Why Amazon rejects the documents, and how to get the case moving again
If you registered recently and the account already shows as “suspended“, in the large majority of cases this is not a penalty: it is identity verification that has not gone through yet.
It does not mean Amazon has singled you out or that you did something wrong. A temporary suspension is a normal stage for every seller during identity verification.
It can feel discouraging, but it is usually solvable with a handful of specific steps. One of the most frequent mistakes new sellers make is using a debit or prepaid card instead of a credit card in Seller Central.
Below are the reasons documents are rejected most often, and what to do when the verification team goes quiet.
On timings it helps to have the right picture: Amazon states that identity verification normally takes three working days or less, and that is what happens when the documents agree with each other. When something does not match and you enter the cycle of additional requests, cases stretch out a long way — months, in some cases. Silence is therefore not a refusal in itself: it usually means the case is still in the queue. What you can influence is not the time, it is the number of rounds.
Amazon seller identity verification: the most common problems
If you were suspended right after registering, these are the errors we see most and how to fix them:
- Documents other than the ones asked for. Amazon requests specific documents — a recent utility bill, for example — not property deeds or banking information. Send exactly what is requested.
- The name is not identical across the documents. Every document has to carry the full name matching in every detail. If the name changed, through marriage for instance, make sure the documents are updated accordingly.
- The address is written two different ways. Even small differences — ‘North’ against ‘N’, or a postcode that does not match — cause problems. Keep the address identical across all documents.
- Missing pages or sides. When you submit documents, always include both sides of every page.
- Utility bills in someone else’s name. The bills have to be in your name. Documents in another person’s name are not accepted.
- The wrong file format. Amazon does not accept .docx. Send documents as .pdf, .png, .jpg or .gif, and make sure the files are legible and unaltered.
- A card that is not accepted. Use a credit card that supports international charges and that Amazon can verify. Debit and prepaid cards may not be accepted to activate a seller account.
If your company is not established in the EU
This is where most of the cases we handle start. The paperwork proving a company exists looks different in every country, and the checks are run against European expectations: a registered address that can actually be verified, a legal representative who matches the identity documents, and a bank account in the company’s name.
Three things cause most of the rejections in this situation:
- Untranslated documents. If the original is not in the marketplace’s language, an official translation is usually required — and a machine translation is not one.
- An address of convenience. A registered office at an agent’s address, with no utility bill in the company’s name behind it, rarely survives the check.
- A bank account in a different name. The account has to belong to the company on the registration, not to a director personally and not to a related entity.
None of this makes verification impossible from outside the EU. It makes the preparation stage the part that decides how long it takes.
To avoid delays, follow Amazon’s own seller identity verification help page closely.
Even a minor inconsistency or omission causes delay. If you are not sure your documents are valid, take the time to review them properly before submitting them again — every rejected round adds weeks.
Has verification turned into an account block? See the Amazon account reinstatement service, or get in touch.
Suspensions, performance, compliance: talk it through with someone who does it daily. The 30-minute call is free.
