seller
- What changed
- Deactivation of an Amazon seller account
- When
- Updated October 2026
- Who it affects
- Amazon sellers whose selling privileges were removed
- What to do
- Open Performance, Account Health and use Reactivate your account
Key takeaways
- Deactivation stops selling and holds payouts, but you keep Seller Central access to appeal.
- An Account Health Rating of 99 or below makes an account eligible for deactivation.
- Reactivate from Performance, Account Health, and never open a replacement account.
Account Health Rating zones
What deactivation means for a seller account
Deactivation removes your selling privileges. Your listings stop showing as available, new orders stop, and Amazon usually holds disbursements. You can still sign in to Seller Central, see the notice and submit an appeal, which is how most accounts come back.
Amazon uses deactivated in most notices, while many sellers say suspended. The steps are the same. Our Amazon suspension guide covers the overlap and the main causes in more detail.
- Listings stop selling
- Payouts are held
- Seller Central access remains for appeals
- FBA inventory stays in Amazon warehouses
Why Amazon deactivates seller accounts
The reason is always in the notice, either on the Account Health page or in the email to your login address. These are the most common.
- Account Health Rating dropped to 99 or below
- A critical policy violation, which can take the rating to zero
- Order Defect Rate, cancellations or late shipments above target
- Identity, business or bank details that could not be verified
- Intellectual property or authenticity complaints
- A link to another account that is already deactivated
How the Account Health Rating leads to deactivation
The Account Health Rating runs from 0 to 1,000 and reflects how well you follow Amazon's selling policies over the last 180 days. Amazon staff describe 200 or above as healthy. Between 100 and 199 the account is at risk, and at 99 or below it is eligible for deactivation or already deactivated. Our account health rating guide explains how points are gained and lost.
Amazon may also deactivate an account regardless of the rating if it suspects fraudulent, deceptive, illegal or otherwise harmful activity. That is why a healthy score is not full protection.
Verification deactivations
Some deactivations have nothing to do with performance. If Amazon cannot verify your identity, business address or bank account, it may deactivate the account until you provide documents. These cases usually ask for a government ID, a recent utility or bank statement and business registration documents, sometimes with a video call.
Make sure every document matches exactly: the name on the ID, the business name, the address on the statement and the details entered in Seller Central. Mismatches are the most common reason verification appeals fail.
- 1Account Health
Performance menu
- 2Reactivate
Top of the page
- 3Answer
Questionnaire or documents
- 4Submit
Watch email for decision
How to reactivate a deactivated Amazon account
Amazon's staff guidance sets out the basic route. Most of the work happens before you click submit.
- Go to Performance, then Account Health in Seller Central
- Select Reactivate your account at the top of the page
- Read what Amazon asks for: questionnaire, acknowledgment, quiz or documents
- Prepare a Plan of Action and evidence if the case requires one
- Submit, then watch your email for the decision
- If Amazon asks for more, use View Appeal to add it
What happens to your funds and inventory
Disbursements are generally held while an account is deactivated. Seller guides report that Amazon tells sellers it will release remaining funds after 90 days if the account is not reinstated in that time, but sellers whose accounts are permanently closed should not count on it. Keep records of your balance on the day of deactivation.
FBA inventory stays in fulfillment centers and storage fees keep running. You can usually create removal orders to bring stock back or move it to another channel. If you expect reinstatement soon, it is often cheaper to leave units in place.
Is the deactivation final?
Read the notice carefully. If it offers an appeal or a Reactivate your account option, the account can still come back. If an appeal was denied but the option remains, you can revise and resubmit. If the notice says the account will not be reinstated and no appeal option remains, the decision is final within Amazon's process.
Do not open a new seller account in any of these cases. Amazon treats it as a related-account violation and typically deactivates the new account too. Our suspension appeal guide explains how to make a resubmission stronger than the first attempt.
How to avoid deactivation in the first place
Check Account Health every day and treat every warning as urgent. Keep supplier invoices for all products, keep business and bank details current, and answer buyer messages within 24 hours. Professional sellers in the US and Canada who keep an Account Health Rating of 250 or higher for six months, with a valid emergency contact, can qualify for Account Health Assurance, which gives a 72-hour window to work with Amazon before deactivation.
PPC Spider's catalog and account health service monitors health and policy warnings daily, handles verification and appeals, and pauses ads on blocked products. A free Amazon audit shows current risks.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Forums: How to appeal an account deactivation (sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/1548523b-96be-4bcc-a7da-fc97953bdc2a)
- Amazon Seller Forums: Your Account Health Rating questions answered (sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/7f6e4141-5823-4ea0-9e8c-3ad061f44f0b)
- Value Added Resource: Amazon Account Health Assurance protects sellers from deactivation (valueaddedresource.net/amazon-account-health-assurance/)
- Seller Labs: How to appeal Amazon suspensions step by step (sellerlabs.com/knowledge-base/how-to-appeal-amazon-suspensions-step-by-step/)
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