Quick answer: Under section 9 of the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement, you must obtain commercial liability insurance within 30 days after your gross proceeds on Amazon.com exceed USD 10,000 in a month, or whenever Amazon asks. The policy must be commercial general, umbrella, or excess liability written on an occurrence basis, with at least USD 1 million per occurrence and in aggregate, a deductible no higher than USD 10,000, “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees” named as additional insureds, no sunset clause, an insurer rated A- or better by S&P or AM Best, and at least 30 days’ notice to Amazon of cancellation or changes. Starting November 2, 2026, sellers in product categories with enhanced safety listing requirements, such as children’s products, supplements, lithium battery products, and mattresses, need USD 1 million coverage regardless of sales. Insurance also changes how Amazon handles property damage and personal injury claims: with proof of coverage on file, Amazon does not seek reimbursement from you for claims of USD 1,000 or less.
Insurance is one of the least glamorous parts of selling on Amazon and one of the easiest to get wrong. Sellers buy a policy that does not name Amazon correctly, upload a certificate with the wrong legal name, or let coverage lapse without noticing, and only find out when listings are switched off or a customer injury claim lands with no insurer to pass it to. This guide explains, using Amazon’s own Business Solutions Agreement and help pages, exactly when coverage is required, what the policy must contain, how to check a certificate line by line, and how insurance changes the outcome of product liability claims.
Why Amazon Requires Insurance
Amazon’s Business Solutions Agreement makes sellers responsible for their products. Section 6.1 requires you to defend, indemnify, and hold Amazon harmless against third-party claims arising from your products, including personal injury, death (unless caused by Amazon), or property damage related to them. Insurance is how that promise is backed with money. Amazon describes commercial liability insurance as protection “from incidents resulting from the products you sell,” and the agreement requires the policy to name Amazon and its assignees as additional insureds so the coverage responds when a claim is brought against Amazon over your product.
Put simply: if a product you sold injures someone, the customer may pursue Amazon, Amazon may look to you under the indemnity, and your insurer is supposed to be standing behind you. Without insurance, that cost lands on your business directly, and Amazon’s A-to-z claims process allows it to withhold funds from your disbursements to cover concessions it pays.
When You Must Have Insurance
Trigger 1: USD 10,000 in a month
Amazon’s insurance page states that you must obtain and maintain commercial liability insurance within 30 days after exceeding USD 10,000 in gross proceeds in sales in one month on Amazon.com. Note the wording: gross proceeds, not profit, and in a single month. A seasonal spike in December can cross the line even if your average month does not. Once the requirement applies, the agreement says you must maintain coverage “throughout the remainder of the Term.”
Trigger 2: Amazon requests it
The agreement also says the requirement applies “if requested by us,” regardless of sales. Requests often arrive through Account Health or Seller Central notifications, and the same 30-day window applies.
Trigger 3: enhanced safety categories, from November 2, 2026
Amazon has announced that effective November 2, 2026, sellers who sell products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements must carry a policy with USD 1 million coverage per occurrence and in aggregate, regardless of gross sales. Amazon’s enhanced requirements page states the Certificate of Insurance must be submitted through Business Insurance verification and that selling privileges for those products are turned on once the insurance meets requirements. In other words, for these categories insurance is a condition of listing, not something you add once you grow.
