How to Close Your Amazon FBA Account When You Are Losing Money

The Quick Answer

To close an Amazon FBA account, you close the seller account itself: go to Settings, then Account Info, then Close Account. Amazon will not close it within 90 days of your last sale, while any A-to-z Guarantee claim is open, or before the balance is zero.

If you are losing money, check first whether the account can be sold, because a closed account cannot be reopened and a sold one pays you.

FBA, or Fulfillment by Amazon, is not a separate account. Amazon's own FAQ describes it as a fulfillment method you select for each product. So quitting FBA really means deciding what to do with the seller account underneath it.

We buy Amazon seller accounts from the people who opened them, 1,600+ since 2020. This is what we tell them.

What does Amazon require before you close the account?

Amazon requires 90 days to pass since your last sale, no open A-to-z Guarantee claims, and a balance of zero. You close each regional account on its own: North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Amazon then contacts you, and emails either a confirmation or the reason it cannot close yet.

If you have a North America Unified Account, closing your United States account also closes your Canada, Mexico and Brazil accounts.

The 90-day rule in Amazon's words: "Accounts cannot be closed within 90 days of your last sale." If any A-to-z Guarantee claim is open, the account stays open until every one is settled.

The full pre-close checklist is in how to close an Amazon seller account without throwing it away.

Amazon's close-your-account page does not give a processing time, does not cover FBA removal or disposal fees for leftover stock, and does not explain how reserves or chargebacks are settled into that zero balance. For those, ask Amazon's support team: in Seller Central, click Help, then Get support, while you still have access.

Is Amazon FBA still worth it for you?

FBA is worth it only if your own numbers say so after fees, stock and advertising. If you have lost money for months and cannot see the fix, stop sending in new stock and decide how to leave. Quitting the business does not make the account worthless: one in good standing may still be sold.

Nobody can answer this for you from the outside.

The mistake is treating the business and the account as one thing. The products may have failed. The account, with its history and its approvals, is a separate asset. So before you leave, find out what the account is worth.

Can you stop using FBA without closing the account?

Yes. FBA is a fulfillment method you choose for each product, Fulfilled by Merchant or FBA, so leaving FBA does not mean closing the seller account. You can move products to Fulfilled by Merchant and keep selling, or stop selling and then decide whether to close the account or sell it.

Here is the line from Amazon's "Start selling" page, word for word: "If you choose to close your account, Amazon can't reactivate or reinstate it."

If you are not sure yet, pause instead of closing, and watch the fee:

Pause your listings. Amazon says you can "temporarily suspend your listings instead of permanently closing your seller account."
Watch the monthly fee. Amazon warns that an account left open on a Professional selling plan with buyable listings still pays the monthly subscription fee.

Pausing stops the selling. It does not answer the question of what the account is worth.

Should you close the FBA account or sell it?

Close it only when no buyer would pay for it. If the account is in good standing and registered to you as its original owner, selling it pays you on the transfer call, and a deal usually closes in one to three weeks. Closing cannot happen within 90 days of your last sale, and it pays you nothing.

Good standing means no current suspension, deactivation or unresolved appeal.

Closing the account and selling it, side by side. What you get: Close it Nothing for the account, Sell it Paid on the transfer call; How long: Close it At least 90 days after your last sale, Sell it Usually one to three weeks; Can you undo it: Close it No, Amazon cannot reopen it, Sell it You can turn down any offer; A new account later: Close it Not covered on Amazon's closing page, Sell it Yes, selling to us does not stop you

How does selling the account work when you want out?

You fill in a two-minute form, we go through the account on a 45-minute evaluation call on a screen share, and you get a cash offer on the call or within 24 hours. If you accept, you sign an Asset Purchase Agreement, we fund Escrow.com, and you are paid on the handover call.

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. Escrow is a licensed third party that holds the buyer's money until the transfer is done. Escrow.com holds California escrow licence 9631867 with the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

From the form to the money in your bank. The form - About two minutes, before we ever speak.; The call - 45 minutes on a screen share, the account in front of us.; Your offer - On the call, or within 24 hours.; APA and escrow - You sign. 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.

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. We cover the Escrow.com fee either way. Amazon's later check of the new owner is the buyer's wait, not yours.

What we do not do: quote a figure before the call. What an account is worth depends on its history, its approvals and its metrics, so the offer comes once we have seen it. How we think about that is in how much your Amazon seller account is worth. You are never obliged to accept an offer.

On inventory: we buy the account only, so you keep all your stock. You clear what is left off the account before the transfer, at your own cost. Under about 100 units left is fine.

What if the account is suspended or still has a balance?

A suspended account can still be sold when the suspension is not for fraud, counterfeit or a related-account ban, and the sale goes ahead once Amazon reinstates it. We do not offer reinstatement. A balance must reach zero before Amazon will close anything.

Suspensions for fraud, counterfeit or a ban tied to another account are the ones we cannot buy at all. Read can you sell a suspended Amazon seller account before you decide.

How Amazon recovers a negative balance is not on the close-your-account page, so ask Amazon's support team directly.

Not sure which side of the line you are on? Can I sell my Amazon seller account? walks through it, or send us the form and we will tell you on the call.

FAQ

How long does it take Amazon to close an FBA account?

Amazon's page gives no processing time. It will not close an account within 90 days of your last sale, while any A-to-z Guarantee claim is open, or before the balance is zero. Once you file, Amazon contacts you and emails a confirmation when the account is closed, or the reason it cannot close yet.

What happens to my Canada and Mexico accounts if I close the US one?

If you have a North America Unified Account, closing your United States account also closes your Canada, Mexico and Brazil accounts. Amazon says the simplest check is whether the store switcher shows in the header of your seller account. Europe, Japan and Australia are each closed on their own.

What happens to my FBA inventory if I sell the account?

You keep it. 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.

Can I open a new Amazon account after selling mine?

Yes. Selling your account to us does not stop you having another Amazon seller account in future. You do lose the Amazon buyer account tied to it, and we send instructions for opening a new one safely.

Do I owe tax when I quit Amazon FBA or sell the account?

It depends on your situation, and we cannot tell you what you owe: your accountant decides that. Download your reports and tax forms, such as your 1099, before you hand the account over. If you are enrolled in US tax calculation services, Amazon points you to its Downgrade / Upgrade and Tax Calculation Service page before you close.

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