How to Create an Amazon Seller Account in 2026 (What Actually Matters)
If you’re an established product brand setting up an Amazon seller account for the first time, this process is a lot more fragile than it looks.
I talk to one or two brands every month who get completely stuck at this stage. Almost none of them are missing major requirements. The problem is usually small inconsistencies, misunderstood fields, or decisions that felt harmless at the time but caused Amazon’s system to flag the account.
The frustrating part is that once you submit the application incorrectly the first time, fixing it can take weeks or even months. Amazon doesn’t always tell you exactly what’s wrong, and retrying without understanding the real issue often creates more problems.
This guide walks through the entire Amazon seller account setup process from start to finish, based on what Amazon is actually requiring as we move into 2026. It’s written for real product brands — not side-hustle sellers — and focuses on doing this cleanly the first time.
What This Guide Covers
- What Amazon expects you to have before you apply
- How to create the login without getting blocked by phone number issues
- How to correctly fill out the seller application
- How the newer Business Relationship Document requirement works
- When you can use your business registration extract instead of a Letter of Authorization
- What happens during identity verification and how to avoid rejections
If you already tried signing up and ran into issues, this guide will also help you pinpoint where things likely went wrong.
Step 1: Get the Foundation Right Before You Touch Seller Central
Before Amazon looks at anything else, it wants to know who it’s actually dealing with. In 2026, that means a real, registered business entity with clean, consistent records.
You Need a Proper Business Entity
For most U.S.-based brands, this means an LLC or a corporation.
Signing up as an individual and “fixing it later” used to work. With the INFORM Act now in place, changing the legal entity after signup is risky and often slow — and in some cases can trigger account reviews or temporary shutdowns.
You should already have:
- A legally registered business with your state
- The exact legal business name as it appears on your registration
- A registered business address
- Your company registration number
- A recent business registration extract or other appropriate registration document
Everything else in the signup process traces back to this information.
Choose the Business Address Carefully
Amazon sometimes verifies addresses by sending a physical postcard that you must receive and confirm.
Because of that, I recommend using an address you actually have access to — your office or home if possible. Using a lawyer’s office, registered agent, or other third-party address can work, but only if you are absolutely sure you can reliably receive mail there.
Whatever address you choose must be consistent across:
- Entity registration
- Business bank account
- Business credit card
- Documents submitted to Amazon
Once Amazon starts comparing information, consistency matters more than explanations.
Step 2: Amazon’s Real Requirement Is Consistency
Amazon isn’t just checking whether documents exist. It’s checking whether everything lines up.
The system is constantly asking one simple question: Is this clearly the same real business and the same real person everywhere?
If the answer isn’t obvious, the account gets flagged.
Common Consistency Problems That Cause Rejections
- The business address on the entity doesn’t match the bank account
- The business name isn’t an exact match across documents — DBAs cause this a lot
- The personal ID address doesn’t match the proof of address submitted
- A bank account belongs to a parent company instead of the exact entity being registered
- The primary contact information does not match the identity documents
- The Business Relationship Document does not clearly connect the primary contact to the business
- A business registration extract is being used for the Business Relationship Document requirement even though it is too old or does not contain the primary contact information Amazon is asking for
None of these feel like major issues when you’re filling out forms. To Amazon’s system, they’re red flags.
The goal is not to convince Amazon after the fact. The goal is to remove anything that gives the system a reason to question the account in the first place.
Step 3: Business Registration Number (This Is Not Your EIN)
This is one of the most misunderstood fields in the entire signup process.
When Amazon asks for your business registration number, it is not asking for your EIN or sales tax ID.
It’s asking for the number your state — or country — assigned to your business entity when it was created.
Examples
- California: Entity Number / File Number
- Texas: File Number
- Florida: Document Number
- Utah: Registration Number
- Canada: Corporation Number or Business Number
- UK: Company Registration Number (CRN)
Amazon uses this number to verify that your business exists in official government records.
To find it, search “[your state or country] business entity lookup” and pull it directly from the government registry. Entering your EIN here is one of the fastest ways to trigger a rejection.
Pay Attention to the Registration Extract Too
The registration extract is the business document you provide to support this information.
This becomes especially important later because Amazon’s newer seller application includes a section called Business Relationship Document.
Amazon may ask whether the primary contact appears on the “business license.” In this part of the application, Amazon may use the term business license to refer to the business registration extract you provided earlier.
If that registration extract shows the primary contact’s name and address and was issued within the past 6 months, you may be able to use it again to satisfy the Business Relationship Document requirement.
If it doesn’t, you’ll generally need a separate Letter of Authorization. We’ll go through that in Step 5.
Step 4: Creating the Login (And Avoiding the Phone Number Issue)
Before you ever see the seller application, you need to create the Amazon login that the seller account will live under.
This is where a lot of brands get blocked immediately.
Why the Phone Number Error Happens
Amazon does not allow the same phone number to be used across multiple Amazon logins.
