Virtual address for an Amazon seller account: what Amazon actually asks for
Updated October 28, 2026 · Amazon's public seller registration guide, Amazon Pay's verification help page, 15 U.S.C. § 45f (INFORM Consumers Act) and provider pages checked on that date · Affiliate disclosure
Lots of Amazon sellers want a virtual address so their home address stays off their seller profile, return labels and vendor paperwork. Amazon's registration asks for several addresses, though, and its identity check is built around documents that prove where you live. This guide goes through each address field using Amazon's own published pages and the federal INFORM Consumers Act. Where Amazon's help pages were login-walled, we say so instead of guessing.
Short answer (checked October 28, 2026)
🪪 Your identity check: Amazon asks the primary contact for a government-issued ID, their residential address, and "proof of residential business address dated from the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement," followed by a selfie with your ID or a video call. A mailbox address doesn't replace any of that.
🏢 Registered business address: Amazon says to "enter the address that appears on your business license." Its public guide doesn't say whether a registered agent or virtual mailbox address is allowed there.
📢 Public seller address: under federal law, high-volume sellers with $20,000+ in annual gross revenues on a marketplace have their "physical address" disclosed to buyers, unless they certify they have only a residential address (then just country and state are shown).
📦 Where a virtual address helps: receiving mail, returns and supplier samples, and keeping your home address off things you control. We couldn't verify an Amazon rule that names virtual mailboxes either way.
Which address fields Amazon asks for
From Amazon's US guide "Amazon seller registration in 5 steps" (sell.amazon.com), checked October 28, 2026:
Business location
"Select the country where your business is registered. If you're operating as an individual or your business isn't otherwise incorporated, select the country where you're doing business from."
Registered business address
"Enter the address that appears on your business license." If your LLC's filings list a registered agent or mailing address, check which address actually appears on your registration document.
Primary contact residential address
Amazon asks you to use "a government-issued ID like a passport" to enter your full legal name, citizenship, date of birth and "Residential address." This is about you, not your business mail.
Proof of address document
"Proof of residential business address dated from the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement." The address on the statement must line up with what you entered.
Bank and card billing address
Amazon needs an internationally chargeable credit card and a bank account in your name or your business's name. Those accounts carry whatever address your bank has on file. See our bank account guide for banks' rules.
Public seller / returns address
Governed by the INFORM Consumers Act for high-volume sellers. See below.
Amazon's identity and address verification
Step 5 of Amazon's guide says: "you'll be prompted to upload the following documents to verify your identity: Government-issued ID; Proof of residential business address dated from the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement." Then you either "take a photo of your face and government-issued ID" or "join or schedule a video call with an Amazon associate," bringing "your government-issued ID and proof of residential address to the call." Amazon says identity verification "usually takes three business days or less."
Amazon Pay, a separate Amazon payments product whose merchants register through Seller Central, publishes its verification rules in more detail. Its help page asks for a bank or credit card statement "issued within the last 180 days" that shows "the name and address of the account holder," and says: "If you use a Registered Agent, provide a document that matches the business address in your Amazon Payments merchant account." That is Amazon Pay's rule, not necessarily Seller Central's selling-account rule, but it shows Amazon checking that documents match the address you enter.
What this means in practice: if your bank statements go to your home, that's the address your proof of address will show. Opening a virtual mailbox doesn't change what's printed on your existing statements, and Amazon's guide asks for residential proof for the person verifying.
The INFORM Consumers Act: what buyers see
The federal INFORM Consumers Act (15 U.S.C. § 45f) applies to "high-volume third party sellers": those with 200 or more sales of new or unused consumer products and $5,000 or more in gross revenues in any continuous 12-month period during the previous 24 months.
Collection. The marketplace must collect a bank account, a tax ID, a working email and phone number, and contact information. For a seller that isn't an individual, that's either a government ID for someone acting for it, or "a copy of a valid government-issued record or tax document that includes the business name and physical address of such seller."
Disclosure. For high-volume sellers with "$20,000 or more in annual gross revenues" on the marketplace, buyers must be shown the seller's full name, "the physical address of the seller," and contact information.
Residential exception. If the seller "does not have a business address and only has a residential street address, or has a combined business and residential address," the marketplace may disclose only the country and state, and tell buyers to contact the seller by phone, email or messaging.