Categories With Enhanced Safety Listing Requirements
Amazon’s list changes as it adds categories, and it says the list does not cover every product with these requirements, so check Account Health for notices on your own products. As currently published:
| Category group | Products Amazon lists |
|---|---|
| Children’s products | Child restraint systems and booster seats, children’s toys, infant support cushions and nursing pillows, infant and toddler sleep products, play yards, children’s portable bed rails |
| Consumable and ingestible products | Dietary supplements, ingestible over-the-counter medication, ophthalmic drug products |
| Fire-related products | Fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon gas alarms |
| General household devices | Immersion water heaters, small kitchen appliances |
| Home medical devices | Medical mobility and transfer equipment, home respiratory care supplies, walkers and rollators |
| Lithium battery products | E-mobility devices and accessories, lithium batteries, lithium-powered home appliances, smart home and consumer electronics, portable power supplies |
| Outdoor power and heating equipment | Electric cutting tools, gas-powered outdoor heaters, portable generators, pressure washers |
| Personal safety equipment | Climbing harnesses and ropes, fall-protection harnesses, mountaineering carabiners and helmets, safety helmets |
| Sleep products | Adult portable bed rails, mattresses |
| Transport-related products | Auto and motorcycle tires |
| Water and marine safety | Wearable or inflatable flotation products, pool safety and access control products |
These categories also carry two other requirements that sellers often miss: verification of notified ASINs through an Amazon-authorized third-party testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) provider, who submits documents on your behalf, and ongoing random surveillance testing. If a product fails surveillance testing for a serious safety issue, Amazon states it must report to regulators and you may be required to issue a recall.
What the Policy Must Include
Amazon’s insurance requirements page lists every criterion. Unless applicable law requires otherwise, the policy must meet all of them:
| Requirement | What Amazon requires | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Policy type | Commercial general, umbrella, or excess liability | Buying a property or business owner’s policy with no product liability |
| Basis | Occurrence basis (claims-made only where occurrence cannot be procured for certain categories) | Accepting a claims-made policy without checking |
| Limits | At least USD 1 million per occurrence and in aggregate, covering products, products/completed operations, and bodily injury | Per-occurrence limit met but aggregate lower |
| Deductible | No greater than USD 10,000, listed on the certificate | Deductible missing from the certificate |
| Scope | Covers all products you list on Amazon.com | Policy limited to some product lines |
| Additional insured | “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees” | Wrong Amazon entity or missing “affiliates and assignees” |
| Sunset clause | None | Policy with a cutoff date for reporting claims |
| Insured name | Matches the legal entity name in Account Info (single-member LLCs may also use the trade name) | Policy in the owner’s personal name or an old company name |
| Insurer quality | Global claim handling and S&P A- or AM Best A- or better (or local equivalent) | Unrated or low-rated carrier |
| Completion | Fully completed and signed by an authorized insurer representative | Unsigned or partly blank certificate |
| Notice | Insurer gives Amazon at least 30 days’ notice of cancellation, modification, or non-renewal | Notice clause omitted |
Amazon also states that from November 2, 2026, sellers based in Mainland China must obtain their policy through the Amazon Insurance Accelerator program unless Amazon agrees otherwise in writing. For other sellers, Amazon Insurance Accelerator is optional; Amazon describes it as a network of insurance providers arranged through a broker that may offer policies to qualifying sellers, and says you may choose any insurer that meets the requirements.
Occurrence basis versus claims-made
This distinction is the one sellers most often skip. An occurrence policy covers incidents that happen while the policy is in force, even if the claim is made years later. A claims-made policy covers claims made while the policy is in force, which can leave gaps if the policy ends before an injury claim is filed. Product injuries are often reported long after the sale, which is why Amazon requires occurrence basis and allows claims-made only where occurrence policies cannot be obtained for certain categories.
How to Read a Certificate of Insurance Line by Line
You upload a Certificate of Insurance (COI) to Amazon, not the full policy, unless Amazon asks for more. The COI is a summary, so every requirement has to be visible on it. Before uploading, check it against this diagram.
A pre-upload checklist
- Open Seller Central Account Info and copy your legal entity name exactly. Compare it character by character with the insured name on the COI.
- Confirm the policy type is commercial general, umbrella, or excess liability and that the occurrence box is marked.
- Check both the per-occurrence and aggregate limits are at least USD 1 million, and that products and completed operations are covered.
- Find the deductible on the certificate. If it is not shown, ask the insurer to add it; Amazon requires it to be listed.
- Read the additional insured wording. It should name “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees.”
