How to Close an Amazon Seller Account Without Throwing It Away

Q: What is the difference between closing Seller Central and pausing it?

Closing is permanent; pausing is not. Amazon lets you "temporarily suspend your listings instead of permanently closing your seller account." To do that, Amazon points you to its Listings status for vacations, holidays, and other absences page.

The Short Answer

Before you close an Amazon seller account, check whether a buyer would pay for it, because closing is permanent: Amazon cannot reopen a closed account, and selling a good one is how you leave without throwing it away. To close it, open Settings, click Account Info, then Close Account under Account Management, fill in the required fields and send the request.

Amazon also will not close an account within 90 days of your last sale, and your balance must be zero first. If you are only stepping away for a while, pause your listings rather than close the account. If the account is in good standing and registered to you as its original owner, you may be able to sell your Amazon seller account instead and be paid for it.

We buy Amazon seller accounts for a living, 1,600+ of them since 2020. Read the steps below before you send that request.

What should you do before closing your Amazon seller account?

Before closing your Amazon seller account, bring the balance to zero, settle any open A-to-z Guarantee claim, and wait until 90 days have passed since your last sale, because Amazon will not process the request otherwise. If you sell in more than one region, close each regional account on its own.

Three more checks belong on the list. Once the account is closed you can no longer reach it, so keep your own copy of any order history you need first. If the store switcher shows in the header of your seller account, you have a North America Unified Account, and closing the US account closes Canada, Mexico and Brazil too. And if you are enrolled in US tax calculation services, Amazon points you to its Downgrade / Upgrade and Tax Calculation Service page for important information before closing.

Before you send the close request. Balance at zero - Amazon will not close an account with a balance.; 90 days clear - No sale in the last 90 days.; Claims settled - No open A-to-z Guarantee claims.; Each region - Close North America, Europe, Japan and Australia one by one.; Store switcher - In the header? Closing US closes CA, MX and BR too.; Your records - Keep what you need. Order history goes once it is closed.

Can you delete an Amazon seller account or close an FBA account?

Amazon's close-your-account page does not mention deleting an account: what it describes is the Close Account request, which it calls permanently closing your seller account. FBA is not a separate account. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a fulfillment method you select for each product, so closing the seller account is how you close FBA.

If you have stock with FBA, read Amazon's close-your-account help directly before you file, and deal with that stock early, while you still have access.

What happens after you close an Amazon seller account?

Once your account is closed, Amazon cannot reactivate or reinstate it, and you lose access to order history, returns, refunds, A-to-z Guarantee claims and buyer messages. Closing a North America Unified Account closes its other eligible accounts too. Any regional account left open on a Professional plan with buyable listings still pays the monthly fee.

The quick test for a North America Unified Account, in Amazon's words, is to "check whether the store switcher is available in the header of your seller account."

On the fee, Amazon warns: "If you keep any accounts open with a Professional selling plan and have buyable listings, you will still be subject to a monthly subscription fee."

Should you close or sell your Amazon seller account?

Close your Amazon seller account only when no buyer would pay for it, because closing is permanent and throws away whatever the account is worth. If it is in good standing and registered to you as its original owner, a direct cash sale pays you on the transfer call, and a deal usually closes in one to three weeks.

Good standing means no current suspension, deactivation or unresolved appeal. The choice comes down to whether the account has value left in it. Here are the two routes side by side.

Question	Close the account	Sell the account
What happens to its value	You give it up	You are paid for it
How long it takes	At least 90 days after your last sale, then Amazon emails you	Usually one to three weeks
When you are paid	Never	On the transfer call, through Escrow.com
Can you undo it	No, it cannot be reopened	You can turn down any offer. Signing the APA makes the sale firm, and the account is handed over on the transfer call
What it fits	No buyer would want it	The account is in good standing

A direct sale runs on two things. Escrow is a licensed third party that holds the buyer's money until the transfer is finished. An Asset Purchase Agreement, or APA, is the signed contract that records the sale as a business asset sale and keeps your personal and business documents confidential. We fund Escrow.com before anything moves, and Escrow.com releases the money to you on the transfer call, the moment you hand over access. Escrow.com is a licensed escrow agent, holding California escrow licence 9631867 with the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

How a sale to us runs. The form - About two minutes, before we ever speak.; The call - 45 minutes on a screen share. We look at the account together.; Your offer - On the call, or within 24 hours.; Agreement and escrow - You sign the APA. We fund Escrow.com before anything moves.; The handover - Booked within 10 business days of escrow being funded.; You are paid - Escrow.com releases the money on that call. We cover its fee.

From the transfer call, the money reaches your bank in about 1 business day by US wire, 3 to 5 business days by international wire, or about 3 business days by the free electronic transfer. Amazon's later check of the new owner is the buyer's wait, not yours.

If you are not sure your account is worth selling, start here: can I sell my Amazon seller account?, or get a free valuation and find out before you close it.

Should you close a suspended account or sell it?

Do not close a suspended account before checking whether it can be sold. A suspension that is not for fraud, counterfeit or a related-account ban may still be sellable once it is lifted: we do not offer reinstatement, so the sale waits until it is reinstated. Closing gives that value up for good.

The suspensions we cannot buy are the ones for fraud or counterfeit and any ban tied to another account. Check which kind yours is before you close: can you sell a suspended Amazon seller account?.

FAQ

How long does Amazon take to close a seller account?

Amazon's close-your-account page does not give a processing time. It says Amazon will contact you for assistance and send a confirmation email once the account is closed, or an email detailing why it cannot be closed and what is still needed. Plan for a back-and-forth, not an instant switch-off.

What is the difference between closing Seller Central and pausing it?

Closing is permanent; pausing is not. Amazon lets you "temporarily suspend your listings instead of permanently closing your seller account." To do that, Amazon points you to its Listings status for vacations, holidays, and other absences page.

What happens to my FBA inventory when I close the account?

Clear your FBA stock before you file, because once the account is closed you no longer have access to it. If you sell the account to us instead, you keep all of your inventory: we buy only the account, so you clear the remaining stock off it before the transfer, at your own cost. Under about 100 units left is fine.

Do I owe tax after I close my Amazon seller account?

Amazon's page flags US tax calculation services to review before closing, but it gives no tax advice and neither do we. Talk to your accountant about your final filings before you close the account or sell it.

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