Returns address. If the seller certifies it "has a physical address for product returns," the marketplace "may disclose the seller's physical address for product returns."
The statute uses "physical address" without defining whether a CMRA counts, and we found no FTC or Amazon page that answers that. Treat a mailbox address in the disclosure field as unverified.
What the sources say (sourced table)
Institution
Address field
Verdict
What the source says
Source (checked)
Amazon Seller Central (primary contact identity) Marketplace
Primary contact residential address & proof of address
Physical address required (CMRA not named)
Amazon's US seller registration guide asks for the primary contact's residential address (taken from a government-issued ID like a passport) and, at identity verification, proof of 'residential business address' dated within the last 180 days, such as a bank or credit card statement, followed by a selfie-with-ID or a video call with an Amazon associate. Amazon's public guide does not mention virtual mailboxes or CMRAs by name; Seller Central help pages were login/JavaScript-walled when we checked.
“Proof of residential business address dated from the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement”
Amazon Seller Central (registered business address) Marketplace
Registered business address
No restriction stated
In step 1 of Amazon's US registration guide, the registered business address is whatever appears on your business license, and the business location is the country where the business is registered (or, for unincorporated sellers, where you do business from). The guide doesn't say whether a registered agent or virtual mailbox address is allowed in this field. Amazon Pay's merchant verification page (a separate Amazon product registered through Seller Central) says that if you use a registered agent, you must provide a document that matches the business address on the account.
“Registered business address: Enter the address that appears on your business license.”
INFORM Consumers Act (15 U.S.C. 45f) Federal statute
Seller address a marketplace must collect & disclose
Physical address required (CMRA not named)
Online marketplaces must collect bank, tax ID, email/phone and contact information from 'high-volume third party sellers' (200 or more sales of new or unused consumer products and $5,000 or more in gross revenues in a continuous 12-month period during the previous 24 months). A seller that is not an individual can satisfy the contact item with either a government-issued ID for a person acting for it or a government record or tax document showing the business name and physical address. High-volume sellers with $20,000 or more in annual gross revenues on the marketplace must also have their name, physical address and contact information disclosed to consumers. If the seller certifies it has no business address, only a residential street address, the marketplace may disclose just the country and state.
Seller Central help pages. Amazon's Seller Central help articles on identity verification load only with JavaScript or a login, so we couldn't read and quote them. We cite only Amazon's public sell.amazon.com guide and Amazon Pay's public help page.
Whether Amazon accepts a CMRA as the registered business address. Amazon's public pages don't say. Amazon seller-forum threads discuss it, but forum replies aren't published policy, so we don't rely on them.
Postcard or other address checks. Some Amazon registration materials mention address verification by postcard. The only copy we found was marked confidential, so we don't quote it. If a code is mailed to your business address, a mailbox provider that scans mail lets you read it remotely.
Non-US marketplaces. This page covers Amazon's US marketplace only. Other countries have their own rules.
Virtual address providers for online sellers, compared
As of October 28, 2026. These providers market to online sellers on their own sites: iPostal1 has a page saying its addresses "support marketplace verification" for e-commerce businesses, Anytime Mailbox has an E-Commerce page (returns, privacy), and PostScan Mail's dropshipping page lists "Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, or eBay store owners." Those are the providers' own claims, not Amazon's. Prices are from each provider's pricing page on the date shown.
Entry plans as published on each provider's pricing page. Prices exclude tax. “Varies” means the price depends on the address/location you pick.
30 mail items / month; 1 company name + up to 6 recipient names
Not included: $2.25 per scan order (up to 10 pages), then $0.25/page; prepaid bundles from $10 for 5 orders
$99/year add-on with any business plan, in listed states only (AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY as of check date)
Entry: Virtual Business Address (30 items), from $14.99/mo (varies by location)
Included: 30 mail items / month; 1 company name + up to 6 recipient names
Scanning: Not included: $2.25 per scan order (up to 10 pages), then $0.25/page; prepaid bundles from $10 for 5 orders
Forwarding: Real-time carrier postage shown at checkout; letter consolidation free, $1.95 per package consolidated
Check deposit: $4.95 to deposit up to 5 checks, plus scan and trackable shipping (most locations)
Business names: Business plans include 1 company name (personal plans include none)
Registered agent: $99/year add-on with any business plan, in listed states only (AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY as of check date)
Annual: Yearly from $149/yr for the 30-item business plan
Other plans
Business 60 items: $19.99/mo — 60 items/month
Business 120 items: $29.99/mo — 120 items/month
Business 240 items: $44.99/mo — 240 items/month
Personal Virtual Mailing Address (no company name): $9.99/mo — 30 items/month
Prices are 'starting at' and vary by Standard/Select/Premium/Prestige location, plus tax. $0.35 per item over plan maximum.