Most people already have their phone number tied to a personal Amazon customer account, so when they try to create a new login, Amazon returns the message that the phone number is already associated with another account.
Your Options (And the Tradeoffs)
- Use an existing Amazon customer account email: Works, but permanently links the seller account to the buyer account. This can cause issues with employee access or selling the business later.
- Use a landline: Amazon allows landlines using voice delivery. This works well if the number has never been used with Amazon.
- Google Voice: Sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. You can only change the number once per year.
- Temporary forwarding number (CallRail): The most reliable option. You can use it temporarily and later switch to an authenticator app so you never need the number again.
The key thing to understand is that you do not need a permanent new phone number — you just need one that works during login creation.
Step 5: Filling Out the Seller Application Correctly
Once logged in, go to sellercentral.amazon.com and start the application.
This is where brands most often enter correct information into the wrong fields.
Selecting the Primary Contact
The primary contact is the person Amazon will actually verify.
This should be an owner or very senior leader who is unlikely to leave the company.
They will need:
- A valid passport or driver’s license
- Proof of address under their name
Acceptable proof of address includes a personal bank statement, personal credit card statement, or utility bill. Ideally, the address matches what’s on the ID.
Keep track of exactly how you enter the primary contact’s full legal name. That information becomes important later when Amazon asks you to prove the person’s relationship with the company.
Business Relationship Document
Amazon has added a section to the seller application called Business Relationship Document.
This section causes a lot of confusion because sellers may be expecting Amazon to simply ask for a Letter of Authorization, which is how this part of the process was often described in the past.
The purpose is to prove that the primary contact is legitimately connected to the business being registered.
Amazon may ask:
“Is the primary contact name shown in the business license?”
In this part of the application, Amazon may use the term business license to refer to the business registration extract you uploaded earlier.
You’ll generally have two choices:
- Yes, it is in the business license.
- No, I will provide a separate business relationship document.
When to Choose “Yes”
Choose the option indicating that the primary contact is shown on the business license if the business registration extract already contains the information Amazon needs.
Based on the current application, check that the registration extract:
- Shows the primary contact’s name
- Shows the appropriate address
- Was issued within the past 6 months
- Shows the correct legal business name
- Matches the business information you entered into Seller Central
If the registration extract satisfies those requirements, you may be able to use it without uploading another Business Relationship Document.
This is important because you should not create an extra Letter of Authorization just because you assume Amazon always requires one.
When to Choose “No”
Choose “No, I will provide a separate business relationship document” if the registration extract does not show the required primary contact information or is more than 6 months old.
This is going to be common for established companies.
For example, if your LLC was formed five years ago, the original formation document might be completely legitimate but much older than Amazon’s current 180-day requirement for the Business Relationship Document.
In that case, you would generally provide a separate document.
The document Amazon currently provides for this route is a Letter of Authorization.
What Is the Letter of Authorization?
The Letter of Authorization is a company document confirming that the primary contact is authorized to create and manage the Amazon seller account on behalf of the business.
The letter should contain information that lines up with the seller application, including:
- Full legal business name
- Company registration number
- Registered business address
- Primary contact’s full legal name
- Primary contact’s email address
- Clear authorization language
- Signature from an appropriate legal representative or beneficial owner
The document should also be dated recently enough to meet Amazon’s current Business Relationship Document requirement.
If you need this document, use our Amazon Business Relationship Document and Letter of Authorization template.
Business Relationship Document Decision Table
| What Your Registration Extract Shows | What to Select | What to Submit |
|---|---|---|
| Primary contact name and address are shown, and the document was issued within the past 6 months | Yes, it is in the business license | Use the qualifying registration extract already provided |
| Primary contact is not shown | No, I will provide a separate business relationship document | Letter of Authorization |
| Primary contact is shown, but the registration extract is more than 6 months old | No, I will provide a separate business relationship document | Letter of Authorization, unless you have a newer qualifying registration extract |
| Name or address does not match the Seller Central application | Fix the underlying information before submitting | Do not submit mismatched documents and hope Amazon overlooks the difference |
Bank Account and Credit Card
Amazon allows debit cards, but I’ve seen many cases where debit cards cause verification loops later.
If possible:
- Use a business credit card
- Use a business bank account
- Make sure both are under the exact same business name and address
Statements must be official PDFs — screenshots are not accepted.
This is another place where consistency matters. If your legal company is Example Products LLC but the bank statement belongs to Example Holdings LLC, that can create a verification problem even if the same owner controls both companies.
Multiple Seller Account Risk
If you’ve ever had a seller account in the past, creating a new one without resolving the old one can cause both to get suspended.
Amazon allows multiple accounts only for legitimate business reasons. If Amazon’s system can connect a new account to a suspended one — through names, addresses, devices, or IPs — it will usually flag it.
Do the Signup on Your Own Computer
Amazon tracks device fingerprints, IP addresses, and location data.
