When Amazon links your accounts: multiple-account rules and preparing an appeal

This article is for sellers whose selling account has been suspended because it is "related to another account," and who either don't recognize the related account or do recognize it but aren't sure what to explain or how. We walk through Amazon's rules on multiple accounts, how to read the notification, how to take inventory of your connections, how to build your explanation for each situation, and the steps for submitting an appeal.

What a "related account" finding means: the basics of the multiple-account rules

A related-account finding (also called account "linking") means Amazon has determined that your selling account is connected to another account it considers problematic, and your account becomes subject to suspension or other action. Let's start with the rules that everything else rests on.

This article is based on what we were able to confirm as of September 2026 in Seller Central Help, the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement (Amazon サービスビジネスソリューション契約), and announcements from Amazon on the Seller Forums. Policies and screen names can change, so when you take action, please also check your current screens and the latest Help content.

The rule: one selling account per region where you sell

Two Help pages, "Seller Code of Conduct" (出品者利用規約および出品者行動規範) and "Prohibited seller activities and actions" (出品者の禁止活動および行為、ならびに遵守事項), both contain provisions on operating multiple selling accounts (in the latter, they appear under the heading "Operating multiple selling accounts" (複数の出品アカウントの運用)). Unless you have a legitimate business need and all of your accounts are in good standing, you may maintain only one Seller Central account for each region where you sell.

Examples of a "legitimate business need" given in Help

Help lists the following three examples of a legitimate need. These are only examples, not an exhaustive list.

• You own multiple brands and maintain a separate business for each
• You manufacture products for two distinct companies
• You are participating in an Amazon program that requires separate accounts

An official Amazon post on the forums also says you can have additional accounts "with the appropriate approval," but Help does not describe the specific procedure for obtaining that approval.

A problem with one account can affect all of your accounts

The latter Help page states that even if you hold multiple accounts for a legitimate reason, a problem with how any one of them is operated can lead to all of your selling accounts being suspended until the problem is resolved on every account. An official Amazon news post in February 2026 also explains that, depending on the circumstances, the impact of a violation on one account may extend to all related accounts, and that a suspended account must be recovered before the other accounts can be reactivated.

From this, related-account findings appear to fall into at least two patterns: cases where Amazon has determined that "there is a second account without a legitimate reason," and cases where "a problem with another connected account has spread to yours."

Check your contractual obligations, too

The Business Solutions Agreement requires you, among other things, to keep your registration information accurate, complete, and valid at all times, not to disclose your password to anyone other than people you have authorized, and not to assign the agreement without Amazon's prior written consent.

Separating legitimate links from connections that can cause problems

Being "linked" is not a violation in itself. Some of the tools Amazon provides are designed to formally connect accounts to each other or to third parties. Thinking separately about legitimate links and connections that can cause problems makes your explanation easier to organize.

Legitimate links Amazon provides

• Global Selling: When you create a selling account in a marketplace in another region and complete registration, your original account is automatically linked to the account in the new region.
• Account merging: From Inventory > Global Selling > the "Merge accounts" (アカウントの統合) tab, you can merge accounts that you own. Once merged, accounts cannot be unmerged.
• User Permissions: Professional sellers can invite employees and others from "Manage employees" (従業員の管理) under Settings > User Permissions (ユーザー権限) and grant them only the permissions they need. Permissions granted to an added user remain until you remove that user.
• Service provider authorization: External third parties such as agencies and consultants are authorized through a link or through the Service Provider Network, and are given access only to pre-approved roles. Only the account owner or an administrator can grant authorization, and the provider must be registered in the Solution Provider Portal. Authorizations are managed in "Manage services" (サービスの管理) under Settings > User Permissions, and access expires after 365 days (it must be reauthorized before it expires).

Connections that can cause problems

Example of a connection	Why it can be a problem (per Help and the agreement)
A second account in the same region without a legitimate reason	The rule is one account per region where you sell
A new account created to replace a suspended one	If an attempt to circumvent Amazon's systems is suspected, the account may be suspended immediately regardless of its score
Sharing login credentials with family members, service providers, or acquaintances	Help warns against sharing your credentials with anyone, and the agreement also restricts disclosure
A service provider merged multiple accounts	Only the owner can merge accounts; external companies such as solution providers must not merge them
Taking over or handing over an account	Selling accounts cannot be transferred (see below)
Using a merchant token on another seller's account	A merchant token cannot be shared with other sellers or used on a different account

That said, Amazon does not publish the specific criteria it uses to determine that accounts are "related," meaning which information must match, and to what degree, before accounts are treated as related. Use this table not to pin down the cause, but as a guide for identifying connections you may need to explain.

