As an Amazon seller, maintaining your seller account health is critical to ensuring long-term success.
Amazon is committed to maintaining a high level of customer trust and ensuring a positive purchase experience for its customers. To achieve this, we have strict policies and performance standards for sellers to adhere to.
Not adhering to these selling policies could cause your product listing to be taken down or put you at risk of having your account deactivated, which can adversely affect your business and sales. Below, we highlight the common Amazon selling policy violations and offer practical tips to avoid them.
Amazon is committed to maintaining a high level of customer trust and ensuring a positive purchase experience for its customers. To achieve this, we have strict policies and performance standards for sellers to adhere to.
Not adhering to these selling policies could cause your product listing to be taken down or put you at risk of having your account deactivated, which can adversely affect your business and sales. Below, we highlight the common Amazon selling policy violations and offer practical tips to avoid them.
1) Intellectual Property (IP) Infringement
IP infringement can occur in three key areas: copyright infringement for original work, trademark infringement for brands and logos, and patent infringement for designs and inventions.
Tips to avoid IP infringement:
• Only use images, videos or text you have permission for in your product listings. You can also create and use your own images to prevent any copyright infringement.
• Check with your suppliers to ensure your products do not infringe any IP rights to protect your business from disputes.
• Always keep records of your sourcing network of your products, including invoices and letters of authorization to establish that you source products from reliable suppliers.
Overall, Amazon’s IP policy helps protect creators of an invention, brand, design or other work against others using their IP without consent. If your account has violated the IP policy, you will receive a notification for IP violation which you can address at the Account Health page.
Tips to avoid IP infringement:
• Only use images, videos or text you have permission for in your product listings. You can also create and use your own images to prevent any copyright infringement.
• Check with your suppliers to ensure your products do not infringe any IP rights to protect your business from disputes.
• Always keep records of your sourcing network of your products, including invoices and letters of authorization to establish that you source products from reliable suppliers.
Overall, Amazon’s IP policy helps protect creators of an invention, brand, design or other work against others using their IP without consent. If your account has violated the IP policy, you will receive a notification for IP violation which you can address at the Account Health page.
2) Owning Multiple Seller Accounts
On Amazon, you can only maintain one account per seller, per region, unless you have legitimate business needs to open a second one, in which case all account must be kept in good standing. You are considered to have multiple accounts when you own, operate, are involved with or have access to more than one Amazon selling account.
Valid business reasons to open multiple accounts:
• When you have more than one brand and maintain separate businesses for each of them.
• When you manufacture products for two distinct and separate companies.
• When you are recruited for an Amazon program that requires you to open separate accounts.
If you have an existing account that has been flagged for a selling policy violation, do not create a new account. Your new account may still be deactivated, or have your product listings taken down.
Actionable steps to improve account health:
• Focus on improving your existing account health by building trust with customers, adhering to Amazon’s selling policies and maintaining your account health.
• If you receive an Amazon selling policy violation notice, check your Account Health page and address all violations listed in a timely manner.
To access your Account Health page, head to Seller Central and click on the top-left corner of the screen and head down to Performance. Click on Account Health and you can reference the Policy Compliance tab for more information.
Valid business reasons to open multiple accounts:
• When you have more than one brand and maintain separate businesses for each of them.
• When you manufacture products for two distinct and separate companies.
• When you are recruited for an Amazon program that requires you to open separate accounts.
If you have an existing account that has been flagged for a selling policy violation, do not create a new account. Your new account may still be deactivated, or have your product listings taken down.
Actionable steps to improve account health:
• Focus on improving your existing account health by building trust with customers, adhering to Amazon’s selling policies and maintaining your account health.
• If you receive an Amazon selling policy violation notice, check your Account Health page and address all violations listed in a timely manner.
To access your Account Health page, head to Seller Central and click on the top-left corner of the screen and head down to Performance. Click on Account Health and you can reference the Policy Compliance tab for more information.
3) Product Quality and Authenticity Issues
Selling counterfeit products or misrepresenting products is a violation of Amazon’s selling policies. For example, listing a generic item as a branded product can mislead customers and will result in negative feedback and a reduction in your Account Health Rating.
Amazon’s policies for product quality and authenticity help us create a trustworthy shopping experience and ensure that customers receive items in the condition they expect. This is one of the factors that contributes to a positive score on your Account Health Dashboard.
Best practices for account health compliance:
• Thoroughly inspect products to ensure authenticity and quality.
• Provide accurate and detailed product descriptions to customers, clearly state whether your products are in new, used, or refurbished condition, and categorize them appropriately.
• Retain all documents and records of transactions, such as purchase orders and invoices, to prove that you sourced products from reliable suppliers.
• Ensure your products are stored and packed correctly to prevent damage. See more on packaging, prep and labelling requirements.
Amazon’s policies for product quality and authenticity help us create a trustworthy shopping experience and ensure that customers receive items in the condition they expect. This is one of the factors that contributes to a positive score on your Account Health Dashboard.
Best practices for account health compliance:
• Thoroughly inspect products to ensure authenticity and quality.
• Provide accurate and detailed product descriptions to customers, clearly state whether your products are in new, used, or refurbished condition, and categorize them appropriately.
• Retain all documents and records of transactions, such as purchase orders and invoices, to prove that you sourced products from reliable suppliers.
• Ensure your products are stored and packed correctly to prevent damage. See more on packaging, prep and labelling requirements.
