New UK Amazon Pro Seller Requirements & Limits

[elmo]

New UK Amazon Pro Seller Requirements

A client of mine just recently reached out to me and told me that they are randomly requesting Business License as well as Utility bill for the UK Amazon Stealth accounts.

I have personally not run into this yet for the UK, but recently there has been some very major updates on the US Amazon site, so they could be making changes for all Amazon platforms. It's too early to tell if the Business License will be a standard request on all UK Amazon accounts, but I figured I'd create this thread so others can share their experience as time goes by.

This is the email my client received from the UK Amazon:

Hello,

We are reviewing your Amazon.com seller account. During our review, you will not be able to sell on Amazon.com. If you have sales, funds will not be transferred to you during the review but will stay in your account.

Within the next 30 days, please provide the following documents and confirm there is a valid credit card on file:

--Utility bill with name and address visible
--Business license
--If you have active listings, include copies of invoices, receipts, contracts or delivery orders from your supplier issued in the last 90 days.

You can send files in .pdf, .png, or .gif format. These documents must be authentic and unaltered. You may remove pricing information, but the rest of the document must be visible. Please send the documents to seller-performance@amazon.co.uk.

These are all very new recent changes with Amazon (As of January/February of 2017) and my guess is they are currently going through some sort of site-wide upgrading phase. Hopefully in the next coming weeks it becomes more clear with the request and requirements.

You can follow the new US Amazon Pro Seller changes and requirements here: http://www.aspkin.com/forums/amazon/...uirements.html

You can see the new US & UK Amazon Pro Seller credit card requirements here: http://www.aspkin.com/forums/amazon/...rd-issues.html

VAT Threshold
On another note, I have had a few clients reporting issues with reaching VAT threshold. VAT information can be checked and thus it would not be possible to provide VAT information on Amazon Stealth accounts. Each UK Amazon Stealth account should stay under the VAT annual threshold limit of 83,000GBP. This limit resets January 1st of every year.

[Play]

We are reviewing your Amazon.com seller account.

This seems to be coherent with the requirements for Amazon US, and the email your client received states their reviewing their .com account. Are you sure this client is using a UK account?

[elmo]

Originally Posted by Play

This seems to be coherent with the requirements for Amazon US, and the email your client received states their reviewing their .com account. Are you sure this client is using a UK account?

Yup 100% it's a UK Amazon account, check the seller-performance email in the message.

That is just how their template is worded

[Play]

The fact that they are asking for a business license in that case, makes me question what category your client was selling in?, as it seems quite uncanny.

[elmo]

Originally Posted by Play

The fact that they are asking for a business license in that case, makes me question what category your client was selling in?, as it seems quite uncanny.

I was surprised too but he confirmed it was randomly requested and he sells on various categories, nothing specific.

Let's see how it goes in the next coming weeks/month. If it's a new standard request we will all start seeing it soon. Until then let's hope it was a fluke.

[james929]

Originally Posted by elmo

I was surprised too but he confirmed it was randomly requested and he sells on various categories, nothing specific.

Let's see how it goes in the next coming weeks/month. If it's a new standard request we will all start seeing it soon. Until then let's hope it was a fluke.

the UK doesn't give business licenses to sellers unless its food or tobacco...

There's no such thing as "retail licence" in the UK. Anyone can sell things to anyone else, online or in a shop without such a licence. Of course, there may be other licences/permits you need, such as food hygiene, planning permission/change of use, customer credit licence, etc., but there's nothing called a "retail licence" so highly doubtful they will ask for something that doesnt exist...

[Play]

Precisely my points @james921. The only thing that I can think of that remotely relates to a business license and Amazon would be an import/export license, but even then most sellers wont even have one.

[alim]

Originally Posted by Play

Precisely my points @james921. The only thing that I can think of that remotely relates to a business license and Amazon would be an import/export license, but even then most sellers wont even have one.

ive seen one of this exact template on my amazon account mid last month but it was a us account.not sure but maybe they just used the same template for uk

[frksmth]

Amazon's got me stymied on one of the UK accounts by asking for these documents too. They usually ask for proof of address when you are close to reaching the €15000 disbursement limit but now it looks like they're asking for info way in advance.

Same email received, except, they didn't ask me for a business license. Also, I received the email only for the ES and DE marketplaces. They didn't ask for the info for the UK, FR and IT marketplaces.

[Ebayorbust]

As others have stated, there's no such thing as a business license in the UK.

If you trade as a sole proprietor, the only documentation you can really produce is HMRC documentation relating to UTR, etc.

I'm sure sending the other documentation along with a response that there is no business license in the UK, will be acceptable to Amazon.

Btw, that looks more like a request for information on the items that are being sold versus any kind of "Pro Seller Requirement" or seller verification.

It's also becoming really difficult to keep up with all these guides and updates that folk keep producing, lol.

[JamesNorth101]

Originally Posted by james921

the UK doesn't give business licenses to sellers unless its food or tobacco...

There's no such thing as "retail licence" in the UK. Anyone can sell things to anyone else, online or in a shop without such a licence. Of course, there may be other licences/permits you need, such as food hygiene, planning permission/change of use, customer credit licence, etc., but there's nothing called a "retail licence" so highly doubtful they will ask for something that doesnt exist...

Exactly my thoughts.

Seems very strange for Amazon UK to ask for something that doesn't exist. It sounds like there has just been a bit of confusion as to who is asking for this information

[Play]

Originally Posted by Ebayorbust

It's also becoming really difficult to keep up with all these guides and updates that folk keep producing, lol.

