How to Set Up an Amazon Seller Account from Taiwan: Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon offers two seller plans. Individual: no monthly fee, but Amazon charges $0.99 per item sold. Limited features — no access to FBA, Sponsored Products advertising, A+ Content, or bulk listing tools. Suitable only for casual sellers with under 40 items per month.

Professional: $39.99/month flat fee with no per-item fee. Required for FBA, advertising, Brand Registry, bulk listing uploads, and all advanced selling tools. For any Taiwan brand planning to build a real US business, Professional is the correct choice from day one.

If you sell more than 40 units per month, Professional is already cheaper than Individual ($39.99 vs $40+ in per-item fees). At 100 units/month, Individual costs $99 vs Professional's flat $39.99. The math is straightforward — start with Professional.

New seller promotion: Amazon periodically waives the first 3 months of the Professional fee for new accounts. Check the current registration page for applicable promotions.

Amazon requires identity verification (Know Your Customer / KYC) for all new seller accounts. As a Taiwan business, prepare the following before starting registration:

Business entity: ROC Business Registration Certificate, company bank account statement (last 90 days showing company name and address), and the legal representative's national ID or passport.

Individual / sole proprietor: passport (primary identity document for non-US citizens), a utility bill or bank statement showing your residential address in the last 90 days, and credit card for paying Amazon fees.

Bank account: Amazon pays sellers via direct deposit to a bank account. For Taiwan sellers, the easiest options are Payoneer (provides a US bank account number to register with Amazon) or Wise Business. Both convert disbursements to NTD at competitive rates. Using a Taiwan bank account directly is possible but requires confirming SWIFT compatibility with your bank.

Credit card: a valid international credit card (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX) to pay monthly subscription and advertising fees. The card billing address must match the address on your identity document.

Step 1: Go to sell.amazon.com and click "Sign up." Create an Amazon account or use an existing consumer account (using a dedicated business email is recommended — separate from your personal Amazon shopping account).

Step 2: Choose your marketplace. For selling on Amazon.com (US), select United States. You can add other marketplaces later.

Step 3: Enter business information. Legal business name (matches your registration documents exactly), business address, and phone number. Amazon will send a verification PIN by phone or SMS.

Step 4: Enter billing and deposit information. Credit card for fees, and bank account (Payoneer or Wise account number) for receiving disbursements.

Step 5: Identity verification. Upload photos of your identity document (passport or national ID) and a bank statement. Amazon's automated system reviews submissions; complex cases go to a human reviewer. Approval takes 1–5 business days for straightforward applications. If Amazon requests additional information (common for new international accounts), respond within 72 hours to avoid delays.

Rejection 1: Document mismatch. The name or address on your bank statement does not exactly match your ID or business registration. Ensure all documents show identical information. If your business has a Chinese name, ensure the English romanization is consistent across all documents.

Rejection 2: Address not verifiable. Amazon's system cannot verify your address through public records (common for Taiwan addresses, which do not appear in Western address validation databases). Solution: provide a utility bill or bank statement with the address prominently displayed.

Rejection 3: Suspicious account activity. Amazon's fraud detection sometimes flags new international accounts for additional review. If flagged, Amazon sends an email requesting a video call verification — complete this promptly and have your original documents ready.

Rejection 4: Existing linked account. If you previously had an Amazon seller account that was suspended or closed, Amazon links new registrations by device, IP, or payment method. Do not create multiple accounts to circumvent a previous suspension — this violates Amazon's policies. Address the original suspension through Amazon's appeals process.