Amazon Seller Reinstatement Support ("we" below) is not an official Amazon contact channel and has no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. This article is for people who have received a notice of a "temporary suspension" (一時停止) or a "hold" (保留) from Amazon and want to know what has stopped and how long it will last. It covers both selling accounts and the buyer accounts you use for shopping.
To give the answer first: what is called a "temporary suspension" includes cases where Amazon temporarily stops the use of a selling account, cases where Amazon temporarily places a buyer account on hold, and cases where sellers temporarily stop their own listings, and the screens to check and the procedures differ. For a selling account, the starting point is the Account Health (アカウント健全性) page in Seller Central; for a buyer account, it is the notice saying your "account is on hold" (アカウントが保留中) and the form you fill out after signing in yourself. In every case, there is no official guidance giving a uniform number of days for how long it lasts. Whether your account can be reinstated is decided by Amazon.
This article is based on Seller Central's official Help, including "Appealing an account deactivation or listing removal" (アカウントの利用停止または出品情報の削除に対する申し立て), which we checked on October 18, 2026, and on Amazon.co.jp's Help "Restore access to an account on hold" (保留中のアカウントへのアクセスを復活させる). Policies and screens can change, so please also check the notice you received and the latest Help.
Our role is to prepare submission drafts and advise on revisions. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself.
"Temporary suspension" is used in three situations: first work out which one applies to you
In this article, we sort "temporary suspension" and similar wording that appears in official Help into three situations in which the parties involved differ. Rather than deciding how serious things are from the wording of the notice alone, first work out which account is affected and who stopped it.
| Situation | How Help puts it | What stops | Where to look first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon has stopped a selling account | "Temporary suspension of your account" (アカウントの一時的な利用停止) | Your permission to sell (selling privileges) | The Account Health page and Performance Notifications (Seller Central) |
| Amazon has placed a buyer account on hold | "Your account is temporarily on hold" (アカウントは一時的に保留) | Access to all Amazon services, including Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, and Kindle | An email or text message saying your "account is on hold" |
| A seller has stopped their own listings | "Temporarily suspending listings" (出品の一時停止) (the listing status for when you are away, such as on vacation) | The listings the seller stopped | The listing status setting you changed yourself |
To tell them apart, check in order whether the notice concerns a selling account (Seller Central) or a buyer account, the words used in the notice, and whether anything is shown on Account Health. Help presents the third as a setting that sellers choose themselves. If you have not received a suspension notice from Amazon, first check your own listing status setting. We cover how to use the vacation setting and how to switch back in the explanation of the vacation setting in our article on cancellations. This article mainly covers the first and second situations.
When only part of your account has been stopped, not the whole account
As actions taken when policies or performance metrics are not met, Help lists, besides a temporary suspension of your account, removal of listings and restrictions on seller-fulfilled shipping. Check in the notice whether the action applies to your whole account or to specific listings. How to tell listing-level actions apart is covered in our article on listing suspensions. In addition, the Help page on holds on sales proceeds states that, separately from suspending or closing an account, Amazon may hold sales proceeds that have not yet been disbursed. We cover how to check your sales proceeds in our article on sales proceeds after a suspension, and how FBA inventory is handled in our article on the steps from suspension to an appeal.
How "temporary suspension," "suspension," "closure," and "hold" differ
Within the official Help we checked for this article, we found no passage that sets these words side by side and defines how they differ. The following three points offer clues.
- The agreement between sellers and Amazon (BSA) distinguishes between cases where Amazon "suspends" your use of its services and cases where it "terminates" it, and states that in either case Amazon will notify you with the reason and your options for appeal (there are exceptions, such as when doing so would impede an investigation).
- Help states that if a seller closes their own selling account, Amazon cannot reactivate the closed account. This is a separate procedure from a suspension resulting from an action by Amazon.
- "Hold" is the word used in the Help for buyer accounts for the action taken when unusual payment activity is detected.
How to read a notice that says "closed" (閉鎖) is covered in detail in our article on telling suspension from closure.
Temporary suspension of a selling account: why it happens, and which screens to check
According to Help, what leads to a temporary suspension of a selling account is failing to meet performance metrics or policies. When your Account Health Rating is red ("Unhealthy," a score of 99 or below), your account is subject to suspension or has already been suspended. Help also states that if fraudulent, deceptive, or similar activity is suspected, Amazon will suspend the account regardless of the rating score.
In cases such as a change of your address, bank account, or phone number, or credit card information that has not been updated, a "Seller Performance review" (出品者パフォーマンスの審査) becomes necessary, and you may also receive a suspension notice. Help notes that this list gives examples and is not exhaustive.
Whatever the reason, first read the text of the notice in the notification alerts and Performance Notifications in Seller Central, and check on the Account Health page what is being asked of you.
