Are you thinking of or are you already running an Amazon Store? Then, this article is for you. A new requirement from Amazon Marketplace went into effect on September 1, 2020, impacting businesses selling products on Amazon. In an effort to counter fraud, Amazon requires all sellers on its U.S. marketplace to display their business name and address on their Amazon.com seller profile.

So, what does this mean for you and your business?

You need to be careful with the type of business address you use for your Amazon Store because it will be public and what you choose may affect your operations.

Read on for tips on how to choose your business address and how to set it up with your Amazon Store account.

Avoid Using Your Home Address For Your Amazon Store

As a seller, using your home address for your Amazon Store will put you in an uncomfortable situation in multiple ways.

First, you will be exposing your home address to the public for all shoppers to see and access. Your home address will be visible to all your Amazon customers, which means as a seller you could have buyers show up at your house asking for their packages! That’s a big YIKES!

There is also the issue of liability concerns. If there is something wrong with your product or something goes wrong with your shop, you could be made liable without the business protection because you used your personal home address. It’s not a good idea to mix your business with personal property or information, specific to when you’re an LLC.

Protect your personal safety and liability, and DON’T use your home address for your Amazon Store.

A P.O. Box Presents Big Limitations For Your Amazon Store

Let’s clear up the fact that the business address shown on your profile can be a street or P.O. box address. However, we just covered how your home address might not be ideal because of privacy and liability concerns for your seller profile.

Now, for your return address, where returns will be shipped, you can set a different address from the seller profile. You can even set different return addresses based on different conditions.

So, yes you can use a P.O. box, but it’s not recommended due to package, courier, and product limitations. If you choose to use a P.O. box as your return address for your Amazon Store, you will be limited by the restrictions that a P.O. box presents to your business.

Depending on what your Amazon store sells, you will have to be careful about the size of the P.O. box you choose and the volume of packages and mail it can handle. Otherwise, it might not work, and you could risk losing or wasting the time hunting down all of the packages and returns that are sent to your P.O. box.

You also need to be aware of the fact that P.O. boxes do not accept packages from other couriers besides USPS. That’s a big barrier for any store because that means you’ll have to get a separate address in order to receive from couriers such as UPS and FedEx.

And finally, P.O. boxes may limit you in the type of items you can receive, including certain electronics that may not be accepted by P.O. boxes. Save yourself the headache and skip the P.O. box.

So, is there an address you can get that will protect your privacy and not have barriers like couriers, size, or product limitations?

Get a Virtual Mailbox For Your Amazon Store

A virtual mailbox provides you with a physical street address that you can use as your business address. You receive all of your mail and packages at this address, but the virtual mailbox address accepts all courier services, so you can be confident that you will be receiving all of your items, whether it is being delivered by UPS, FedEx, USPS, or another service.

There are many aspects of this physical address that you can take advantage of for your business. You can rest assured that you are safe from nosy customers, scary strangers, or prying eyes of competitors because your home address is not being used as the business address for your Amazon Store. They will see the location of your business address instead.

You can also capitalize on the fact that your separate address can be attached to a commercial building, boosting the prestige and reputation of your business. Rather than having your store look like it’s run out of your home, you can present the image that you are a successful shop with a commercial location. This will make your business more attractive to potential customers who are looking to purchase your products!

With a virtual mailbox, you won’t have to worry about the size of your packages or storage needs. The virtual mailbox service will notify you of every delivery made, and you will have the option of forwarding, discarding, or storing your packages and mail.

How to Edit Your Amazon Business Address

  1. Log into your Amazon seller account.
  2. In the Settings menu at the top right corner of Seller Central, click Account Info to view the Seller Account Information page.
  3. To change your business name, click Display Name, and change the address, click Business Address. Enter the new information or edit the current information.
  4. Submit to save.

Ready For A Virtual Mailbox?

When running an online business, some Amazon sellers will opt to use their home address. This isn’t an uncommon option however, you might not be comfortable with sharing the location of your home.

If you want to keep your home address private, a virtual mailbox is an easy and affordable solution. Some Amazon sellers even have a physical warehouse or location, but want to keep it private to avoid surprise visits from customers.

  • Use the address on shipping and return labels.
  • Protect your personal address on your website and storefront to lend legitimacy to your brand.
  • Include it on legal documents and certain registrations.
  • Use the address to receive mail.

Now you know what business address you need to use for your Amazon Store. Instead of exposing your personal privacy and your business liability by using your home address, get a virtual mailbox! A virtual mailbox bypasses the headache you get with a P.O. box with limited courier services (P.O. boxes only get mail and packages from USPS) and makes it easier to verify the address as it’s a real street address.

With VPM, you can get started and selling today!