Do not have an agency, freelancer, or friend who sells on Amazon sign up for you on their computer. Always do this on your own device.
Step 6: Identity Verification (Final Step Before Approval)
After submitting the application, Amazon immediately moves to identity verification using facial recognition.
What to Expect
- The primary contact must be present
- You must physically hold the ID to the webcam
- Amazon takes photos of the front and back of the ID
- For driver’s licenses, it will scan the barcode on the back
- You’ll also take photos of your face looking straight and to each side
This is harder than it sounds. People often block their own screen while holding the ID.
Tips:
- Rest your elbow on a desk to steady the ID
- Avoid glare
- Make sure all text is readable
- Retake photos if anything looks blurry
If Amazon rejects a photo, it will force you to redo it. That’s normal.
What Happens After Verification
Amazon usually reviews the account within 3–5 business days.
Monitor the email tied to the seller account and check Seller Central notifications.
If approval stalls, it’s usually due to small issues like mismatched addresses, incorrect dates, documents uploaded in the wrong section, or a Business Relationship Document that does not match the rest of the application.
If Amazon rejects the application, don’t immediately start changing random information and resubmitting.
Instead, go back through every field and document. Our Amazon seller account application rejection guide walks through that process section by section.
Seller Account Signup Checklist
Before you start the application, I’d have all of this ready:
- Exact legal business name
- Registered business address
- Correct company registration number — not the EIN
- Business registration extract
- Business bank account
- Official business bank statement
- Business credit card
- Primary contact’s government-issued ID
- Proof of the primary contact’s personal address
- A plan for the Business Relationship Document
- A Letter of Authorization if the registration extract does not qualify
- A phone number that can be used for the new Amazon login
And before submitting, compare everything one more time.
The exact legal business name should match across the application and business documents. The address should match. The registration number should match. The primary contact’s name should match the ID and relationship documentation.
Small inconsistencies are what create most of the headaches here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Business Relationship Document on Amazon?
It is documentation Amazon uses to verify the relationship between the primary contact on the seller account and the legal business being registered.
Depending on your registration extract, you may be able to use the business document you already uploaded. Otherwise, you’ll generally need a separate Letter of Authorization.
Is the Business Relationship Document the same as a Letter of Authorization?
Not exactly.
A Letter of Authorization is one type of Business Relationship Document. If your recent registration extract already shows the primary contact’s name and address and meets Amazon’s current requirements, you may not need a separate letter.
What does Amazon mean by “business license” during signup?
In the Business Relationship Document portion of the application, Amazon may use “business license” to refer to the business registration extract you uploaded earlier.
Check the actual registration document and determine whether it contains the primary contact information Amazon is asking for.
When should I choose “Yes, it is in the business license”?
Choose Yes when the business registration extract shows the primary contact’s name and appropriate address, was issued within the past 6 months, and matches the company information entered into Amazon.
When should I choose “No, I will provide a separate business relationship document”?
Choose No if the registration extract does not show the required primary contact information or is older than 6 months.
You can then provide the separate Business Relationship Document, which is normally a Letter of Authorization.
My LLC was formed several years ago. Can I use the original formation document as the Business Relationship Document?
The document may still be valid proof that the company exists, but that does not necessarily mean it meets Amazon’s Business Relationship Document requirement.
If Amazon requires that relationship document to have been issued within the past 180 days, an older formation document would not satisfy that requirement. In that situation, you would generally use a newer qualifying registration extract or a separate Letter of Authorization.
Is my EIN the same as my business registration number?
No.
Your EIN is a federal tax identification number. The company registration number Amazon asks for is generally the identifier assigned when the legal business was registered with the appropriate state or government authority.
Who should be the primary contact?
For an established brand, I prefer an owner or very senior leader who is unlikely to leave the company.
Amazon will verify this person’s identity, and their information becomes part of the seller account verification process.
What should I do if Amazon rejects the application?
Do not just correct the first thing Amazon mentions and immediately resubmit.
Review the entire application against the underlying documents, including the legal business name, address, registration number, bank information, primary contact identity documents, proof of personal address, and Business Relationship Document.
Amazon may identify one problem first even when several things need to be corrected.
Final Thoughts
This entire process is simple if everything is lined up correctly.
Most brands who struggle here didn’t do anything reckless — they just didn’t realize how strict Amazon’s system is about consistency.
The newer Business Relationship Document section is a good example. The wording makes it sound like you automatically need another document, but that is not always the case.
If the business registration extract already shows the primary contact’s name and address and was issued within the past 6 months, you may be able to use it and select that the contact appears on the business license.
If it does not, select the separate Business Relationship Document option and provide a properly completed Letter of Authorization.
Either way, the information needs to match everything else in the seller application.
If you slow down, prepare everything first, and enter information exactly where Amazon expects it, seller account setup is usually predictable and fast.
If you want a walkthrough, the video above covers this step-by-step. And if you’ve got a quick question about your situation, leave a comment on the video and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.
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