Amazon sellers struggling with account rejection often find themselves unable to get a utility bill for verification. If you are a non-US citizen or live in a different area than where your LLC is registered, getting a phone or water bill isn’t a simple feat. Luckily, this guide will show you how to avoid roadblocks, get a utility bill for your Amazon Seller Central Account, and verify your account quickly, step-by-step. Let’s jump in!
The Basics: Utility Bills For Your Amazon Seller Central Account
Anyone that registers for a seller central account is required to provide a utility bill with their business name/personal name and address visible. For sellers with an LLC, this bill needs to contain the same name and address of the business. Amazon requires utility bills to verify a seller’s identity and ensure no fraudulent activity on its platform. The type of utility bills that Amazon accepts includes:
- Gas
- Water/sewer
- Electricity
- Waste
- TV
- Internet
- Landline phone
It’s important to note that Amazon does not accept mobile phone bills, and all statements must be within the last 90 days!
If you live at or own your business address, getting a utility bill is no problem. However, this is not the case for many sellers, and the utility bill process is more complicated. For instance, if you live in an apartment or rental, it can be challenging to get a utility bill in your name instead of your landlord. To combat this, I’d suggest getting internet service in your business’s name and having bills sent to your business address, i.e., your rental. If your business address differs from your place of residence, you can input a service address for your home, while your billing address can remain your business address.
If you’d like to register your LLC in a different state and obtain a business address, I recommend using Wyoming Registered Agents. With Wyoming Registered Agents, you can get an LLC in five to fifteen minutes for just $149 upfront and $49 per year. When you register for your LLC, you also get a physical US address for your business in Wyoming, where mail, like a utility bill, can be sent and forwarded to you.
Do’s & Dont’s Of Utility Bills For Your Amazon Seller Central Account
In addition to sending in the proper type of bill with the correct name and address, you’ll also need to consider the format of the statement. Amazon does not accept screenshots of utility bills, bank passbooks, partial documents, Word documents, zipped files, or Excel files. Do not edit any documents you send to Amazon because you will get rejected.
Amazon likes IDs in color scans, entire documents with no clipped edges (PDF & PNGs are preferred), and documents in their accepted languages.
How To Get A Utility Bill For Your Amazon Seller Central Account As A Non-Resident
If you do not live in the state or country where your business is located, you can get a utility bill with a few extra steps. If you don’t have an LLC set up yet, there are workarounds for that too.
I recommend using Delaware Business Incroporators, Inc. to get your LLC and utility bill. Delaware Business Incorporators can assist you with obtaining a Delaware utility bill for Amazon seller verification. It’s easy to file and costs $50 plus state fees and any additional services you want to add, like virtual office and mail forwarding. The virtual office package is $450 per year but comes with Delaware virtual office service with private mailbox (PMB) number, mail forwarding, and Delaware phone/fax number. There is also a $95 setup fee and a phone number with a utility bill proof fee of $150. This method is expensive, however, it is a legit way to get that utility bill you need for verification.
When you use this service, your utility bill will match your LLC address, ideal for Amazon. Having a physical business presence will be a massive weight off of your shoulders, I promise.
If you have already submitted your account registration and put your other business address in, it’s not too late to change that information. If you haven’t submitted a utility bill and decide to get registered in Delaware, just swap out your registry information to match the Delaware address and bill when it arrives. You may have to re-submit several documents to correspond to the new Delaware location. If you experience issues, you can contact Amazon Seller Support and explain your situation. Here is an example message you can send: “Our business has multiple locations, and our utility bills may show a different address than what is listed in our registration. Should we change the address on our account to match the utility bill that we will send in to verify our account?” Be patient because the Seller Support reps can take several days to get back to you, and you may have to open several cases before you get any traction.
Remember with Delaware Business Incorporators, you have a legitimate business presence and a utility bill, so you can relax knowing that you are going through the process the right way. As always, feel free to hit me up with any questions or concerns along the way. Getting a utility bill for your Amazon Seller Central account is not always easy but if you follow these steps it will be easier than you think.
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i already have Registred LLC but in new mexico Santa fe but they told me they cannot provide me with utility bill. and the change le adress is very long with Amazon if it is not impossible. can you help. thank you