There are several reasons why sellers decide Amazon is no longer the right platform for them. Perhaps you just don’t have the time to make this worth your while, or you’re not making the sales you were hoping for.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to know how to cancel your Amazon seller account, I highly recommend you consider all your options first.
Looking at the value of your seller account is one of the considerations – I will get into this later on in this guide if I can stop one person from throwing money away this article will have been worth it.
Since some people are sure they no longer want their accounts, let me take you through the steps of cancelling your account first.
How to Cancel Your Amazon Seller Account
The process of cancelling your seller account is very straightforward.
- Login to Amazon Seller Central.
- Navigate to the Settings tab and click on Account Info.
- You will now see a link to Close Account. Once you click on this, simply follow the instructions and your account will be shut down.
Even though these steps are very simple, there are a few things you will need to do before Amazon can confirm the closure of the account.
- Any outstanding orders need to be fulfilled. This also means that the 90-day A-to-Z Guarantee period also needs to be honoured.
- The account should have a zero balance, which means you need to wait for your next disbursement date to pass.
- Sellers need to resolve any transactional issues and refunds.
Once your account is closed, you won’t be able to access it ever again.
For sellers who have a North America Unified Account, please note that all other eligible accounts will be shut down once you close this seller account. You can learn more by reading through these North America Unified Account FAQs.
I also recommend reviewing the information on this Downgrade / Upgrade and Tax Calculation Service page before you close your account.
How to Downgrade Your Amazon Seller Account
If you don’t necessarily want to cancel your Amazon seller account, but the fees are eating into your profits, there is always the option to downgrade it instead.
If you have a professional Seller account, you should be selling at least 40 to 50 items every month to make it worth the $39.99 fee.
If you are selling much less than that, you may want to consider downgrading to an Individual account. This way, you only need to pay $0.99 per item you sell.
To downgrade your account, follow these steps:
- Log in to Seller Central and click on the Account Info menu item under
- Once you reach the Account Info page, you will see Your Services On the right of this box; there is a link called Manage.
- The Manage link will take you to the My Services page where you will see you are signed up for a Professional account.
- You will now see a section labeled Sell on Amazon and a Downgrade By clicking on this link, you will see the option to Change Selling Plan. Clicking on Proceed will start the downgrade process.
- This change will take effect on the next billing cycle. Unfortunately, you also won’t be able to sell for 120 days while your account is in a staging status.
(Source: Amazon Seller Central)
Can I Close My Amazon Seller Account and Open a New One?
This is generally the first option a seller would consider if their account was suspended. The good news is you can close your Amazon seller account and open a new one, but there are some conditions.
If you want to go this route, follow the same steps that I outlined above but wait for Amazon to confirm the account closure before opening a new one. This is because if you open a new account with the same banking details, the account will be suspended along with the old one.
The other option is to explore why Amazon has suspended your account in the first place and work on correcting any issues. Usually, issues can be sorted and solved when a seller takes responsibility for the problems caused and submits a plan of action to show why it wouldn’t happen again.
Is My Amazon Seller Account Worth Anything?
If you have been running your Amazon FBA business for some time now and you make some profit monthly, you may be able to find a buyer.
I can’t promise you’ll sell it, but it’s certainly worth a go, the brokers we use are called empire flippers.
It’s an option worth exploring before you close your seller account.
How attractive your Amazon seller account looks to a buyer depends on its ability to produce a profit. In most instances, buyers are willing to pay anything between 1.5 and 3X the value of your profit over the last year.
You can calculate your profit as follows: Total Sales – Cost of Goods Sold – Expenses.
The percentage of the profit that buyers are willing to pay depends on your business’s age, the competitive landscape, and the niche you are operating in.
You can use several directories and brokers to find a buyer for your Amazon seller account should you believe it’s a worthwhile opportunity. SellerSpace is another example of a service you could consider.
(Source: SellerSpace)
You will need to see what Amazon FBA businesses are selling for when you decide to sell before you can set a price.
I recommend getting a broker to assist you if you are feeling unsure about the negotiation process.
How to Turn Your Amazon Business Around
Before you give up on your Amazon store, there is one other option to consider – turning your business around.
There are several options available to sellers who have the will and determination to make their Amazon businesses work.
- Keep Learning. There are hundreds of excellent resources available to sellers who want to try new tactics that can drive more sales – If you want to learn more have a look through our blog and YouTube channel. There are also several great podcasts you can turn to for advice from industry experts – here is our list of preferred podcasts.
- Find the Right Tools. Helium 10 and Jungle Scout are two of my top tools. These platforms have some of the best selections of tools that are designed to help Amazon sellers excel. From researching competitors and keyword opportunities to finding profitable products, investing in the right tools is essential.
- Take a Private Label Course. Receiving training from professionals who have launched and grown their own Amazon businesses is another way to turn your business around. You can find out more about our Private Label Course here.
To Close or Not to Close
Choosing to close your Amazon seller account is up to you. It does mean all your efforts up untill now will be lost, but if you feel you have tried everything, it might be the only option.
Before you make a final decision, I recommend you consider the option of turning your business around, downgrading, or selling your account. You could even deactivate your account for a while until you have the time to focus on your business.
Have any questions about what I’ve covered in this guide? Leave me a comment below.
More soon.
Tags: amazon seller, amazon seller questions
