Announcement reposted from Amazon:
We understand that there is confusion and concern amongst some selling partners who have received banners and emails requesting verification for certain information related to their Selling on Amazon accounts. While we are still working to get answers to all questions and resolve any existing issues, we are sharing the information that is currently available and will provide answers to additional questions as soon as possible.
The banners and emails you may have received relate to a new US federal law, the INFORM Consumers Act, which takes effect on June 27, 2023. To learn more about the INFORM Consumers Act, go to About the INFORM Consumers Act.
Please review content below and use this thread as the main post for anything re-verification related.
Banners & Alerts
If you have already verified - If you received an email confirming that you passed verification, please note that this email is accurate. Since updates to your Account Health page can take up to 24 hours, we advise you to check your Account Health periodically. If the update still has not appeared after 24 hours, then please reach out to Seller Support to let us know. Also note that verification pass emails relate to a specific type of information, such as seller identity or bank account, so you may receive requests to verify additional information after receiving a specific verification pass email.
If you have not yet verified but saw a banner/alert - To comply with INFORM, Amazon needs to verify multiple pieces of information about your business: (1) identity, (2) bank account, (3) phone number; (4) business address; and (5) tax identification number. While we may have already verified some of your information during registration, we may need to collect additional information for verification.
Go to your Account Health page or your Account Information page to see which pieces of information Amazon has verified and which pieces are still outstanding. We recommend that you submit the requested information and documents as soon as you can to ensure your information can be verified before the law takes effect and avoid disruptions to your Selling on Amazon privileges.
FAQs
Who is covered by the INFORM Consumers Act?
The law covers third-party sellers online stores like Amazon.com who, in any continuous 12-month period during the previous 24 months, have sold 200 or more new or unused consumer products and have had $5,000 or more in gross revenues.
What information about my business is Amazon required to collect and verify under the INFORM Consumers Act?
Online stores, including Amazon, must collect and verify all of the following pieces of information:
- Identity: (a) For individual sellers, the name of the individual legally authorized to act on the sellers’ behalf. (b) For business sellers: the business name and name of a business point-of-contact
- Bank account information;
- A working business phone number;
- Business address;
- Tax identification number; and
- A working email address.
How will I know if I need to submit information for verification?
If there is any information that you are required to provide, we may have already or will email you with specific instructions. In addition, you can go to your Account Health page, Account Information page, and Seller Central for updates.
In most cases, if we have already completed verification for the required information, you won’t be required to resubmit this information, as long as this information hasn’t changed.
What will happen if I do not provide the information within the timelines Amazon requests?
If you do not provide the information, documents, or certifications requested by Amazon for verification by the dates requested, we may temporarily deactivate your selling account as required by the new law. We may also hold your disbursements as permitted by Section 3 of your Business Solutions Agreement.
Amazon already has verification processes. What is changing because of the INFORM Consumers Act?
To ensure a trusted store for both customers and sellers, Amazon already maintains and continues to innovate on our robust processes for collecting and verifying sellers’ business information during and after registration. While many of our processes are more sophisticated and effective than the basic requirements of the INFORM Consumers Act, this new law requires us to take certain additional steps to verify information related to high-volume sellers.
What else should I do to prepare?
We encourage you to visit your Account information page or Account Health page in Seller Central to see which pieces of information Amazon has verified and which pieces of information still need to be provided for verification. Please also confirm that your existing information in Seller Central is accurate.
What can I expect in the future?
We are continuing to improve our verification processes for all sellers to protect our store, so we may notify you that you are required to complete additional verification steps even if you are not currently covered by the INFORM Consumers Act. We may also contact you to complete verification when your information changes, and annually to certify that your information is current.
How does Amazon protect my information?
Amazon takes your data privacy and security very seriously. We employ strict security measures to protect your confidential information to avoid any unauthorized access. We handle your personal information in accordance with the Amazon.com Privacy Notice.
Where can I learn more about Amazon’s seller verification processes?
For more detailed information about our processes, go to Global seller identity verification. We have also updated the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement for consistency with the new law. To learn more about those changes, go to Changes to the Amazon Services Business Solutions.
The Account Health page says that I am at risk of account deactivation due to the INFORM Act even though I received a separate notification stating that I have passed verification. What is accurate?
If you received an email confirming that you passed verification for a specific piece of information, this email is accurate. Since updates to your Account Health page can take up to 24 hours, we advise you to check your Account Health periodically. If the update still has not appeared after 24 hours, then please reach out to Seller Support for assistance.
What if I haven’t received emails to verify my information?
If you haven’t received emails asking you to verify your account information, we may have already conducted all necessary verifications for your account. You can check your Account Health page to see what items are outstanding, if any. Items with a green check mark next to them have already been successfully verified.
We have to verify your identity first. Once your identity is verified, you may receive additional requests to provide information for verification.
Why am I being asked to verify my account information more than once?
To comply with the INFORM Consumers Act, Amazon needs to verify multiple pieces of information about your business: (1) identity, (2) bank account, (3) phone number; (4) email address; (5) business address; and (6) tax information. We have verified some of your information during registration, but we may need to collect additional information for verification.
Go to your Account Health page or your Account Information page to see which pieces of information Amazon has verified and which pieces are still outstanding.
Every year, we will ask you to electronically certify that these six pieces of information are still accurate. If any of your information changes, you will need to upload the new information to your seller account and that information will need to be verified by Amazon.
Who should I contact with questions?
For more information, contact Selling Partner Support.
