How to create an Amazon seller account: registration requirements and identity verification, step by step

To create an Amazon seller account, you register in Amazon Seller Central, choose a selling plan, enter your business and tax details, add a card for fees and a bank account for payouts, and pass Amazon's identity verification, which may include a live video call. After Amazon reviews and approves the application, you can list products. What slows most people down is a mismatch between the details they type and the documents they upload.

This guide covers Amazon seller registration for Amazon.com (US) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). It is Shopiyz's independent guide, not an official Amazon document. Amazon changes its requirements over time and by marketplace, so always follow Seller Central and Amazon's official seller sites: sell.amazon.com and sell.amazon.co.uk.

What is an Amazon seller account?

An Amazon seller account is the account that lets a person or business sell on Amazon as a third-party seller. You manage it in Seller Central, Amazon's web dashboard for sellers, where you create listings, set prices, manage stock, handle orders and returns, and see payouts.

A seller account is separate from a shopping account. You can sign up with an existing Amazon login, but a dedicated business email keeps the seller account independent of a personal inbox. Either way, turn on two-step verification from day one; our guide to ecommerce fraud prevention explains why account takeover is a real risk.

In many regions, one registration can later be extended to other Amazon stores, such as Canada and Mexico from Amazon.com, or European stores from Amazon.co.uk, each with its own tax requirements. Get one marketplace approved first.

What do you need before you register as an Amazon seller?

Amazon seller registration requirements vary by marketplace and business type, but these items are typically requested in some form:

• Business details: legal name, business type, registration number where one exists, and registered address. Individuals use their own name and address.
• Tax information: the US tax interview details for Amazon.com, or your VAT number for Amazon.co.uk if you are VAT-registered.
• Government-issued photo ID: typically a passport or driving licence (driver's license in the US), valid and not expired.
• A statement, if asked: a recent bank or card statement showing your name and address.
• A chargeable card: a credit or debit card that accepts international charges, for selling fees.
• A bank account for disbursements: where Amazon pays out your sales, in a name that matches your registration.
• Contact details: an email you check daily and a phone you can answer for codes and calls.
• A store name: the display name buyers see.

Individual vs Professional: which Amazon selling plan should you choose?

The selling plan decides how Amazon charges you and which tools you get. Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk both offer Individual and Professional plans.

• The Individual plan charges a fee per item sold, with no subscription. It suits sellers testing Amazon at low volume.
• The Professional plan charges a recurring subscription instead. It typically adds bulk listing, reports, advertising and access for integration software.

Selling fees such as referral fees, and fulfilment fees if Amazon ships your orders, apply on top of either plan. Amazon publishes current prices on its seller site for each marketplace; check there, because fees change.

If you plan to connect Amazon to ecommerce software, the Professional plan is generally the one that allows it. You can usually switch plans later.

How do you create an Amazon seller account step by step?

Creating an Amazon seller account follows the same broad order on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, though the screens differ.

1. Start the signup on your marketplace's official seller site and sign in or create an Amazon login.
2. Choose your business location and type. Individuals and sole traders select the individual option where offered; companies select their legal form.
3. Enter business information exactly as it appears on your documents.
4. Enter the primary contact's details. This person verifies identity; their name, date of birth and address should match their ID.
5. Add the card for fees and the bank account for disbursements.
6. Complete tax information: the tax interview on Amazon.com, VAT details on Amazon.co.uk.
7. Describe your store: store name, and whether your products have barcodes or a brand you own.
8. Complete identity verification: upload your ID and any requested document, and join a video call if asked.
9. Wait for review and answer any requests in Seller Central.

How do business, tax and VAT details work in Amazon seller registration?

Amazon asks for business and tax details to confirm who you are and to meet its own reporting duties. What you enter depends on your marketplace and on whether you sell as an individual or a company.

Business vs individual registration

Where allowed, you can register as an individual (sole proprietor in the US, sole trader in the UK) or as a registered business. A business registration uses the company's legal details plus a named person, often a director or owner, who verifies identity. That person should have authority for the business; it should not be a staff member or an agency.

The US tax interview on Amazon.com

On Amazon.com, Amazon runs a tax interview: a guided questionnaire that collects the information for US tax forms. US persons typically provide a Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number; non-US sellers typically declare their foreign status. Answer according to your real tax situation and use the same name as elsewhere in the application.