Unused overseas accounts are connections, too

Because registering in another region through Global Selling automatically links the new account to your original one (as noted above), overseas accounts you no longer use should also be part of your inventory. On the Seller Forums, a seller whose Japan account was suspended after leaving a U.S. account (along with automatically created Canada and Mexico accounts) unattended asked for help, and an Amazon staff member explained that because the seller had global accounts and another account had been suspended, it appeared that all related accounts had been suspended pending investigation. (This was a reply to one seller's inquiry and may not apply to every case.) Help indicates that you can view a list of your Global Selling accounts from a link on the "Close your selling account" (出品用アカウントの解約) Help page.

Reading the notification: using key phrases to decide the direction of your explanation

You can see the details of a suspension on the Performance (パフォーマンス) > Account Health (アカウント健全性) page in Seller Central, in Performance Notifications, and by email. The wording varies with timing and the reason, but notifications that sellers have reposted on the Seller Forums contain phrases like the following.

Period	Reposted wording (summary)
Around 2020	The account has been suspended in accordance with Section 3 of the Business Solutions Agreement. It was found to be related to an account that is not permitted to sell
2026	The account will remain suspended because it is believed to be related to "another account beginning with ●●." It was found that there is a "currently active relationship" with that account. The documents submitted did not prove that no relationship exists

In the 2026 example, only the first part of the related account's name is shown. Section 3 of the agreement generally requires Amazon to tell you the reason for a suspension and your options for appeal, but makes an exception where Amazon believes providing that information would, for example, hinder the investigation or prevention of fraud. That may be why details are left out, but this is not an official explanation.

Pay attention to the phrase "currently active relationship"

This phrase suggests that the question is less about past contact itself and more about whether a connection is still ongoing (this is our reading of the wording, not Amazon's explanation). Seen that way, what you need to show in your appeal falls into three situations.

Situation	Focus of your explanation	Examples of supporting evidence
A. You don't recognize the related account at all	How your business actually operates, and that no third party can access your account	Business information, a list of User Permissions, results of reviewing your registration information
B. There was a relationship in the past, but it has ended	What the relationship was, and when and how you ended it	Documents showing the contract ended, the date permissions were removed, the date login credentials were changed
C. The relationship is still ongoing	Why the relationship is legitimate, and that each account is operated independently	Materials showing distinct businesses or brands, the owner and operating structure of each account

However, if the notification or a request for additional information lists specific documents or questions, those take top priority.

Taking inventory of your connections: where to check on each screen

Rather than trying to guess "which one is the cause," the key is to get to a point where you can answer questions about any of your connections. Start by writing down every connection involving your account.

Where to check in Seller Central

Where to check	What to look for
Settings > Account Info (アカウント情報) (Seller Account Information)	Store name, email address, phone number, business address, legal name/business name, bank account, charge method (the credit card on file), return address, and so on. Is any of this information shared with family members or other businesses?
Settings > User Permissions	The list of users you have invited. Are former employees or people you no longer work with still listed? Is a single login being used by more than one person? (Help recommends creating separate credentials for each user)
"Manage services" under User Permissions	The service providers you have authorized and their roles
Your list of Global Selling accounts and the store switcher	Are there overseas accounts you don't use, or accounts that have been merged?
Two-Step Verification settings	Whose phone number or device is used for verification?
Merchant token	Which external tools or service providers have you given it to?

In another case, when a seller asked about an email address that overlapped with an Amazon Pay account, an Amazon staff member replied that each Seller Central account needs its own unique email address (a reply to an individual inquiry).

What to write down outside of Seller Central

• Other businesses using the same address or office (a family member's business, other companies in a shared office, etc.)
• Accounts you have co-managed in the past, or accounts you helped with or that helped with yours
• Service providers you use, or used to use, for product listing, shipments, logistics, and so on
• Accounts operated by group companies or affiliates (the agreement defines "you" as including your affiliates)
• The computers, smartphones, and networks you use to log in (for example, whether you share your office Wi-Fi with other companies)

Amazon has not officially said whether shared networks, devices, or addresses are used to determine that accounts are related. There's no need to assume that "sharing Wi-Fi will get you linked," but it's worth keeping track of these just in case, so you can answer if asked to explain.

What to record for each connection

How to approach each situation: no relationship, a past relationship, or an ongoing one

Based on your inventory, decide whether you fall under A, B, or C, and build your explanation accordingly. If you created a second account yourself, also check D.