Entry: Varies by location (each mail center sets its own plans), from $9.99/mo (varies by location)
Included: Set per location; shown before signup
Scanning: Plan- and location-dependent
Forwarding: Plan- and location-dependent
Check deposit: Select locations only
Homepage states 'Plans from $9.99 per month' and its FAQ says the cheapest plans are $4.99 and some vanity addresses cost up to $50. Its own FAQ says it does not recommend using the address as an official business address for LLC registration, IRS or banking without checking with the state/institution first.
Start with your entity paperwork. Amazon asks for the address on your business license, so decide which address goes on your state filings first. See the LLC guide and registered agent vs virtual mailbox.
Keep your proof-of-address documents consistent. Amazon checks recent bank or card statements, so the addresses you enter should match what your bank already has on file.
Pick for packages. Sellers get returns, samples and carrier notices. Compare package handling, storage and forwarding fees.
Use scanning for time-sensitive mail. Verification codes, tax forms and legal notices may arrive by mail. Pick a plan with fast content scanning.
Apply the same thinking to payment processors. If you also sell through Stripe, read the Stripe guide, because Stripe rejects CMRAs in some fields.
Checklist
Have a government-issued photo ID ready (passport or driver's license) that matches your legal name.
Have a bank or credit card statement from the last 180 days showing your name and residential address.
Have your business license or registration document and note the address printed on it.
If you use a mailbox, complete USPS PS Form 1583 first (Form 1583 explained) so mail to it is delivered.
Enter addresses in Seller Central exactly as they appear on your documents.
If you become a high-volume seller, review what Amazon will display under the INFORM Act, and whether you qualify for the residential-address partial disclosure or have a physical returns address.
Keep the mailbox and its scanning active. Amazon may ask for more documents later.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a virtual address for my Amazon seller account?
For mail and returns, a virtual address can help, but it doesn't replace Amazon's identity checks. Amazon's US registration guide asks for the primary contact's residential address and proof of residential business address dated within 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement. Amazon's public pages don't say whether a virtual mailbox is accepted as the registered business address.
What address does Amazon want as the registered business address?
Amazon's guide says: enter the address that appears on your business license. So the address printed on your business registration document is what Amazon expects in that field.
What documents does Amazon use to verify a seller's address?
A government-issued ID and proof of residential business address dated from the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement. You then take a photo of your face with your ID or join a video call with an Amazon associate, bringing your ID and proof of residential address.
Will Amazon show my home address to buyers?
Under the INFORM Consumers Act, high-volume third-party sellers with $20,000 or more in annual gross revenues on a marketplace must have their physical address disclosed to buyers. If you certify you have no business address and only a residential street address, the marketplace may show only your country and state.
Can I use a registered agent address on Amazon?
Amazon's selling-account guide doesn't say. Amazon Pay's verification page says that if you use a registered agent, you must provide a document that matches the business address in your Amazon Payments merchant account.
Which virtual address providers work for Amazon sellers?
Amazon doesn't endorse any. iPostal1, Anytime Mailbox and PostScan Mail market to e-commerce and marketplace sellers on their own sites; compare their dated prices, scanning and package handling in our table.
Sources
All checked October 28, 2026. Provider pricing pages are linked in the comparison table.
Amazon, Amazon seller registration in 5 steps (sell.amazon.com): sell.amazon.com
Amazon Pay Help, Verifying your identity: pay.amazon.com
15 U.S.C. § 45f, Collection, verification, and disclosure of information by online marketplaces to inform consumers (INFORM Consumers Act): Cornell LII
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 508.1.8, Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies: pe.usps.com
AddressAccepted is independent and isn't affiliated with Amazon, a law firm or USPS. This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Amazon's requirements change and can differ by account, so follow the instructions Amazon shows you in Seller Central.