While we hope you never experience losing a loved one, it's a part of life and a process we all have to go through. However, losing a loved one who managed an Amazon Seller business adds additional complexity to an already difficult time. Know that if you ever have to go through this, our dedicated support team is here to guide you through this process with care and understanding.
This guide primarily addresses how to gain access to an Amazon Seller account after the loss of a loved one. However, we understand the importance of proactive planning. At the end of this post, I'll also provide steps you can take now to simplify account access for your loved ones in the event of your absence. By preparing in advance, you can help ensure a smoother transition during an already difficult time.
Immediate Steps for Account Recovery:
Do not deactivate the Seller Account immediately, as this will affect:
• Pending orders and customer communications
• Outstanding payments and settlements
• Important business records and data
Account Access and Verification:
To protect the business and its data, we can only assist authorized representatives of the deceased seller's estate.
There are two pathways:
A. If you have Seller Central Account access for the main user and plan to continue selling under the same legal business name:
- Sign in to Seller Central using existing main user credentials
- Change email and password on the account under Account Settings (Note: since this is tied to the buying account with this email, the login information on the buyer account will be changed as well)
- If you are leaving all the information other than the email the same, then you can simply continue to sell your items. However, if you are going to change anything other than the main email, you will need to take the steps provided in the second option as well.
B. If you don't have Seller Central account access or plan on updating the business information, bank account etc.
- First you will first need to get access to the Customer Account by following the steps in the Bereavement Support page
- After you have gained access to the Customer Account, you will then need to login to the Seller Central Account with the email and password that you updated on the Customer Account.
- You will then need to create a case to Seller Support and provide the following information:
- Registered email address on the account, and the store name in which the account is registered
- Your full name
- Your relationship to the seller
- Your email address
- Your contact number, along with your time zone
- A link to the obituary, if there is one
- Power of Attorney letter if you have one and may be required
Once you provide the information through Seller Support, they will contact our internal team for review and let you know when the review is complete or if they need additional information.
Important Considerations while waiting for the review to be completed:
Business Continuity:
Pending orders will need attention
Customer messages require responses
Outstanding payments may need processing
Before Account Closure if you don't want to continue to sell on the account:
Download all business records
Export financial statements
Save inventory records
Backup customer communication history
Data Security:
All submitted documents are securely handled
Documents are deleted after verification
Personal information remains confidential
Next Steps After Verification:
Once the account is verified, you can choose to:
• Change the primary email address - see User Permissions
• Change the Account Information if necessary
• Continue to sell your items or gradually wind down operations
• Close the account permanently
Please note: Account closure is irreversible. All data will be permanently deleted, including:
• Sales history
• Business metrics
• Customer information
• Product listings
Planning Ahead: Protecting Your Amazon Seller Business
While it's difficult to think about, taking a few preventive steps now can help your loved ones manage your Amazon Seller business more easily in the future.
Recommended Steps for Current Sellers:
Document Important Account Information
• Store your Seller Central login credentials in a secure location
• Keep records of your business registration numbers
• Document your store name and Merchant ID
• Maintain an updated list of banking information
• Save copies of identification documents used for the account
Consider Adding Authorized Users
• Add trusted family members as secondary users
• Clearly document their roles and permissions
• Keep user access information current
• Note: Secondary users cannot make account changes without proper documentation
Create a Business Continuity File
• Include step-by-step account access instructions
• List important contact information for:
Your Amazon account manager (if applicable)
Key suppliers
Regular customers
Business partners • Store recent business documents • Include any specific wishes for business continuation or closure
Legal Preparations
• Specify Seller Account succession in your will
• Consider creating a Power of Attorney
• Keep business ownership documents accessible
• Update beneficiary information regularly
Remember: While having secondary users helps with immediate business operations, they will still need to follow the account recovery process outlined above in the event of the primary account holder's passing.Our specialized team understands the sensitivity of this situation and will handle your case with priority and compassion. We're here to support you through each step of this process.
If you need assistance with getting access to an account of a loved one that has passed, please follow the steps provided above for assistance, as we cannot take action for you in the Seller Forums due to security reasons. However, if you have a case that has been aging for greater than 10 business days for this type of issue and you need assistance, please create a new discussion and select Account Setup > Verification and we will see if there is anyway we can escalate this for you. Ensure you provide your Seller Support Case ID to help expedite your concern.
Remember, you're not alone in this process and we are here to help.
Michelle
Pinned by community manager