- Check the policy dates. A certificate for a policy that has expired or starts next month will not satisfy the requirement.
- Confirm the certificate is signed by an authorized representative of the insurer.
- Ask the insurer in writing to confirm that the policy covers all products you list, has no sunset clause, and includes 30 days’ notice to Amazon of cancellation, modification, or non-renewal.
Certificates Versus Endorsements: Why the Paperwork Matters
A Certificate of Insurance is an information document. It summarizes a policy on one page, but by itself it generally does not create coverage. What actually makes Amazon an additional insured on your policy is an additional insured endorsement, a form attached to the policy that changes its terms. This is a standard feature of US commercial liability insurance, and it explains a common failure: a broker types “Amazon.com Services LLC” in the description box of a certificate without the endorsement ever being added to the policy.
When you buy or renew, ask the insurer or broker for a copy of the additional insured endorsement as well as the certificate. Check that it names Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees, and that it applies to products and completed operations. Keep it with your records. Amazon’s agreement allows it to request “certificates of insurance, the full insurance policy, or other documents,” so the endorsement may be the document that proves your coverage if a claim is ever disputed.
Worked Example: A Seasonal Seller Crossing the Threshold
Consider an illustrative seller who sells home goods on Amazon.com and averages USD 6,000 a month in gross proceeds. In November, holiday demand pushes gross proceeds to USD 14,000. Under the agreement, crossing USD 10,000 in a single month starts the 30-day window, so coverage must be in place by mid-to-late December, during the busiest weeks of the year. A seller who waits until January, assuming the requirement is based on the average month, is out of compliance even though sales dropped again.
The practical lesson: if your sales are seasonal and you are anywhere near USD 10,000 in your peak month, arrange coverage before peak season. A policy takes time to quote, bind, and endorse, and you will want the certificate uploaded before the requirement applies, not scrambling during the 30 days.
Now take a second illustrative seller who plans to launch a lithium-powered portable power station in December 2026, with no sales history. Because portable power supplies appear in the lithium battery products group on Amazon’s enhanced safety list, from November 2, 2026 that seller needs USD 1 million coverage before listing, plus testing through an authorized TIC provider. Sales volume does not matter. Budget for insurance and testing as part of the launch cost, not something to add later.
The Other Enhanced Requirements: Testing and Surveillance
For categories on the enhanced list, insurance is one of three conditions. Amazon also requires:
- Third-party product testing. Notified ASINs must be verified by a direct product validation authorized TIC service provider. The provider submits documents to Amazon on your behalf; you no longer submit them directly. You can use other accredited labs, but if the lab is not authorized by Amazon, an authorized TIC provider must validate the results.
- Ongoing testing. Products may be randomly selected for periodic testing or inspection by an authorized lab at any time. If a product fails surveillance testing, Amazon contacts you with required actions. For serious safety issues, Amazon must report to regulators and you may be required to recall the product.
Insurance and testing reinforce each other. Testing reduces the chance of a defect reaching customers; insurance pays when something goes wrong anyway. A seller with both in place is far better positioned in a product safety investigation than one with neither.
Questions to Ask a Broker or Insurer Before You Buy
- Is this commercial general, umbrella, or excess liability, and is it written on an occurrence basis?
- Are products and completed operations covered, at USD 1 million per occurrence and USD 1 million aggregate or higher?
- What is the deductible, and will it appear on the certificate?
- Will you add an additional insured endorsement naming “Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees,” and can I have a copy?
- Does the policy cover every product I list on Amazon.com, including any I plan to add this year?
- Is there any sunset clause or exclusion for products sold online or manufactured outside the US?
- Will you give Amazon at least 30 days’ notice of cancellation, modification, or non-renewal?
- What are your S&P or AM Best ratings, and do you have global claim handling capability?
- Will the insured name match my legal entity exactly as registered with Amazon?
Exclusions are worth reading carefully. Some policies exclude specific product types or products sourced from certain countries. If an exclusion applies to products you sell on Amazon, the policy does not meet Amazon’s requirement that it cover all products you list.