A. If you don't recognize the related account at all

Compare the first part of the name shown in the notification with the names of your business partners, suppliers, service providers you have used, companies you have worked for, businesses run by family members or acquaintances, and the providers of the tools you use. If nothing comes to mind, it's easier for Amazon to verify your explanation if you specifically show which screens and records you checked and that you found no connection anywhere, rather than speculating about the cause.

Also check whether a third party may have accessed your account. If you suspect unauthorized access, Help recommends changing your password and checking for changes to your email address settings, payment information, User Permissions, storefront details, and so on. How to look for connections is covered in more detail in How to check for connections behind an unrecognized account link.

B. If there was a relationship in the past but it has ended

This covers situations such as having given your login credentials to a service provider and outsourcing work to them, or having co-managed an account with an acquaintance. The core of your explanation is to describe the relationship openly and then show, with dates and records, when and how you ended it.

• The date you ended the contract or outsourcing arrangement, and documents showing this
• The date you removed User Permissions or revoked the service provider's authorization
• The date you changed your password and the phone number or device used for Two-Step Verification
• If you changed a shared phone number, email address, credit card, or other information to reflect your actual situation, what you changed and when (registration information must always be accurate, so do not change your address or contact details to something that doesn't reflect reality just to avoid being linked)

If you find that an unnecessary connection remains, end it first and then submit your appeal. You can remove users from Settings > User Permissions, and you can remove a service provider with "Revoke authorization" (許可を無効にする) on the same screen. Note that changing the address, bank account, phone number, or other details you originally registered may trigger a "Seller Performance review" (出品者パフォーマンスの審査), so have the required documents ready as well.

C. If the relationship is still ongoing

• If you hold multiple accounts: Explain which of the three examples above applies, the differences between the brands or legal entities, and the owner and operating structure of each account. If another related account has an unresolved problem, that needs to be addressed first.
• If a service provider has access to your account: Explain why the provider needs permissions and the scope of the permissions you have granted. On the forums, a seller who submitted information and contracts about a third party suspected of being related was still not reinstated, and an Amazon staff member recommended checking whether there were any connections beyond what the contract covered and, if the provider had permissions in User Permissions, explaining why as well (a reply to an individual inquiry). If you are sharing login credentials, you first need to switch to granting permissions through the legitimate process.
• If a family member sells separately: We could not find any explicit official statement on whether each family member may sell. Organize your information so you can show that ownership, funds, inventory, logins, and bank accounts are each independent, and if you're unsure, check with Seller Support.

D. If you created a second account without a legitimate reason

This covers cases that don't fall under the exceptions to the one-account-per-region rule, such as creating a new account while your previous one was still suspended, or creating a second account without checking the rules carefully. First, write down all related accounts, then explain factually how and when the second account was created. As the official news post mentioned above explains, the suspended account must be recovered first, so start with the appeal for the underlying suspended account. Don't settle the question of which account to keep by closing one on your own; instead, state your plan going forward in the appeal, and if you're unsure, check with Seller Support.

If an overseas account is the source

Check the notifications in every region where you are registered (including overseas accounts you don't use) to find out which account is the source. In the forum inquiry mentioned earlier, an Amazon staff member explained that in most cases "the original account that was flagged is reinstated first, and then the reinstatement process for the related Japan account follows," and advised the seller to open a case from the original account by going to Help > Get support (サポートとケースを利用する) > Selling on Amazon (Amazon出品サービス). How to proceed with an overseas account is covered in Getting an overseas Amazon account reinstated.

Preparing and submitting your appeal

Once you've decided on the direction of your explanation, prepare your appeal following the steps in Help and Amazon's official guidelines on writing an appeal.

STEP 1. List what is being requested

On the notification and the Account Health page, check which questions you need to answer, which documents you need to submit, and any deadlines, and make a list. Amazon has not published an official list of documents specifically for suspensions based on related accounts, so build your preparation around what the notification asks for.

STEP 2. Gather supporting evidence

In addition to the requested documents, consider what materials can support your explanation. For document requirements, the "Seller Performance review" Help page is a useful reference.

The requirements above apply mainly to identity and address verification documents. For materials showing the state of a screen (such as your list of User Permissions), follow the submission format specified in the notification or request. If you don't have a document on hand, ask the issuer for an official reissue.