4) Sales manipulation and competitor abuse
Amazon requires sellers to act fairly and honestly on Amazon to ensure a safe buying and selling experience.
Examples of unfair activities include:
• Attempting to influence search results by inflating search ranking through keyword manipulation or incentivizing customers’ searches to appear as organic behavior.
• Artificially inflating web traffic by using bots or paying for clicks.
• Manipulating sales rank (such as by accepting non-authentic orders or orders that you have paid for, or refunded externally or orders that you discounted externally) or making claims about sales rank in product titles or descriptions.
• Increasing the price of a product after an order is confirmed.
• Pay for or offer an incentive (such as coupons or free products) to customers in exchange for providing or removing reviews.
• Reviewing your own products or a competitor’s products.
Tips to avoid these sales manipulation and competitor abuse:
• Ensure that only trusted partners have access to your Seller Central account, because if a third party you work with violates Amazon policies on your behalf, you will still be held accountable even if the violation was conducted without your knowledge.
• Refer to the Seller Code of Conduct whenever in doubt.
Examples of unfair activities include:
• Attempting to influence search results by inflating search ranking through keyword manipulation or incentivizing customers’ searches to appear as organic behavior.
• Artificially inflating web traffic by using bots or paying for clicks.
• Manipulating sales rank (such as by accepting non-authentic orders or orders that you have paid for, or refunded externally or orders that you discounted externally) or making claims about sales rank in product titles or descriptions.
• Increasing the price of a product after an order is confirmed.
• Pay for or offer an incentive (such as coupons or free products) to customers in exchange for providing or removing reviews.
• Reviewing your own products or a competitor’s products.
Tips to avoid these sales manipulation and competitor abuse:
• Ensure that only trusted partners have access to your Seller Central account, because if a third party you work with violates Amazon policies on your behalf, you will still be held accountable even if the violation was conducted without your knowledge.
• Refer to the Seller Code of Conduct whenever in doubt.
5) Variation Policy Violations
Variation listings allow buyers to compare related products with different attributes (e.g. size, colour) on a single product detail page. Listing unrelated products together or misusing variation themes is a common violation which will reduce your Account Health Rating score.
Example 1: Listing unrelated products together
A mobile phone charging cable and a portable charger should not be listed together on the same product listing page as they are different products which should be listed on separate pages. However, you may list a red mobile phone charging cable with a green one, if the only difference between them is their colour.
Example 2: Misusing variation themes
When listing a product under a specific variation theme, the listing should not include any other information besides the specified variation. For instance, different phone models should not be listed together under a "colour" variation theme.
Tips to avoid variation policy abuse:
• Follow Amazon’s variation relationships guidelines closely to ensure compliance.
• Provide clear descriptions of each variation to allow customers to make informed purchase decisions.
Example 1: Listing unrelated products together
A mobile phone charging cable and a portable charger should not be listed together on the same product listing page as they are different products which should be listed on separate pages. However, you may list a red mobile phone charging cable with a green one, if the only difference between them is their colour.
Example 2: Misusing variation themes
When listing a product under a specific variation theme, the listing should not include any other information besides the specified variation. For instance, different phone models should not be listed together under a "colour" variation theme.
Tips to avoid variation policy abuse:
• Follow Amazon’s variation relationships guidelines closely to ensure compliance.
• Provide clear descriptions of each variation to allow customers to make informed purchase decisions.
6) Restricted Products Violations
Amazon strictly prohibits the sale of illegal, unsafe, or otherwise restricted products. Certain product categories may require approval before listing to ensure compliance with laws and Amazon’s quality standards.
Things to take note when listing restricted products:
1. Check the Restricted Products Help Page and Restricted Products Policy before listing new items.
2. Consult your legal counsel if you have questions about the laws and regulations concerning your products.
3. If required, apply for approval to list your product by clicking on the “Inventory” menu and selecting “Add a Product”.
Things to take note when listing restricted products:
1. Check the Restricted Products Help Page and Restricted Products Policy before listing new items.
2. Consult your legal counsel if you have questions about the laws and regulations concerning your products.
3. If required, apply for approval to list your product by clicking on the “Inventory” menu and selecting “Add a Product”.
What should I do if I receive an account health warning?
Amazon may send you a performance notification if we believe you’ve violated an Amazon selling policy. Depending on the severity of the violation, you may also experience account deactivation or listing removal. Follow the steps below to address the account health warning:
1. Click into the performance notifications or check your email to view the details of the violation.
2. Go to Account Health and click on the “Reactivate your account” button to either acknowledge or appeal the violation.
2. Go to Account Health and click on the “Reactivate your account” button to either acknowledge or appeal the violation.
3. Depending on the type of violation, you may be asked to describe your corrective measures to resolve the root cause of the issue and preventive measures to ensure that it does not occur again. You may also be required to provide supporting evidence or documents for review (e.g utility bill, invoices, business license).
4. Alternatively, if you wish to appeal the violation, provide an explanation and supporting evidence or documents for review (e.g utility bill, invoices, business license).
5. For further assistance, use the Call me now button to submit a call request. You will receive a call from an Account Health Specialist.
4. Alternatively, if you wish to appeal the violation, provide an explanation and supporting evidence or documents for review (e.g utility bill, invoices, business license).
5. For further assistance, use the Call me now button to submit a call request. You will receive a call from an Account Health Specialist.
Click here to learn more about account health (Seller Central login required).
Final Tips
Looking for more seller tips? Visit Seller University in Seller Central (login required) to access the latest training materials.
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