Lately I’ve seen the same verification pain point show up across multiple ecommerce founders and seller forums, so figured I’d share a quick synthesis of what’s actually forcing it — and why “just using a random mailbox” isn’t cutting it anymore.

Here are the confirmed trends and real outcomes from both platform policy, legal requirements, and seller experiences:

Amazon now checks business addresses actively

Amazon has been mailing physical postcards to sellers to confirm their business address, with a code you must enter in Seller Central. If the postcard isn’t received or the code isn’t entered, the platform can withhold funds or flag accounts. (CNBC)

This stems from enforcement of the INFORM Consumers Act, which requires marketplaces to collect and verify business contact details — including address and phone — for sellers. Failure to respond within timelines can lead to account suspension. (AMZ Sellers Attorney®)

KYC and business presence checks are now more stringent

It isn’t just Amazon. Banks, payment processors like Stripe, and fintechs are tightening Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-fraud checks. Recent compliance guides note that banks are increasingly rejecting CMRA mailbox or basic virtual addresses because they can’t be tied to a verifiable operational location. (Smarty)

For example:

• Stripe now screens business addresses and often requires more than a simple virtual address, especially for non-resident or higher-risk setups. (NCP & Verified Expansion)
• Even if a virtual address is technically allowed, it has to be tied to a real commercial location with mail receipt and ideally supporting docs — not just a PO Box or generic digital mailbox. (Alliance Virtual Offices)

Seller experiences

Across Amazon seller forums, people are reporting real trouble:

• Accounts getting flagged for INFORM Act address verification even after providing identity and tax documents. Some sellers can’t move forward because a postcard isn’t arriving or the system won’t accept their address. (Amazon Seller Central)
• Threads where sellers using agent addresses or PO boxes worry they’ll get suspended if/when verification is triggered. (Reddit)
• Non-resident sellers report that Amazon may ask for proof of address long after registration, and verification can take 1–3 months if docs don’t line up. (Reddit)

What address keeps getting flagged

Across compliance guides and seller forums, these types of addresses tend to trigger verification trouble:

• PO Boxes (can’t receive verification postcards) (Alliance Virtual Offices)
• UPS Store/mailbox center addresses (Alliance Virtual Offices)
• Basic digital mailboxes with no physical office presence (Alliance Virtual Offices)
• Shared coworking addresses where mail isn’t signed for personally (Alliance Virtual Offices)

So what’s going on?

What used to be a “formality” — filling in an address and getting a seller ID — is now a documented part of compliance and fraud screening across marketplaces and financial providers. Platforms are literally expected by law and regulators to know who they’re doing business with, and that’s why:

✔ Amazon may withhold funds or suspend if address verification isn’t completed properly.
✔ Banks/payment processors may reject applications if addresses can’t be verified in AML/KYC.
✔ Virtual mailbox or agent addresses frequently aren’t enough without a verifiable physical mailing path.

Curious what others have done?

Has anyone here had an Amazon, Shopify, or bank account successfully verified with:

• a physical commercial address,
• utility bills,
• lease + mail receipt, or
• hybrid setups that actually passed compliance checks?

What worked best for your platform? 👇

https://www.reddit.com/user/virtualpostmail/comments/1owe9cg/proof_of_address_for_us_business_owners_why_lease/