Amazon INFORM Act verification is the US identity and bank check that high-volume sellers must pass, and re-certify every year, to keep selling on Amazon.com. When it fails or is missed, the account can be deactivated with no policy complaint at all. This guide explains who must verify, what Amazon checks, and how our appeals team gets these accounts selling again.
Quick answer
Amazon INFORM Act verification applies to US sellers with 200+ sales and $5,000+ in revenue in any 12-month period. Amazon must collect your bank, tax ID and contact details, verify them, and have you re-certify them at least once a year. If you miss the 10-day deadline or your documents do not match, Amazon must suspend your selling until it can verify you. The fix is usually correct, matching documents, not a long Plan of Action.
Key takeaways
- The INFORM Consumers Act is a US law in force since June 27, 2023. It covers the Amazon.com store.
- You are “high-volume” after 200+ sales and $5,000+ in revenue in any continuous 12 months within the last 24 months.
- Amazon must collect your bank, tax ID and contact details and get them re-certified at least once a year.
- Missing the 10-day deadline or uploading mismatched documents leads to deactivation.
- Most INFORM cases are fixed with correct, matching documents, not a long appeal.
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What is Amazon INFORM Act verification?
The INFORM Consumers Act (Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act) is a US federal law aimed at stopping the sale of stolen, counterfeit and unsafe goods online. It does not create a new Amazon policy you can break. Instead, it makes Amazon collect, verify and in some cases show buyers who is behind each high-volume seller.
For you, that means one thing: Amazon must be able to confirm your identity, tax ID, bank account and contact details at all times. If it cannot, the law requires Amazon to stop your selling. That is why many sellers see a deactivation notice that mentions verification but no complaint, ASIN or policy breach. The FTC and state attorneys general enforce the law.
INFORM verification is separate from the general identity verification Amazon runs in every marketplace, but in practice the two overlap: the same documents, the same matching rules, and sometimes the same video verification call.
Who must complete INFORM verification
The law applies to “high-volume third-party sellers” on the Amazon US store. Your sales on other Amazon marketplaces do not count toward the threshold.
| Your sales on Amazon.com | What the law requires |
|---|---|
| Under 200 sales or under $5,000 in any 12 months | Not covered by INFORM, though Amazon can still ask you to verify under its own policies. |
| 200+ sales of new or unused items and $5,000+ revenue in any continuous 12 months (last 24 months) | High-volume seller: Amazon must collect and verify your information and get it re-certified at least once a year. |
| High-volume and $20,000+ annual gross revenue | All of the above, plus Amazon must show your name, physical address and contact details to buyers. |
If your only address is your home, the law allows partial disclosure: Amazon shows only your country and state. You can request this in Seller Central.
Got an INFORM or verification notice? Tap the green WhatsApp icon on your screen and send it to us. Reading it is free.
What information Amazon collects
Amazon asks for these details in Seller Central. Exactly which documents it requests depends on whether you sell as an individual or a business.
- Bank account: the account Amazon pays you into, in a name that matches your seller account.
- Tax ID: for example an EIN or SSN for US sellers, or your home-country tax number, matching your tax interview.
- Identity: a government ID for individuals, or a business registration document plus ID for the person representing the business.
- Contact details: a working email address and phone number.
- Address: a physical address that matches your documents (shown to buyers if you pass $20,000).
- Annual certification: confirmation each year that the details are still correct or have been updated.
We are not tax advisers or lawyers. For questions about US tax IDs or company registration, speak to a qualified accountant.
Deadlines and annual re-certification
The law sets short deadlines, and Amazon applies them strictly.
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| You become a high-volume seller | Amazon must collect your information within 10 days |
| You provide your information | Amazon must verify it within 10 days of receiving it |
| Annual re-certification request | You must confirm or update your details within 10 days |
| Information not provided or not certified in time | Amazon must suspend your selling until it is fixed |
The most common trap is the yearly re-certification. It arrives as a banner or email, sellers assume it is routine, and the account is deactivated 10 days later. Check Account Health and the Account Information page regularly, and keep your details current whenever your bank, address or phone number changes.
