It is not a secret that Amazon has particularly strict requirements for sellers to prevent any illegal activities and protect themselves from unfair sellers. For official sellers who trade with products from other manufacturers or their own manufactured products, this presents a significant security advantage but also a headache. The headache refers to the need to provide all the necessary documents without errors and prove their integrity. To avoid or at least minimize this headache, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the required documents by Amazon and prepare them in advance.
Providing payment information
In the previous article, we discussed how to start selling on Amazon and create an Amazon Seller Central account, as well as the role of an individual or company representative on Amazon (you can read it here: digitalfrks.com/time-to-expand-your-business-which-e-commerce-channels-to-utilize/). Therefore, it is clear that Amazon may require both company and individual documents.
Certainly, Amazon wants to ensure that they can collect payments, so when registering, it is necessary to provide a credit card (not necessarily in the name of the company, it can be a personal credit card). Later, the card can be changed to a debit card, but the initial payment must be made from a credit card.
You will also need to provide a bank statement for your company’s bank account, which should not be linked to the mentioned credit card. However, it is important that the statement shows the company’s name and address matching the ones provided during registration and on other company documents. This is one of the key requirements at every step – the information must match 100 percent everywhere. It is important to understand that Amazon verifies the information automatically, so even minor discrepancies can become critical errors that prevent you from successfully completing the registration process.
In rare occasions, Amazon may request a personal bank statement. In that case, you should provide the bank statement of the credit card attached to your Amazon Seller Central account.
Lastly, you will need to provide a bank account where you will receive payments for the sold items.
Company and personal documents
When registering a company on the Amazon platform, you will need to provide company registration documents in English. If the Register Centre provides this document in English, it is suitable. However, if additional documents are required and you don’t have them in English, you should have them translated by a translation agency as official translations must bear the seal of the translation agency. In that case, you should provide both the original document and the translation into English to Amazon.
In general, every document must be in English, including the previously mentioned bank statement. Therefore, before generating the statement, don’t forget to change the language setting of your bank account to English.
It will also be necessary to provide a personal document. Please use your passport – a high-quality scanned or photographed version. It is important that the information is clearly legible, your signature is visible, and the copy is scanned in colour.
What is the world is „Utility Bill“?
If most of the document requirements are clear, the term “Utility Bill” can often be confusing.
A “Utility Bill” refers to a monthly invoice for utility services, issued by a government, not a private company. It can be a bill for water, electricity, gas, heating, and similar services. The bill must display the company name or the individual’s name and address, which should match the address provided during registration. This is a security measure by Amazon to ensure that the company is genuinely operating at the specified address.
It is important to learn a fundamental lesson when it comes to trading on the Amazon platform – the information in all documents must be accurate, legitimate, and consistent across all documents. Additionally, it must be provided in English. By adhering to these requirements, the creation and verification of a seller account on Amazon will proceed smoothly and without significant stress.
If the registration process for an Amazon Seller Central account appears intimidating to you, we recommend reaching out to us, DIGITAL FREAKS – the Amazon specialists. We are well-versed in these processes, have a comprehensive understanding of Amazon’s rules and requirements, and are ready to assist you.