I wouldn't call this a guide, but rather more of an unecessary scaremongering post. IMPO we shouldnt be making announcements based on one client receiving such email, but rather until it has become common place.

I would say in this case the Amazon employee simply made a mistake and sent the wrong email template.

[Ebayorbust]

I wouldn't call this a guide,

No, I wouldn't either.

[JamesNorth101]

Originally Posted by elmo

VAT Threshold
On another note, I have had a few clients reporting issues with reaching VAT threshold. VAT information can be checked and thus it would not be possible to provide VAT information on Amazon Stealth accounts. Each UK Amazon stealth account should stay under the VAT annual threshold limit of 83,000GBP. This limit resets January 1st of every year.

Please make sure this sort of stuff is researched correctly

It is not reset on the 1st Jan each year, that date only applies in the US for tax related issues.

In the UK it is a rolling 12 month calculation. There is no reset tax for the VAT registrations threshold

It's also not as clear cut as £83,000. Distance sellers in the U.K. are required to register for VAT if sales go over £70,000 in any 12 month period. Amazon may well not before that, but it is the current UK threshold that applies in this case

[elmo]

Originally Posted by frksmth

Amazon's got me stymied on one of the UK accounts by asking for these documents too. They usually ask for proof of address when you are close to reaching the €15000 disbursement limit but now it looks like they're asking for info way in advance.

Same email received, except, they didn't ask me for a business license. Also, I received the email only for the ES and DE marketplaces. They didn't ask for the info for the UK, FR and IT marketplaces.

I'm talking to a few people and the general idea is Amazon is going through a phase of requesting all sorts of information for US and the Uk. It doesn't seem like they know what they're doing. Hopefully it passes by as the business license doesn't even make sense. You don't need a business license to sell online in the US, and you certainly don't need it in the UK.

Originally Posted by JamesNorth101

Please make sure this sort of stuff is researched correctly

It is not reset on the 1st Jan each year, that date only applies in the US for tax related issues.

In the UK it is a rolling 12 month calculation. There is no reset tax for the VAT registrations threshold

It's also not as clear cut as £83,000. Distance sellers in the U.K. are required to register for VAT if sales go over £70,000 in any 12 month period. Amazon may well not before that, but it is the current UK threshold that applies in this case

Correct it's a rolling 12 month total. I have personally had UK Amazon accounts stay under 80K within the first year and continue selling on them the following year with no request for VAT information. I have many clients that have reported the same. They're similar to the US Amazon accounts in the way the reset their calculations, from my experience. If you have a different experience it could be beneficial to the thread to share them.

Originally Posted by Play

I wouldn't call this a guide, but rather more of an unecessary scaremongering post. IMPO we shouldnt be making announcements based on one client receiving such email, but rather until it has become common place.

I would say in this case the Amazon employee simply made a mistake and sent the wrong email template.

This isn't a guide

It's a thread so we can work together in preparing for and if there are any new Amazon changes in the near future. The US has experienced some recent changes, and this request for a business license in the UK could be a sign of new changes in the UK. Only time will tell.

[chaichaoyi]

Originally Posted by elmo

I'm talking to a few people and the general idea is Amazon is going through a phase of requesting all sorts of information for US and the Uk. It doesn't seem like they know what they're doing. Hopefully it passes by as the business license doesn't even make sense. You don't need a business license to sell online in the US, and you certainly don't need it in the UK.

But is it safe to ignore the absurd doc request and hope it will go away? Maybe ignoring the request for too long can lead to suspension?

[elmo]

Originally Posted by chaichaoyi

But is it safe to ignore the absurd doc request and hope it will go away? Maybe ignoring the request for too long can lead to suspension?

Well if you ignore it your account will remain in review / suspended. Its necessary to provide them with what they are requesting if they are suspending the account requesting information

[e2free]

In my view amazon don't request vat number from sellers based in uk even through turnover is much higher they target overseas sellers as they had huge pressure from government

[elmo]

Originally Posted by e2free

In my view amazon don't request vat number from sellers based in uk even through turnover is much higher they target overseas sellers as they had huge pressure from government

I have seen it many times when sales exceed 20K GBP a month. But I don't see it often when sales are spread out for UK based accounts

[e2free]

Originally Posted by elmo

I have seen it many times when sales exceed 20K GBP a month. But I don't see it often when sales are spread out for UK based accounts

I seen uk account doing 75K per month without VAT number added, maybe you right as you have more experience

[chaichaoyi]

Originally Posted by elmo

Well if you ignore it your account will remain in review / suspended. Its necessary to provide them with what they are requesting if they are suspending the account requesting information

Actually, I was allowed to keep selling while the "doc request" banner is being displayed...

I want to respond and obtain a clear answer whether my account will be suspended, before I continue sending out orders (although you strongly advised us against taking any action for the moment)...

Awkward.

[elmo]

Originally Posted by chaichaoyi

Actually, I was allowed to keep selling while the "doc request" banner is being displayed...

I want to respond and obtain a clear answer whether my account will be suspended, before I continue sending out orders (although you strongly advised us against taking any action for the moment)...

Awkward.

If its just a normal doc request for verification after you've been selling, then you would still be allowed to sell. But if you are suspended pending documents your listings come down and you're not able to sell until the issue is resolved. There are a few different situations at the moment. I sent you a PM with more information.