When starting an online business, you may simply go through several ups and downs. You can experience great sales in one month, only to see a sharp decline the next. And you can find yourself suddenly swamped with customer complaints and other business issues.
Besides, research shows that there are 32.5 million small firms in the US, with 20% failing within the first year of opening.
Even though only 8% of Amazon sellers were not profitable at all in 2021, which may be a reason to cancel their accounts, the ranging competition on Amazon business poses lots of pressure and an active online presence of keep with your listings.
Even while you might start strong and make some early profits, you may quickly realize how much work and effort it takes on your part to keep up the same level of sales and earnings.
While you might think it’s challenging to deactivate your seller account, this article will walk you through a straightforward process on how to cancel Amazon seller account. Let’s get started!
Why Most Sellers Cancel Their Amazon Accounts?
Today, there are 310 million users on Amazon with 1.9 million active seller accounts. That is, 1.9 million users have at least one item listed for sale. Hence, it is a highly competitive marketplace and buyers will always buy from sellers they see fit.
With over 30 product categories on Amazon and over 25,000 sub-categories, chances are that whatever category you pick, thousands of sellers have already listed products available there.
Moreover, the major problem many sellers have is the difficulty to maintain a high spot when buyers are searching for products in their listings. Most sellers invest huge sums of money just to begin selling on Amazon and based on research, only about 63% of these sellers see profits within their first year of starting.
Sellers who are hoping to turn a quick profit can be discouraged to continue selling as they consider the initial investment, advertising, and Amazon fees.
So, if there’s little or no profit on every sale, buyers keep dropping negative reviews, or sellers want to take a long break from selling, they’ll cancel their accounts for good.
What Should You Consider Before Canceling Your Amazon Seller Account?
If you have decided to cancel your Amazon seller account, here are things to consider:
- Get rid of all subscriptions
You have to stop all Amazon subscriptions you’ve activated on your account, including Amazon FBA. Otherwise, you will still have to keep paying the Amazon monthly subscription fees even without your Amazon product listings since you have provided your bank account details.
- Complete all orders, deliveries, and transactions
To avoid negative reviews, especially when you wish to temporarily cancel your Amazon seller account, you have to check all orders and ensure all necessary products are delivered. Also, ensure you have a clear balance on your account, make every final payment, and settle every party involved in your business.
- Delete any account information you feel is sensitive
Delete any information you feel should be kept private only to you, ensuring no one can access it.
- Export and save your account data
You might want to keep a track record of your listings, sales, order history, reviews, or any other information. You can easily do this by exporting your data from the ‘Amazon seller central account management section.
Steps To Temporarily Cancel Amazon Seller Account
You can choose to temporarily cancel your Amazon seller account if you simply want to take a break or go on a vacation, and you want to use the same seller account once you start selling again.
If you want to temporarily close your account, downgrade from a professional account to an individual account in the ‘Your Services’ section page under ‘your account info settings’, and cancel all listings in the ‘Manage Inventory’ section under the ‘Inventory Tab’.
However, to temporarily close your Amazon seller account means you are leaving it unattended which may lead to massive negative reviews from buyers and can eventually result in a suspension or ban.
Also, Amazon does not deactivate your messaging if you temporarily cancel your account. So you may still receive messages from other users which you won’t have the chance to reply to once you are away.
It’s better to permanently cancel your account if you will be away for a long time and to also avoid damaging your reputation. Besides, you may not be able to make good profits if you wish to continue using a seller account you have abandoned for a long time.
Canceling your Seller Account
Now that you have decided to cancel your Amazon account, here are easy steps you can follow
- Open Amazon and login to your seller account
- Go to the ‘Settings’
- Select ‘Account info’ in the drop-down menu
- Click the ‘Close Account’ option
- Fill in your reason and other required spaces and hit ‘Send’ to request that Amazon to delete your seller account
- Confirm to close your account
Once you’ve followed these steps, Amazon will send you a confirmation email so you can know when the account will be canceled or what you need to do to finally cancel it. Meet the criteria and follow these steps again.
Amazon deactivates requested eligible accounts after 90 days from the last transaction and once it is done, you will not be able to recover it.
Thoughts on How to Cancel Amazon Seller Account
Even though it’s not common for Amazon sellers to cancel their accounts, it’s important to take a step back and rethink your business approach. And a great way to start afresh if you are feeling overwhelmed by the competitive nature of the Amazon marketplace.
It’s best for sellers who want to start a different type of business to deactivate their accounts on Amazon. And if they are ready to start selling online again, they can always open a new seller account.
Regardless of your reason to cancel your seller account, the step-by-step guide in this article will guide you through how you can easily do so, and why you should permanently cancel your account if you are going away for a long period.
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Frequently Asked Questions on How to Cancel an Amazon Seller Account
Here are some frequently asked questions on canceling an Amazon seller account:
How long does it take to close an Amazon seller account?
Closing an Amazon seller account usually takes about 24 to 48 hours once you’ve submitted your closure request. However, the process may take longer if there are pending orders, open cases, or remaining account balances that must first be settled.
Can I delete my Amazon seller account and open a new one?
Yes, you can close your existing Amazon seller account and later open a new one, but Amazon monitors duplicate accounts closely. You’ll need to use different business details, bank information, and email, and ensure your old account has been fully closed before reapplying.
How do I deactivate my Amazon business account?
To deactivate an Amazon Business account, sign in, go to Account Settings → Close Your Account, and follow the on-screen steps. Amazon may verify your identity and confirm that all orders, invoices, and subscriptions are complete before the deactivation is finalized.
How do I permanently close my Amazon account?
To permanently close your Amazon account, go to the Close Your Amazon Account page, sign in, and submit a closure request. Once confirmed, all your data, order history, and access to Amazon services linked to that account will be deleted permanently.
How do I terminate an Amazon seller account?
You can terminate your seller account by signing in to Seller Central → Account Info → Close Account. Ensure all transactions, payments, and A-to-Z claims are resolved first. After submission, Amazon reviews and confirms your request within a few business days.
Can I open a second Amazon seller account?
Yes, but only with Amazon’s approval. You must have a legitimate business reason, such as owning a separate brand or product line. Each account must use different bank details, tax information, and email addresses to comply with Amazon’s policy.
Why won’t Amazon let me close my account?
Amazon may block closure requests if you still have active listings, pending orders, open cases, or unsettled payments. You must resolve all account activities first. Once your balance is zero and all orders are complete, you can reapply to close the account.