call details above come from Amazon’s guide for Australia. We use it as a close match for the US flow. If your screen asks for something this page does not cover, follow the screen.

After approval: your first 7 days

Approval opens Seller Central, but it does not make you ready to sell. Use the first week to set the account up so it stays healthy.

Day Task Why it matters
1 Finish the tax interview and turn on two-step sign in Payouts stay on hold until tax details are complete
2 Set shipping templates or plan FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) Wrong delivery times hurt your account health
3 Build your first listings Titles and images drive clicks from day one
4 Apply for Brand Registry if you hold a trademark Unlocks A+ Content and brand protection tools
5 Check the Account Health dashboard Catch any early warnings while they are small
6 Set notification emails to an inbox you watch Amazon’s policy notices have short deadlines
7 Send or ship your first order Start sales history for the INFORM count and reviews

For Day 3, our guide on Amazon listing creation covers titles, bullets and images. For Day 4, see the Brand Registry guide.

Our Amazon account management service can take over setup and daily running. It starts with a free audit.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need for an Amazon seller account?

You need a government photo ID and a bank or card statement from the last 180 days. Add a credit card that takes international charges, a bank account and tax details. Companies add registration papers. Every name and address must match across all of them, or the review stalls.

Can I sell on Amazon without an LLC?

Yes. Choose “None, I am an individual” during sign up and use your SSN. Many sellers start this way. An LLC helps later for liability protection, or to show buyers a business address instead of your home. It also helps when a company holds your trademark.

Do I need an EIN, or can I use my SSN?

You can use your SSN. An EIN is optional for a sole owner, and the IRS issues one free online. Many sellers get an EIN so their SSN stays off supplier and tax forms. The name tied to the EIN must match the account’s legal name.

How long does Amazon seller verification take?

Amazon says verification usually takes three business days or less. The form itself takes a few hours. Most delays come from rejected documents. Matching names, a fresh statement and full color scans get you through fastest.

What happens on the verification video call?

An Amazon agent checks your face, your original ID and your original statement in about 20 minutes. You need a front camera and Chrome or Safari. Hold each document close to the camera so the name and address are easy to read.

Why was my Amazon verification rejected?

The usual cause is a name mismatch or a statement older than 180 days. Cropped or black-and-white scans, an expired ID and a declined card come next. Fix the exact issue Amazon names, then resubmit within the 30-day window its guide gives you.

Can I use a prepaid or virtual card?

Amazon asks for a credit card that accepts international charges. In our experience, prepaid cards often fail the test charge. Use a standard credit card in your name or your company’s name. Warn your bank so it does not block the charge.

Can I have two Amazon seller accounts?

Only with Amazon’s approval for a real business need. That rule is widely reported, so confirm it in Seller Central Help. A second account opened to get around a rejection can link to the first. Then both are at risk.

How much does an Amazon seller account cost?

Registration is free. The Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold, and the Professional plan costs $39.99 a month. Professional pays off above about 40 sales a month. Referral fees and fulfillment fees apply on top of either plan.

What is the INFORM Consumers Act?

It is a US law in force since June 2023. Marketplaces must collect and verify details from sellers with 200 or more sales and $5,000 or more in revenue. At $20,000 or more a year, buyers see your name, address and contact details.

Can non-US residents open a US seller account?

Yes. Amazon accepts sellers from many countries for the US store. You use your own passport or national ID and a statement from your real address. Non-US people usually complete a W-8BEN tax form. Check the country rules before you start.

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