Clues in notices, and the next step described in Help
| Clue in the notice or on screen | What Help says | Related article |
|---|---|---|
| Your Account Health Rating is red (99 or below) | If the suspension is caused by your rating, address the unresolved policy violations, or submit an appeal or file a dispute. Help states that your account is reactivated when your score returns to 100 or above | Our article on the steps from suspension to an appeal |
| A notice of a Critical violation (a 3-day grace period) | If you address it within 3 days, your account will not be suspended. If you do not respond, your account is suspended until you finish submitting an appeal on the Product Policy Compliance (商品規約の遵守) dashboard | Our article on how long reinstatement takes |
| A verification of your address, bank account, card, or the like (Seller Performance review) | From the notification alert, go to Account Health and submit the required documents through Submit New Information (新しい情報を送信). The review takes up to 2 business days from when the documents are received, and you cannot list until it is complete | Our article on suspensions when you did nothing |
| The notice gives almost no reason, or you can't think of a cause | Check what is being asked of you in Performance Notifications and on the Account Health page | Our article on suspensions when you did nothing |
The order of steps toward having a temporary suspension of a selling account lifted
Here we show only the overall flow. How to put together the content of an appeal is covered in detail in our article on the steps from suspension to an appeal.
STEP 1. Copy down the text of the notice without rephrasing it
Copy down, exactly as written, the text of the Performance Notification, the date you received it, any deadline stated, and the names of the products or policies concerned. If the notice states a deadline, the days keep passing even while you wait.
STEP 2. On Account Health, check the items awaiting your action
Look at the guidance at the top of the Account Health page and the list of policy violations. Check which violation or policy the request concerns and what you are being asked to submit, comparing them with the notice you copied down in STEP 1.
STEP 3. Appeal through Reactivate Your Selling Account
According to the steps in Help, you open Account Health, click Reactivate Your Selling Account (出品用アカウントの再開) at the top of the page, and send your appeal by following the instructions on the page. In the process, you may be asked to submit a questionnaire or supporting documents, confirm the violation, or answer questions.
STEP 4. Wait for a response, and answer any additional requests
After sending your appeal, wait for the email from Amazon with the result of the review. Help states that it takes up to about two days to receive a response. This is a guideline for receiving a response, not an indication of when you will be reinstated or of the result. If you receive a reply asking for more information, Help advises submitting the requested documents and information via View Account Health Requests (アカウント健全性の要請を見る).
What not to do while you wait
- Sending the same documents again and again before enough time has passed: Help cautions against repeated submissions before enough time has passed for the review and against repeatedly sending inaccurate documents.
- Rewriting documents so that they differ from the facts and submitting them: The Seller Code of Conduct requires you not to register false information about yourself.
- Creating another account to keep selling: You may have only one Seller Central account per region in which you sell, unless you have a legitimate business reason and all of your accounts are in good standing.
Holds on buyer accounts: what stops, and the flow toward having a hold lifted
According to Amazon.co.jp's Help, a buyer account used for shopping is temporarily placed on hold when unusual payment activity is detected. This is sometimes called a temporary suspension, but the word Help uses is "hold," and the procedure differs from a suspension of a selling account. Help positions it as a security measure to review, together with the customer, the activity identified as a problem.
While the account is on hold, access to all Amazon services, including digital services such as Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, and Kindle, is put on hold. For orders in progress, Amazon sends an email or text message explaining how they will be handled, so check how your orders will be handled from that message.
Three steps described in Help for lifting a hold
- Check whether you have received an email or text message from Amazon saying your "account is on hold"
- Sign in to your Amazon account
- Fill out the form and attach the required documents
This Help page does not list which types of documents will be requested. Gather them by following the instructions in the notice and the form. Help states that the fastest way is for you to sign in yourself and send the required information through the secure portal. You can also get help from Customer Service, but the steps you go through are the same.
How to check whether a notice you received is genuine, what to do when you simply cannot log in rather than being on hold, and how to check when your account has been stopped for a policy violation are covered in our article on when you cannot use your buyer account.
If you use the same login credentials for your buyer and selling accounts
The services listed in the Help on holds are Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, Kindle, and others, and it says nothing about any effect on selling accounts (Seller Central). If you receive a hold notice for your buyer account, also check whether you can get into Seller Central and whether any new notices have appeared on Account Health.
How long a temporary suspension lasts
For selling accounts
No number of days such as "lifted in X days" that applies to every suspension has been officially given. What Help gives are guidelines for each procedure, such as up to about two days for a response to an appeal and up to 2 business days for a review of identity verification documents.
Help states that if the suspension was caused by your Account Health Rating, your account is reactivated when your score returns to 100 or above, and getting there requires addressing the violations or submitting an appeal. If you do not respond to a Critical violation within 3 days, the suspension likewise continues until you finish submitting an appeal. Neither is described as being lifted simply by waiting for the days to pass.