Why INFORM verification fails
In the INFORM cases we handle, the problem is almost never the law itself. It is a mismatch Amazon cannot get past.
| Do this | Avoid this |
|---|---|
| Use the exact legal name from your ID or business registration everywhere in Seller Central. | A shortened, translated or trading name on one document and the legal name on another. |
| Upload a recent bank or utility statement that clearly shows your name and the same address. | Virtual offices, mail-forwarding or agent addresses as your business address. |
| Keep the bank account holder name identical to the seller or business name. | A bank account in a relative’s, partner’s or other company’s name. |
| Make sure your tax interview name and tax ID match your registration. | Changing bank, address or business details in the middle of verification. |
| Send clear, complete, unedited color scans. | Cropped, blurry, expired or edited documents, or resending one Amazon already rejected. |
How to fix an INFORM Act deactivation
1. Read the notice and Account Health
Note exactly what Amazon says is missing or could not be verified, and any deadline. Our guide to deactivated vs suspended explains what the status means.
2. Check every detail for a match
Line up your ID, business registration, bank statement, tax interview and Seller Central account. Name, address and account holder must be identical across all of them. Most failed cases break on one small difference.
3. Fix the details before you resubmit
Correct the Account Information page first, then gather fresh documents that show the corrected details. Do not upload the same document Amazon rejected.
4. Submit through Seller Central and keep it short
Verification problems are solved with documents, not long explanations. If Amazon asks for a Plan of Action or explanation, keep it factual and consistent. Our Plan of Action template shows the structure.
5. If it is rejected, find the reason first
Read the reply line by line and change only what Amazon objected to. Our guide on what to do when an appeal is rejected covers this step by step.
While the account is deactivated, Amazon may hold your funds. Our frozen funds and verification service handles both problems together.
INFORM verification for sellers outside the US
INFORM applies to the Amazon US store, not to where you live. Sellers based in India, China, the UK, the UAE and elsewhere are covered once they pass the threshold on Amazon.com. Verification is often harder for them because documents come from another country, may not be in English, and may show the address in a different format.
Use documents that show your name and address the same way your Seller Central account does, add certified translations where needed, and keep your originals ready in case Amazon asks for a video call. Our Amazon US suspension guide covers the other US-specific triggers.
Real reinstatement results
These are reinstatement emails from client cases we handled, including cases that had been rejected before they reached us.
How our fee works
Reading your notice is free. If we take the case, you pay a small part to start and the rest only when you are selling again.
Complex cases are Section 3, counterfeit, related accounts, review manipulation and dropshipping. Most INFORM verification cases are standard cases.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to complete INFORM Act verification on Amazon?
High-volume third-party sellers in the Amazon US store: sellers with 200 or more sales of new or unused products and $5,000 or more in gross revenue in any continuous 12-month period during the previous 24 months. Amazon can also ask sellers below that level to verify under its own policies.
How long do I have to provide or certify my information?
The law gives sellers 10 days. Amazon must collect the information within 10 days of a seller becoming high-volume, and must suspend sales activity if a seller does not provide it, or does not complete the annual certification, within 10 days of being asked.
Will Amazon show my address to buyers?
If you have $20,000 or more in annual gross revenue on Amazon, the law requires Amazon to show your name, physical address and contact details to buyers. Sellers whose only address is a residence can ask for partial disclosure, which shows only the country and state.
Is an INFORM Act deactivation permanent?
Usually not. Most INFORM deactivations are about missing, expired or mismatched information. Once Amazon can verify correct documents, selling is normally restored, but Amazon makes the final decision and every case is different.
How much does help with an INFORM Act deactivation cost?
Reading your notice is free. Standard cases cost $150 to start (non-refundable) and $350 only after reinstatement. Complex cases such as Section 3, counterfeit, related accounts, review manipulation or dropshipping cost $200 to start and $400 after reinstatement.
Get your INFORM notice reviewed for free
Send us your notice. Our appeals team reads it and tells you honestly what we see.
Verification or funds on hold? See our frozen funds and identity verification service.
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