What Drives the Cost of Coverage
Premiums vary widely and Amazon does not publish typical costs, so be cautious of any figure quoted without a proposal from a licensed insurer. In general, insurers price product liability on factors such as the type of products and how they could cause injury, your sales volume, where products are manufactured, whether you have testing and quality documentation, and your claims history. Sellers in categories like supplements, children’s products, and lithium battery products should expect closer underwriting scrutiny, which is one reason those are the categories Amazon has singled out. Good documentation, such as test reports, certificates of conformity, and supplier quality records, can help a broker present your business favorably.
Selling in Other Amazon Stores
The Business Solutions Agreement applies insurance “for each applicable Elected Country,” with an Insurance Threshold and Insurance Limits defined per country. The USD 10,000 trigger and USD 1 million limits described in this article are the Amazon.com requirements. If you sell in other Amazon stores, check the insurance requirements for each one rather than assuming a US policy satisfies them.
How to Verify the Insurer Is Legitimate
A certificate is only as good as the company behind it. Before paying a premium, especially to a company you have not heard of, check three things.
| What to check | Where to check it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The insurer is licensed in your state | Your state’s department of insurance; the National Association of Insurance Commissioners publishes a directory of state insurance regulators | Unlicensed or fake insurers produce worthless certificates |
| The insurer’s financial strength rating | The rating agencies Amazon names, S&P and AM Best | Amazon requires A- or better |
| The agent or broker is licensed | Your state department of insurance producer lookup | Protects you from certificate fraud and lapsed placements |
Never accept a certificate from a seller of “Amazon-ready certificates” that does not come from a policy you actually hold. A certificate without a real policy behind it is a misrepresentation to Amazon and leaves you uninsured when a claim arrives.
How Insurance Changes Property Damage and Injury Claims
Amazon’s A-to-z Claims Process for Property Damage and Personal Injury is separate from the ordinary A-to-z Guarantee for delivery and condition problems. It handles claims that a defective product sold on Amazon.com caused property damage or personal injury. Amazon works with independent claims adjusters to screen out fraudulent, abusive, or frivolous claims, then notifies the seller of claims it believes may be valid. What happens next depends on the claim size and whether you have uploaded proof of insurance.
Claims of USD 1,000 or less
Amazon resolves these through a concession to the customer, giving you claim details and a chance to respond with evidence, such as proof the product was not defective or did not cause the damage. If you have provided proof of insurance, Amazon does not request reimbursement from you or your insurer. If you were required to have insurance or Amazon asked you to obtain it, and you do not provide proof within 7 days of notice, Amazon expects you to reimburse the concession and may withhold that amount from your disbursements. You can dispute a concession by appealing within 30 days.
Claims above USD 1,000
For larger claims, you or your insurer must handle the claim directly with the customer. If proof of insurance is on file through the Business Insurance page, Amazon transfers the claim to your insurer. Otherwise Amazon notifies you directly and you must respond within 7 days, then work to resolve it within 30 days unless the customer is uncooperative or the claim is complex. If you settle, Amazon requires a signed release from the customer covering you, Amazon, and its affiliates. If Amazon decides you or your insurer are delaying unreasonably, not responding, or denying a valid claim, it may resolve the claim itself through its claims administrator and then seek reimbursement from your insurer, or from you if you have no insurance. You or your insurer can appeal within 30 days, after which Amazon may commence arbitration to collect.
Amazon notes that participating in the process does not waive your rights or defenses, and that when it resolves claims it offers to pay only medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage caused by a defective product.
How Insurance Problems Become Account Problems
Insurance rarely causes a suspension on its own, but it sits next to several things that do. For enhanced safety categories, missing or non-compliant insurance means selling privileges for those products are not turned on. More broadly, the Business Solutions Agreement makes insurance a contractual obligation once triggered; failing to maintain it is a breach Amazon can act on. And when an injury or property damage claim arrives, an uninsured seller faces withheld disbursements and reimbursement demands at the same moment the product itself is likely under safety review. If a product is the subject of a safety action, see our guide to product safety suspensions and recalls.
