Amazon Suspensions in 2026: AI Enforcement and Video ID Checks

If Amazon has deactivated your account and asked for a video verification call, book the call, and prepare the exact same identity documents you used when you registered. Do not submit new documents, do not send a templated appeal, and do not try to open a second account while you wait.

Most video verification requests are about one question: is the person behind this account the person Amazon verified? Answer that cleanly and many cases resolve. Answer it with a different passport, a different address or a different person on camera, and a fixable problem becomes a hard one. This post is a calm, step-by-step plan, as of October 2026. Amazon’s process changes often, so follow the instructions in your own Seller Central notification first.

Why are so many accounts being suspended right now?

Two things are happening at once.

First, enforcement is increasingly automated. eCommerce Fastlane’s June piece describes it as AI-first: systems flag and suspend accounts before a person reviews them, scanning listings, images, pricing, feedback, seller history and compliance documents, and linking accounts through device fingerprints and IP matches. That article is based on the author’s experience rather than published data, but it matches what sellers describe on the forums: the deactivation comes first, and the explanation is short.

Second, identity checks. Amazon has used live video calls to verify sellers since a 2020 pilot. At the time, GeekWire reported that trained Amazon staff check on a Chime call that the ID documents match the person on screen, and that Amazon said the process does not use facial recognition. Since then, seller forum threads show the same request appearing for existing sellers, not just new ones, often after a deactivation.

What about the reported September sweep?

In September 2026, one industry site reported a pre-peak sweep of existing accounts under Section 3 of the seller agreement (the suspension and termination section), with reinstatement requiring a live video identity check and disbursements held during review. It gave a figure of about 20,000 accounts, citing Chinese cross-border trade outlets.

We could not verify that figure. Amazon has not announced a sweep, the same site says so, and we found no second independent report. So treat the number as unconfirmed. What is well established is the pattern: video verification requests tied to deactivations, with payouts typically held while the review runs. That is what to plan for, whatever the size of any sweep.

What should I do in the first 48 hours?

Here is the order we follow:

1. Read the notification twice. Note the exact policy or reason cited, the deadline, and what Amazon asks for. A verification request and a policy violation need different responses.
2. Do not open or use another account. Amazon links accounts through device and network signals. A second account during a suspension can turn one problem into a related-accounts problem.
3. Find your original registration documents. Forum threads show Amazon asking for the original identity document submitted at registration, with the line “We do not accept any new documents.” If your passport has since been renewed, say so plainly when asked rather than quietly substituting the new one, and have both available.
4. Confirm the right person attends. The person on the call should be the person whose ID was used to register the account. If that person has left the business, you have a bigger problem to solve first, and you should get advice before the call.
5. Check every detail matches. Name, address, business registration, bank account holder and credit card holder should line up with what Amazon has on file. Any mismatch gives the reviewer a reason to fail the check.
6. Plan for cash. Disbursements are usually held during the review, while suppliers, freight and ad invoices keep arriving. Pause or reduce ad spend on Amazon if you cannot sell, and talk to suppliers early.

How do I prepare for the video verification call?

Amazon’s own forum guidance is thin on specifics. An Amazon staff post says you should receive an email before a scheduled call that lists the information and documents you will need. Follow that email exactly.

Some sellers are offered a choice between an instant photo-based check (one forum thread quotes Amazon as saying it takes “3 to 8 minutes”) and a scheduled video call with an associate. Either way, prepare the same way:

One more thing from the forums: make sure the link is for the marketplace where your account is registered. A seller on Amazon’s European forums received a US call link for a UK account and could not get it fixed through Seller Support. If something about the request looks wrong, raise it in writing before the call.

What should never go in an appeal?

If your deactivation is about a policy issue rather than identity, you will need a written appeal. eCommerce Fastlane lists the common reasons appeals fail, and they match what we see:

• Answering the wrong question. The appeal must address the specific reason cited, not your general good standing.
• Templates and AI-written text. Generic, polished language reads as not specific to your case.
• Claims without evidence. If you say the product is authentic, attach invoices. If you say you fixed a process, show what changed.
• Blaming others. Pointing at a supplier, a carrier or a former employee without taking ownership of the fix tends to fail.

We would add a few of our own:

• Do not admit to things you did not do just to sound cooperative.
• Do not send several appeals in a row with different stories.
• Do not include anything you cannot back with a document.
• Do not use a document that has been edited, even to fix a typo.

A good appeal is short, specific, and boring: the cause, what you fixed, what you changed to prevent it, and the evidence for each. If the appeal is rejected, eCommerce Fastlane describes escalation paths beyond Seller Central. We would only use those after a clear, documented appeal has been refused.

How do I lower the risk before Q4?

The best time to prepare for verification is before Amazon asks. This week:

1. Check your account information page. Legal name, address, business details, bank and card holders should be current and consistent.
2. Find the original registration ID. Know where it is and whether it is still valid.
3. Write down who registered the account. If that person has left or the business has changed hands, fix the documentation now. Since August 24, 2026, transferring the account or pledging its payouts also conflicts with the seller agreement; see our post on the account transfer and revenue pledging ban.
4. Keep invoices organized by ASIN. Authenticity and safety questions are answered with supplier invoices, fast.
5. Clean up operational risk. FBM sellers face new delivery metrics this quarter, covered in our post on the Business Hour Delivery Rate. Resellers should confirm every FBA unit carries an FNSKU label since commingling ended, because defective inbound units are an avoidable flag.
6. Keep a cash buffer. A held disbursement in November is the scenario that hurts most. Know how many weeks you could run without payouts.

When should you get help?

If the reason in your notification is clear and the fix is simple, you can often handle it yourself with the steps above. If the notice cites inauthentic items, related accounts, or anything under Section 3, or if your first appeal was rejected, get experienced help before you send anything else. Each failed appeal makes the next one harder.

Our account suspension and reinstatement team works on these cases. We will tell you honestly if we think your case is weak, and we will not promise an outcome no one can promise.