Amazon US Seller Account Guide: Registration Steps, Costs, and Compliance Hazards

This article is a summary of a post originally published at - ave7LIFT
By ave7LIFT

If you think opening an Amazon Seller Account in the US is “fill the form, upload ID, done,” you’re operating with last-decade assumptions. The original article explains why registration is now a compliance filter—and why sellers get deactivated before their first ASIN goes live. Amazon’s systems don’t weigh your intent; they weigh data certainty. One “small” mismatch (middle initials, address abbreviations, document clarity, payment method) can look like identity fraud to a bot.
As we discussed in more detail on ave7LIFT, the real rule is Exact Match: what you type into Seller Central must match what your documents show—character-for-character.

Your “don’t-get-flagged” preflight stack
Before you touch the registration page, assemble a clean document chain:

• Government ID (color, unexpired, legible; name matches exactly)

• Bank/credit card statement (official PDF; avoid screenshots)

• Chargeable credit card (prepaid/virtual cards are frequent instant-risk signals)

• Tax identity (SSN for many US individuals, EIN for many businesses; ITIN/local tax ID for some non-US sellers)

• 2FA-ready phone (stable number you control)

Behavior traps that trigger fraud scoring (even with “correct” documents)
Many applications die because the setup process looks unstable:

• VPNs or masked IPs (location mismatch signals)

• Multiple failed attempts and rapid retries

• Re-uploading edited/cropped/renamed files repeatedly

• Switching devices, browsers, networks, or physical locations mid-setup

• Using a VA/shared device (account-linking risk)

The two verification gates that most sellers underestimate

• Video identity verification: often requires presenting documents live and proving authenticity (not just uploading scans).

• Postcard address verification: the OTP arrives physically—guessing codes can escalate restrictions. The safest move is waiting for delivery and entering the code once, correctly.

Account structure decisions that reduce future pain
The article highlights strategic setup choices that prevent later headaches:

• Separating business vs personal logins (don’t merge buyer history with seller operations).

• Choosing the right plan (Individual vs Professional) with awareness that upgrades/changes can trigger re-checks.

• Handling North America unified selling carefully (cross-border settings can create pricing/fee surprises).

• Planning for compliance milestones like insurance requirements once sales volume grows.

About ave7LIFT
ave7LIFT helps Amazon sellers protect their Presence (searchable, clickable, buyable) by monitoring risk signals, catching verification mismatches early, and guiding compliant actions when Amazon’s notices are vague. You can find more of their work at https://ave7LIFT.
You’ve just seen the highlights. For the complete guide and in-depth analysis, read the full article on ave7LIFT.