Age-Restricted Products on Amazon (Age Verification on Delivery)

If you sell age-restricted products on Amazon, such as alcohol, tobacco or knives, delivery must also be made with age verification. Sellers who do not follow this rule receive a warning similar to the one below. Amazon monitors this topic closely, especially in the UK marketplace.

What does the warning from Amazon look like?

Dear Seller,

Thank you for speaking with us about your Amazon selling account. As a result of recent violations of Amazon's Age Verification on Delivery (AVD) policy, your account will be temporarily deactivated in 72 hours if you do not send a plan of action addressing these violations.

Why is this happening?
You have continued shipping age-restricted products without using a permitted Age Verification on Delivery (AVD) service. As required by Amazon policy, age-restricted products must be shipped using a permitted AVD service.

Examples of age-restricted products you have shipped without using a permitted AVD service include:
ASIN: B00XXXXXXXXX
Title: Run Grapefruit Knife, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, Brown, XXXXXXXXXXXX
Restricted Product Policy: Age-restricted product not shipped with Age Verification on Delivery (AVD) service

What's next?
To continue selling on Amazon, you must submit a plan of action within 72 hours. A valid plan of action contains:
— The root cause for your violations of our Age Verification on Delivery (AVD) policy
— The specific proactive steps you have taken to prevent violations of this policy in the future

What does this email mean?

If you have received this warning, you have listed an age-restricted product and most likely sold it as well. Amazon requires the buyer's age to be verified when age-restricted products are delivered. These products must be shipped with a permitted Age Verification on Delivery (AVD) service. If you are a seller who ships products with your own carrier, using this service is your responsibility. As in the example above, if you do not send a plan explaining the root cause and preventive steps within the stated time, your account may be temporarily suspended.

Which products are age-restricted?

• Alcoholic drinks.
• Cigarettes, tobacco, shisha and other tobacco-based products (including e-cigarettes).
• Fireworks, caps and cracker snaps.
• Hazardous chemicals: lighter fuel, adhesives, aerosols.
• Acids.
• Cutting products such as knives and saws.

This list is not exhaustive; Amazon may change product categories and country-specific rules. For the current rules of the relevant marketplace, see Amazon's page on age-restricted products.

What is AVD, and what happens at delivery?

Age Verification on Delivery means verifying the age of the person receiving the product at the time of delivery, using an ID card or passport. In Amazon's own delivery service, the driver records the recipient's year of birth and asks for photo ID if needed; if the age cannot be verified, the age-restricted product is not left with a neighbor or at the door. Other carriers may apply their own age verification procedures. That is why, if you ship with your own carrier, choosing the right service is essential.

Checklist for choosing a carrier

1. Confirm in writing that the carrier offers an age- or ID-verified delivery service (for example an adult signature service); the name of the service varies by carrier.
2. Verify, using the current policy in Seller Central, that the service you choose meets the AVD conditions Amazon accepts.
3. Make sure you select this service every time you create a shipment; use a fixed shipping template for age-restricted ASINs.
4. Keep the signature and ID check records; they will help you as proof of delivery in appeals.
5. Reflect the cost of the additional service and the delivery time in your price.
6. Go through all your listings and make a list of age-restricted products; check this list when adding new products.

If you have received a warning, how do you prepare a Plan of Action?

• Root cause: Why did you ship the age-restricted product without an AVD service? Did you not notice that the product was restricted, was the carrier choice wrong, or was it missed in a bulk shipment? Write the real reason clearly.
• Corrective steps: Explain how you corrected the affected orders, listings and shipping settings; if necessary, temporarily close the ASINs concerned.
• Preventive steps: List concrete measures such as a fixed shipping template for age-restricted products, staff training and a pre-shipment check.
• Deadline: Send the plan within the time stated in the email. For the details of writing it, see our guide How to write a Plan of Action.

Frequently asked questions

Does this rule apply only to the UK?

The example above is from the UK marketplace. Rules for age-restricted products vary by marketplace; check the current help page for the country you sell in.

Does anything change if I use FBA?

For products shipped through FBA, Amazon runs the delivery process. Even so, it remains your responsibility that the product meets the category and policy conditions.

What should I do if the product I want to sell is in a restricted category?

First check whether approval is required for that category. For the process, see our banned category activation and prohibited (restricted) products service pages.

What happens if I ignore the warning?

If you do not send a plan within the time stated in the email, your account may be temporarily suspended. Act as soon as you receive the warning so that you do not miss the deadline.

If you have received an age-restricted product warning, or you want to sell such products safely, you can book a one-to-one meeting with Orçun Uyar. You can find the overall picture of why accounts are closed in our article Why does Amazon suspend accounts? Thank you for your time.