How Many Amazon Seller Accounts Can You Have Per Household?

#1

I am the mother and have an Amazon seller account? My fourteen and sixteen year olds live under the same household as me and want to have their own Amazon seller accounts and sell their own stuff to earn money. They each have their own checking account and debit/credit card. Is it acceptable for each of them to have their own Amazon seller account or is this a violation and considered “similar” accounts since we are under the same household?

Can a minor have an Amazon Seller account or is this an Amazon violation?

#2

You are allowed 1 seller account per household unless you have a legitimate business reason for a second account and then you have to get permission for that second account…
Your children wanting to “earn their own money” is not a legitimate business reason.
> Can a minor have an Amazon Seller account or is this an Amazon violation?
To answer this question NO
Minors cannot open an account as they cannot sign a business agreement.

#3

  1. One account per household

  2. Minors may not have Amazon accounts. Accounts are contracts and you must be 18 to enter a contract.

#4

If they want to sell their stuff, list it under your account but do something to identify it as theirs so you know the money belongs to them.

Here’s something I did. One of my friends gave me some books after cleaning out her bookshelves, and I split the profits with her. (She said I didn’t have to do that, but I offered because she and her husband are both on disability.) I price “my” books in whole-dollar amounts, and “hers” in 50-cent amounts.

#5

I offered to do this but they want their “own” accounts, “own” money and independence of their parents.

#6

Please make it clear to them that if they go ahead in rebellious-teenaged fashion and try to create an account anyway, YOUR account will be banned, and that is for life, you will never be able to sell on Amazon again.

#7

I think Mick Jagger had a response. It goes something like this:

“+You can’t always get what you want…”+

#8

Your children MUST be at least 18 years of age to open a seller account on Amazon.

Participation Agreement

  1. Eligibility.

Use of the Site and Services is limited to parties that lawfully can enter into and form contracts under applicable law. For example, minors are not allowed to use the Services. To register, you must provide your real name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and valid credit card information. You represent and warrant that: (a) if you are a business, you are duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the country in which your business is registered and that you are registering for the Services within such country; (b) you have all requisite right, power and authority to enter into this Participation Agreement and perform your obligations hereunder; and © any information provided or made available by you or your affiliates to Amazon or its affiliates is at all times accurate and complete.

#9

Here is the answer Amazon gave me.

Amazon Dec 04, 2016 09:25 PM
Greetings from Amazon Seller Support,

I understand that you want to know is it acceptable to have different seller accounts for a Mother and daughters or sons who live in the same household.

Please be informed that this is considered as violation to have a separate seller account who lives in a same household. However you are willing to make your childrens to sell in Amazon.

In this case, you can apply for an exception to this policy for the multiple selling account with your childrens. On the Contact Us form, select “Account Settings” and then the “Other account issues” sub-category:

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/contact-us/contact-amazon-form.html

To apply for an exception, you must:

  1. Provide an explanation of the legitimate business need for a second account
  2. Have an account in good standing with excellent Customer Metrics
  3. Have a separate e-mail address, credit card, and bank account for the new account
  4. Not intend to sell the same products in both accounts

You’ll receive a response to your request within 2-3 business days.

you can directly contact performance to apply for open an another selling accounts for your childrens who are in the sane household by using below email:

seller-performance@amazon.com

So that they will check and help you in opening second account.

Thank you for understanding Amazon policies and conditions.

Have a great day!​

#10

+They each have their own checking account and debit/credit card.+

It is important to understand that Amazon requires a credit card as well as a bank account. Recently, Amazon has begun to disallow the use of a checking account debit card to fulfill this requirement.

It would be unusual for a 14 year old and a 16 year old to have a credit card in the child’s own name, completely independent of your own credit cards. Even if the child had a card with his name printed on it, if that card were tied to your own account, it could create a conflict.

You also need to understand that Seller Support has sent you a boiler-plate response. This response is a scripted ‘answer’ to a commonly asked question; it does not necessarily apply to your own specific circumstance. If, at a later date, the Seller Performance team issues you a policy violation for related accounts, it would not help you to say that Seller Support told you it was OK.

You cannot ignore the fact that, as minors, the children cannot enter into enforceable legal contracts.

#11

Did you tell Seller Support that your children were under 18 years old? (I also don’t think they’ll accept that the children want their own accounts, etc., as a valid business excuse, but who knows?)

#12

One of those privileges that teenagers just can’t wait for. They have to be older first before they can sell on amazon.

Have they considered being a seller on craigslist or ebay?

-…-

#13

Please be aware that Seller Support is really there for tech issues and you will more likely than not receve a totally bogus answer that is contrary to Amazon’s written policy, which has been quoted to you and is the final arbiter.

It is true that Amazon makes occasional exceptions to the one per household rule
IF
the 2nd applicant is over 18 and able to contract
the 2nd applicant has their own credit card and bank account - also best to have a totally separate corporation
the 2nd applicant will be selling entirely different products in an entirely different category. Absolutely no product overlap is allowed.

But knock yourself out. Go ahead and apply. If you are honest about them being under 18 you will be denied. If you or they lie about it you will get caught someplace along the line and all of you will be permanently suspended.

If they want to sell, then come up with a product code for their stuff and give them their share every disbursement
Minus all Amazon fees and your expenses for shipping, packaging, etc. Make them do the math. It’ll be good for them.

If they sneak around and open an account with no approval, as others have said, all of you will be shut down permanently.

#14

Unfortunately, the rules don’t allow that.

Once the money starts coming in, they won’t complain.

#15

I’ve posted this before and it got heavily downvoted, but it doesn’t change the facts…

Minors CAN enter into legal agreements.
(but they are voidable at the minor’s discretion so it encourages companies to avoid entering into them)

#16

… so that is why I used the modifier +enforceable+ legal contracts…

closed #17