STEP 3. Build your explanation in four blocks

Amazon's official guidelines ask you to explain clearly, concisely, and factually (focusing on the facts and events that led to the issue rather than introducing your business), not to include information about other questions or ongoing cases, to avoid emotional language, to show the root cause and the actions you took along with the dates they were carried out and related documents, and to mark or highlight the important parts of your materials. However, identity and address verification documents such as utility bills must be "unaltered," so do not write on the originals; submit them as instructed in the notification or request. For a related-account appeal, dividing your explanation into the following four blocks makes it easier to review.

1. Ownership and operating structure: Who owns and who operates the account (briefly, to the extent needed to assess the relationship)
2. List of third-party access and the reasons for it: Your User Permissions and service providers, and why each one is needed
3. The nature of the relationship and the date it ended: What the flagged relationship or any connection you found involved, and the date and method by which it was ended
4. Operating rules going forward: What you have decided to do so the same kind of relationship doesn't arise again

Below is a sample explanation for situation B (where you previously gave your login credentials to an outsourced service provider). It is a hypothetical example, not an actual case, so rewrite it to match the facts and dates of what happened at your company.

This account is owned by ○○ Co., Ltd. and is operated by our representative and one employee.
From [month/year] to [month/year], we outsourced product listing work to an external service provider, and during that time we gave the provider our login credentials. Because this provider also handled work for other sellers, we believe the connection to the other account mentioned in the notification may have resulted from this outsourcing. Giving our login credentials to an external provider did not comply with our contractual obligation not to disclose our password to unauthorized third parties, and we recognize this as the root cause.
On [month/day/year], we terminated the outsourcing contract (termination agreement attached), and on the same day we changed our password and the phone number used for Two-Step Verification. Currently, only our representative and one employee are registered in User Permissions (list of User Permissions attached).
Going forward, if we ask an outside party to do work for us, we will not share our login credentials and will authorize them as a service provider with only the permissions they need. We will also review our User Permissions and our list of authorized service providers at the start of every month and revoke any permissions that are no longer needed on the same day.

For how to approach rewriting it, see What reused templates tend to leave unexplained.

STEP 4. Submit your appeal from Account Health

1. Go to Account Health in Seller Central
2. Click "Reactivate your selling account" (出品用アカウントの再開) at the top of the page
3. Enter your appeal by following the instructions on the page (you may be asked to submit a questionnaire, acknowledge the violation, answer questions, and provide supporting documents)
4. Click "Submit"

If you believe the suspension was a mistake, you also submit your explanation by following the instructions on the Account Health page. The overall process from suspension to appeal is summarized in From reviewing a suspension notice to requesting reinstatement.

STEP 5. Wait for the result and respond to additional requests

After submitting, wait for an email with the review result. Help says a response can take up to about two days, but this is an estimate for the response, not for reinstatement. If you are asked for additional information, submit it from "View Account Health requests" (アカウント健全性の要請を見る). The "Seller Performance review" Help page also cautions against resubmitting repeatedly before enough time has passed for the review, and against repeatedly sending inaccurate documents.

Professional sellers can contact an Account Health Specialist using the "Contact us" (お問い合わせ) button on the Account Health page. On the forums, there is also an example of an Amazon staff member suggesting that a seller who had already submitted the information requested in the notification consider using this "Contact us" option. For what to organize before reaching out, see What to organize before contacting Account Health Support.

What not to do

The following actions can undermine the credibility of your explanation or create new connections.

• Creating a new account and continuing to sell while suspended: While you have a suspended account, you don't meet the exception's condition that "all of your accounts are in good standing," so continuing to sell on another account is not permitted under the policies. If you are suspected of trying to circumvent Amazon's systems, you may be suspended immediately regardless of your score.
• Having a family member or acquaintance open an account in their name for you: If the same person actually runs it, the registration doesn't reflect reality, which may amount to the false information or misleading conduct prohibited by the Code of Conduct.
• Saying there is "no relationship whatsoever" when there was one: If a connection is found later, it undermines the credibility of your entire explanation.
• Altering or forging documents: Submitting documents with altered dates or names, or documents that don't reflect the facts, may be treated as deceptive conduct.
• Appealing while unnecessary connections remain: If permissions for service providers you no longer use or shared login credentials are still in place, you may not be able to adequately respond to a finding of a "currently active relationship." For connections you still need, explain that they are set up through legitimate permission grants, and why.
• Hastily closing your other accounts (including overseas ones): According to Amazon, a closed account cannot be reactivated, and you must register again to resume selling. You cannot close an account within 90 days of your last sale or while it has a remaining balance, and as a step before closing, Help advises checking your Performance Notifications and making sure all reasons for any deactivation have been resolved and the account has been restored. Cleaning up connections can sometimes be done without closing an account, for example by removing unnecessary permissions, so decide on closing only after checking the consequences. What to check before closing is covered in Preparing to close your seller account.

