Amazon’s shipping services are typically quite comprehensive. Their address widget at the top of each page will inform you if a product you’re looking at is available for shipping to your selected address.
However, there are some situations in which Amazon will reject an address due to verification issues. ‘This typically happens for one of two reasons; either your address is new and hasn’t been entered into the system yet, or you’re entered the information incorrectly.
Why Is Amazon Not Recognizing My Address?
Amazon uses an automatic verification process to confirm shipping addresses. The automatic system relies on Google Maps and other official directories in order to verify that your address exists and is eligible for your selected item and shipping method. If Amazon is giving you an error saying “The street name or number appears to be invalid” or something to that effect, it means that the system was unable to verify your address as you entered it.
As mentioned above, this happens for one of two reasons:
- Your address is new. If you’ve just moved into a property that was recently developed, or whose street name/number has recently changed, then Amazon’s record may not show the updated address. In this case, you can either wait until the address is updated within the system, or call customer service to try and get the issue resolved.
- You entered the information incorrectly. Simply double check and make sure you typed in everything correctly. If you’re sure the information is correct, then you may have entered it in the wrong format. In the US, you can use the USPS Zip Code lookup service to find the official formatting for your address. If all else fails, try getting through to customer service, they’re always happy to help resolve your issues.
Customer service will not be able to help you if your address is invalid for shipping.
This can happen for a number of reasons, such as your requested package being too large for the shipping method, or if the item in question is restricted for the country you live in.
How Do I Verify My Address On Amazon As A Seller?
If you’re selling items on Amazon, they may require you to confirm your business address to make sure you’re shipping items from the correct location. This is a huge part of how Amazon is able to provide accurate and expedient shipping services for its customers.
As a seller, you will need to go through the verification process before you are able to sell any items. Luckily, this process is fairly straightforward.
First, you will be contacted by Amazon and informed that your address requires verification. You can then review and confirm your address on Amazon’s internal seller portal, SellerCentral.
Amazon will then send out a postcard to your address that should arrive within a few days. The postcard will have a verification code for you to enter into SellerCentral. Typically, sellers will have 60 days to confirm their address.
You will also get an address verification request from Amazon if you operate a seller account, but purchase an item for somebody else from Amazon. Because it is possible to use your buyer’s account to circumvent seller regulations and policies, Amazon must confirm your identity and the identity of the recipient in order to make sure you aren’t up to no good.
This instance is quite rare, but you will have to provide scanned images proving your ID and proof of address within 14 days.
Why Won’t Amazon Ship To My Address?
If you’re trying to buy an item on Amazon, but your address is not eligible for the shipping service you have selected, you might not be able to get exactly the item you want. As mentioned before, Amazon.com has an address widget at the top of every page showing whether or not your selected address is eligible. Addresses that do not qualify for selected shipping will show an error when trying to check out.
Addresses can be ineligible for a number of reasons based on the shipping service selected. Most often, your address is simply outside of the range for the selected shipping method.
For example, Release-Date Delivery for pre-ordered items is only available inside the continental US. If you live in Hawaii, Alaska, or outside the United States, you will not be able to receive pre-ordered items.
In some situations, Amazon might encounter problems with shipping due to unpredictable shipping conditions. In these cases, special shipping methods might not be available, or you might experience delays in receiving your package. Contact customer service if you’re concerned and want to get the issue resolved.
What To Do If Amazon Isn’t Accepting My Address
If you already used the USPS Zip Code lookup service and entered your address exactly as it appears there, but Amazon is still stating ‘the street name or number appears to be invalid,’ then it’s time to contact an Amazon customer associate directly.
Get in touch with Amazon directly either by phone or chat to let them know what is happening. Their customer service agent will be able to override and fix the error in their system.
This is an easy way to validate your address.
If you live very remotely and packages don’t make it to your home, you can always use services like Amazon Locker to pick up your orders. This is highly unlikely as anywhere you get mail in the continental U.S will be a valid address for Amazon.
Want to learn more about Amazon? Check out these related articles to learn what to do if your Amazon package is delivered to the wrong house, Amazon not yet shipped for days, and find out if Amazon Fresh is included in Prime.
Conclusion…
In general, Amazon uses Google Maps to confirm their shipping addresses. Sometimes, when a home is brand new and not on an official directory, Amazon will have trouble finding it and tell you the address is invalid.
A quick way to fix this is contacting an Amazon customer service associate and letting them know what’s going on. They’ll be able to validate and allow deliveries to your home moving forwards.
Hopefully this has cleared up any questions you may have about Amazon shipping services and address verification. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to fire away in the comments section.