Keeping Coverage Continuous
- Diary the renewal. Set a reminder 60 days before expiration so the renewed certificate can be uploaded before the old one lapses.
- Re-check after changes. A new legal entity, a merger, or a new product category can make an old policy non-compliant.
- Tell your insurer what you sell. The policy must cover all products you list. Adding a high-risk category without telling the insurer can leave those products uncovered.
- Keep the full policy. The agreement allows Amazon to request the full policy, not just the certificate.
- Watch Account Health. Requests for insurance and enhanced listing requirements appear there.
Common Questions Sellers Get Wrong
“I sell through FBA, so Amazon is liable.”
The indemnity in section 6.1 of the agreement covers your products, including their sale and fulfillment except to the extent attributable to the FBA service. FBA changes who handles fulfillment, not who is responsible for the product itself.
“My general business policy covers this.”
Only if it is commercial general, umbrella, or excess liability on an occurrence basis, with products and completed operations coverage at the required limits, and Amazon named correctly. Many business owner policies do not meet every requirement.
“I am under USD 10,000, so I never need it.”
Amazon can request coverage at any sales level, and from November 2, 2026 enhanced safety categories require it regardless of sales.
What to Do If Amazon Flags Your Insurance
- Read the notice for the specific defect: missing certificate, wrong insured name, wrong additional insured wording, limits, deductible, or expired dates.
- Ask your insurer or broker to correct the policy or issue a corrected certificate. Do not alter a certificate yourself; Amazon requires authentic documents.
- Upload the corrected certificate through the Business Insurance page in Seller Central.
- If listings were turned off for an enhanced safety category, confirm any TIC testing requirements are also complete, since both are conditions of listing.
- Keep copies of every certificate and the correspondence with your insurer.
Our Amazon suspension and reinstatement team helps sellers whose listings or accounts are restricted over compliance requirements, and our product safety and quality service handles enhanced safety listing and testing requirements. For the identity and business documents Amazon verifies, see our guide to business verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Amazon sellers need liability insurance?
Within 30 days after gross proceeds exceed USD 10,000 in a month on Amazon.com, or whenever Amazon requests it. From November 2, 2026, sellers in enhanced safety categories need it regardless of sales.
How much coverage does Amazon require?
At least USD 1 million per occurrence and in aggregate, with a deductible no higher than USD 10,000.
How should Amazon be named on the policy?
“Amazon.com Services LLC and its affiliates and assignees” as additional insureds.
Can I use a claims-made policy?
Amazon requires occurrence basis. Claims-made is allowed only where an occurrence policy cannot be procured for certain product categories listed in Amazon’s FAQ.
What insurer rating does Amazon accept?
S&P A- or AM Best A- or better, or a local equivalent where those ratings are not used.
Does Amazon pay small injury claims for me?
For claims of USD 1,000 or less, Amazon resolves them by concession and does not seek reimbursement if you have provided proof of insurance. Without proof, it expects reimbursement and may withhold funds.
Do I have to buy through Amazon Insurance Accelerator?
Not unless you are based in Mainland China, where Amazon requires it from November 2, 2026. Other sellers may use any insurer that meets the requirements.
Where do I upload my certificate?
Through the Business Insurance page (Business Insurance verification) in Seller Central.
Get Help With Insurance and Compliance
Submit your case for a free assessment, or book a consultation.
This article explains Amazon’s published requirements. It is not insurance or legal advice; speak to a licensed insurance professional about the policy that fits your business.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Central, Commercial Liability Insurance Requirements
- Amazon Seller Central, Product categories with enhanced safety listing requirements
- Amazon Seller Central, A-to-z Claims Process for Property Damage and Personal Injury
- Amazon Seller Central, Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners, State insurance departments directory