UK VAT on Amazon.co.uk

On Amazon.co.uk, you are typically asked whether you are VAT-registered and, if so, for your VAT number. Whether you must register depends on your circumstances, including where your business is established and where your stock is held. Overseas sellers should take particular care, because their UK VAT rules differ.

How does Amazon seller identity verification work?

Amazon seller identity verification confirms that the person behind the account is real and matches the documents provided. It typically happens during registration, and Amazon decides which checks apply to each applicant.

Verification may include:

• Document upload: a clear photo or scan of your ID, sometimes with a recent statement.
• A live video call: a short scheduled call with an Amazon representative, where you show the original ID you uploaded. Not every applicant is asked.
• Phone or address checks: for example, a code sent to your phone.

For a video call, have the original documents in hand, sit somewhere quiet and well lit, test your camera and microphone, and join on time. The person on the call must be the named primary contact.

How long does Amazon seller account approval take?

Amazon does not publish a fixed approval time, and the review period varies. Some applications are reviewed quickly; others take longer because Amazon requests more documents or a video call.

An Amazon seller account is more likely to be approved without extra rounds when names and addresses match everywhere, documents are valid and readable, the primary contact is a real decision-maker, and you answer each request promptly with exactly what was asked. Check your email and Seller Central while you wait. Amazon may also run further checks later, such as when you change bank details.

Why do Amazon seller applications get delayed or rejected?

Amazon seller applications are most often delayed or rejected because information is mismatched, incomplete or unreadable.

• Mismatched names or addresses between your ID, bank account, statement and application.
• Expired documents: renew an expiring passport or licence first.
• Unreadable images: blur, glare or cropped corners. Photograph the whole document flat, in good light.
• The wrong contact person: an assistant or agency registers, but the documents belong to the owner.
• Special characters and transliteration: accents, apostrophes or names from another alphabet spelled differently across documents. Follow the spelling on your ID.
• Failed payment details: a card that blocks international charges, or a bank account in another name.
• Duplicate accounts: opening a second account while one is under review can cause serious problems. Fix the original application instead.

If an application is rejected, correct exactly what Amazon's message names and resubmit or appeal through the route shown in Seller Central.

What should you do after your Amazon seller account is approved?

After approval, set the Amazon seller account up properly before listing at scale.

1. Secure the account: two-step verification, and separate users with limited permissions instead of a shared login.
2. Check settings: shipping, returns and notifications.
3. List a few products first and handle the first orders carefully; product page essentials apply to listings too.
4. Watch account health in Seller Central: shipping times, cancellations and customer messages.
5. Connect your systems. Running Amazon and your own store from separate spreadsheets is how overselling starts; see marketplace stock sync and multichannel ecommerce software.

No store of your own yet? Read how to start an online store.

Hypothetical example: a UK candle maker registering on Amazon.co.uk

This is a hypothetical example; it does not describe a real business.

Imagine a sole trader in Leeds who sells candles from her own website and wants to add Amazon.co.uk. Before starting, she notices her bank statement says "Flat 2, 14 Mill Road" while she usually writes "14 Mill Road, Flat 2", so she uses the statement's wording everywhere.

She picks the Professional plan because she wants to connect Amazon to her store software later, selects the sole trader option, types her name exactly as on her passport and answers the VAT questions after checking with her accountant.

Amazon asks for a video call; she joins from a quiet room with her original passport. Amazon then requests a clearer copy of her statement because the first photo had glare. She rescans it flat, replies the same day, and the account is approved. Her first steps afterwards: two-step verification, then connecting her catalog so Amazon sales reduce her website stock automatically.

Selling on Amazon with Shopiyz

Shopiyz does not open, verify or approve Amazon seller accounts. You register directly with Amazon, and Amazon alone decides on your application. Shopiyz helps after approval by connecting Amazon to the rest of your business.

• 22 Amazon marketplaces through one integration, including the US and the UK. See marketplace integrations.
• Listings from one catalog, with a marketplace content score that flags missing information.
• Real-time stock sync across Amazon, other marketplaces and your own store.
• Central order management, with shipping and invoicing automated.
• Per-channel price rules, so Amazon prices can differ from your store's.
• AI content tools for titles and descriptions, plus image studio background removal for marketplace image standards. See AI commerce.
• 42+ marketplace integrations, including eBay, Etsy and Temu, when you are ready to grow.

Shopiyz has a free plan and charges no commission on sales. Compare plans and pricing, or contact us about connecting your new Amazon account.