What to check before starting over, adding an account, or taking over a business, and how to prevent a recurrence

Related-account problems can also arise when you create a new account or when the structure of your business changes. In the following four situations, it's essential to check before you start the process.

Situation	What official information confirms	What to do beforehand
You want to create a second account	One account per region, unless there is a legitimate reason	Work out which reason applies and check with Seller Support
You want to sell again after closing your account	A closed account cannot be reactivated. An Amazon staff member replied that creating a new account under the same company could result in it being tied to the previous account (a reply to an individual inquiry)	Consult Technical Support before registering a new account
You're switching from a sole proprietorship to a corporation	In September 2026, an Amazon staff member replied on the forums that a direct switch is not supported, that a new corporate account must be opened, and that ratings and sales history cannot be transferred (different guidance had been given in the past)	Before creating the new account, check with Seller Support about how it affects the multiple-account policy
You're taking over a business, or the person in charge is changing	Selling accounts cannot be transferred. If ownership changes, the new owner sets up a new account; if only the person in charge changes, add them as a user	Clarify whether ownership is changing or only the person in charge

Note that starting over while you have a suspended account is outside the scope of this table. While suspended, do not create a new account; move forward with the appeal for the suspended account first (creating a new account during a suspension may be viewed as an attempt to circumvent Amazon's systems). In every situation, stick to the order of "check before you create," and keep a record of the date you checked, who you contacted, and what they told you.

Operating rules to prevent a recurrence

A January 2026 post by an Amazon community manager introduced the Seller University learning modules "Understanding the multiple-account policy" (複数アカウントポリシーを理解する) and "Addressing multiple-account policy violations" (複数アカウントポリシー違反への対処).

Frequently asked questions

Q. I keep getting rejections with the same wording. What should I do?

A. Before resending the same explanation and materials, check what the rejection says was "not proven." If a "currently active relationship" is cited, review whether any permissions or shared information remain, and check whether you have shown the dates and records of when the relationships ended. Professional sellers who have already submitted the required information should also consider the "Contact us" option mentioned above.

Q. The notification doesn't give details about the related account or the reason. Can I ask for them to be disclosed?

A. Amazon Japan G.K. has been designated a specified digital platform provider under Japan's Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Specified Digital Platforms. The Act requires disclosure of the details of and reasons for refusing service, but its enforcement regulations also include exceptions. How an individual suspension is treated is a legal question, so please consult a lawyer. The Digital Platform Transaction Consultation Desk (デジタルプラットフォーム取引相談窓口), commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, also offers free consultations for sellers (it does not mediate or intervene in disputes).

Q. What happens to my sales proceeds while I'm suspended?

A. An official Amazon news post in February 2026 explains that, as a measure against a violation on one account, holding disbursements across a selling account may, depending on the circumstances, extend to all related accounts. However, Amazon does not publish when or how sales proceeds are handled in individual suspensions, so check what the notification says and the payment information shown in Seller Central. How to go about checking is summarized in How to check your sales proceeds after a suspension.

Q. I want to keep outsourcing work to a service provider. How should I do this?

A. Rather than handing over your login credentials, authorize the provider as a service provider and give them access only to the roles they need. Authorization requires the provider to be registered in the Solution Provider Portal, and only the account owner or an administrator can grant it. Access expires after 365 days, so if you want to continue, reauthorize before it expires (once it has expired, you will need to authorize the provider again). Help warns that you should grant access only to people you know and trust, and that sellers are responsible for the actions of users they add.

Summary

Responding to a related-account finding starts with identifying your connections and accurately showing where things stand now.

• The rule is one selling account per region. Think separately about legitimate links and connections that can cause problems, such as shared login credentials or account transfers
• Pay attention to phrases like "currently active relationship," and decide the focus of your explanation based on whether there is no relationship, was one in the past, or still is one
• Build your appeal around what the notification asks for, and briefly cover four things: ownership and operating structure, third-party access, the dates relationships ended, and your operating rules going forward
• Avoid creating a new account while suspended, altering or forging documents, appealing while unnecessary connections remain, and hastily closing accounts

Especially when you don't recognize the related account, it's more important to build up the facts you have confirmed one by one than to pile on guesses.

*This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.

Further reading

An unfamiliar account linked to your Amazon account: checking connections and preparing evidence Read article → Preparing to close an Amazon seller account: outstanding orders, inventory and payments Read article → Tailoring an Amazon Plan of Action to your business: what copied templates leave out Read article →