In cases where clients have engaged us, the trend is that reinstatement often comes about 3 days after engagement. However, it can take longer depending on the cause of the suspension and the circumstances. This is the trend so far, not a promise of reinstatement or of a number of days. We set out the number of days for each procedure, and how they differ from the number of days in a deadline, in detail in our article on how long reinstatement takes.
For buyer accounts (holds)
Help does not state how many days it takes for a hold to be lifted. What Help shows is the approach that the fastest way is to sign in yourself and send the information through the form. After submitting the form, check whether any additional requests have arrived.
If you stopped your own listings
Help presents this as a setting that sellers choose themselves. It is different from a suspension by Amazon, so rather than thinking in terms of days, check your own listing status setting.
What we can do when you consult us about a temporary suspension
Appealing for the reinstatement of your account and submitting the form to lift a hold are procedures you carry out yourself. We never log in to your account or send an appeal in your place.
What we help with is reviewing the notice you received and the documents you provide and sorting out what is being asked of you, as well as preparing submission drafts for Amazon and advising on revisions. We do not create or alter documents. You can also send us a notice as it is, even if you are not sure whether it concerns a selling account or a buyer account.
Whether your account can be reinstated is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise reinstatement. For cases where we believe reinstatement will be difficult, we will tell you before you engage us, as far as we know at that point.
Our fees are the same for every engagement: an initial fee of JPY 80,000 plus a success fee of JPY 80,000 (both tax included), payable by bank transfer. The initial fee is payable regardless of the outcome, and the success fee is charged when the purpose of your engagement, such as reinstatement of your account, is achieved. If it is not achieved, no success fee is charged. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Frequently asked questions
Q. When will a temporary suspension of my Amazon account be lifted?
A. No uniform number of days has been officially given. For a selling account, the basic approach is to address what is being asked of you on Account Health and appeal through Reactivate Your Selling Account, and Help gives up to about two days as a guideline for receiving a response (this is not the number of days until reinstatement). For a hold on a buyer account, the flow is to sign in and send the information through the form, and Help gives no guideline for the number of days.
Q. What is the difference between a temporary suspension and a closure?
A. Within the official Help we checked for this article, we found no passage defining how the two words differ. Rather than judging by the words alone, check the reason, the deadline, and the guidance on appeals given in the notice. Help states that an account a seller closed themselves cannot be reactivated, but this is a separate procedure from an action by Amazon. How to read a notice is covered in our article on telling suspension from closure.
Q. If my buyer account is put on hold, will my selling account be stopped too?
A. The Help on holds says that access to services including Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, and Kindle is put on hold, but it says nothing about any effect on selling accounts (Seller Central). If you use the same login credentials, check whether you can get into Seller Central and whether any notices have appeared on Account Health.
Q. While my account is temporarily suspended, can I create another account and sell?
A. You may have only one Seller Central account per region in which you sell, unless you have a legitimate business reason and all of your accounts are in good standing. While you have a suspended account, it is hard to say that you meet the condition that all of your accounts are in good standing. Avoid continuing to sell with a new account, and first check the notices for your suspended account and Account Health.
Q. Is stopping my listings for a vacation also a "temporary suspension"?
A. A setting with which sellers temporarily stop their own listings is different from a suspension by Amazon. Help advises using the listing status for when you are away, such as on vacation, before you consider closing your account.
Summary
- "Temporary suspension" covers a temporary suspension of a selling account, a hold on a buyer account, and a setting with which sellers stop their own listings, and the places to check differ.
- For a selling account, check what is being asked of you in Performance Notifications and on Account Health, and appeal through Reactivate Your Selling Account.
- For a hold on a buyer account, check the notice, then sign in, fill out the form, and attach the documents.
- There is no official guidance giving a uniform number of days for how long it lasts, and the numbers of days in Help are guidelines for a response or a review.
- Do not send the same documents again and again or continue selling with another account.
When you have received a temporary suspension notice and aren't sure what to check first
We are not an official Amazon contact channel and have no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. You can send us the text of the notice you received from Amazon on LINE (a screenshot is fine). Looking at the notice, we help you sort out what is being asked of you and prepare and revise submission drafts for Amazon. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself. Whether and when your account is reinstated is decided by Amazon, and we cannot promise reinstatement. Consultations are free, as often as you need.
Please do not send your login ID, password, or verification code.
Free consultation, 24/7 *This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.
Further reading
From Amazon account suspension to an appeal: reviewing the notice and planning your response Read article → 
Distinguishing Amazon seller account suspension from closure: notices and reinstatement inquiries Read article → 
When you cannot use your Amazon buyer account: checking the reason for a suspension or temporary suspension and preparing a support inquiry Read article →