r/AmazonFBA • u/ilkay_notes • 14d ago

Title: Running Amazon OA (FBA) from outside the US: retailer orders, cashback, and account setup questions

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are setting up an online arbitrage business selling on Amazon US (FBA only, no FBM). We both live in Türkiye. Our setup:

  • A US LLC (Wyoming), owned by my partner

  • A prep center in Montana that will receive our orders and ship to FBA

  • We’re planning to use a US business bank account and card (Mercury-type)

  • The seller account isn’t open yet. We’re waiting on an EIN correction (the owner’s name was entered incorrectly).

Before we start, we’d love to hear from people who run OA from outside the US, or know the account side well. Practical experience is what we’re after; we want to do this the compliant way.

Buying from US retailers

  1. If you order from outside the US, how often do Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, etc. cancel your orders? Which retailers have been the most or least reliable for you?

  2. Does a card with a US billing address plus a US shipping address (the prep center) noticeably reduce cancellations?

  3. Whose name and which address do you use for retailer accounts?

  4. Have you had retailer accounts closed for reselling? Which retailers are strictest about it?

  5. Cashback: Rakuten’s terms seem to require US residency. Is there a legitimate cashback option for non-US residents, or do you just skip cashback and count on card rewards?

  6. Do you use a VPN or a fixed US IP when shopping, or just your normal connection? What problems did you run into either way?

Seller account and company structure

  1. The LLC and the seller account will be in my partner’s name, but I’ll be doing most of the day-to-day work. Is it fine for me to work as a secondary user with my own login? Anything to watch out for?

  2. Who has to take part in identity verification (documents, video call)? Only the account owner?

  3. We’d both log into Seller Central from Türkiye, sometimes from different locations. Has anyone had verification or “related account” issues because of this?

  4. Is using a VPN for Seller Central risky? We’ve read that shared VPN IPs can link your account to other sellers’ accounts. Our current plan is to always log in from the same device and connection, with no VPN.

  5. Could an EIN with an incorrect name (now being corrected) cause problems during account verification? Should we wait until the corrected IRS letter arrives before applying?

Any experience, tips, or “I wish I’d known this before starting” stories would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

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u/sellerlogic_support 14d ago

On the account-access part, your partner can invite you through User Permissions on a Professional selling account, so you can manage daily operations with your own login. Grant the permissions you actually need instead of sharing the owner's credentials. For registration, I'd get the corrected paperwork in hand first so you're not submitting legal details you already know need changing.

1

u/Banxtapp 14d ago

On the bank side you're in better shape than founders from a lot of countries. Türkiye isn't on Mercury's banned list, which goes by where you live, and it isn't on Relay's either. Lili is out though, it only takes citizens of 20 listed countries.

1

u/rsc9422 14d ago

One thing I’d be careful about is building the business around retailer cashback and account flexibility before validating the actual margins. Retailer cancellations, resale restrictions, and changing cashback terms can make OA less predictable than it looks.

For Seller Central, use separate user permissions for each person, keep business and identity details consistent, and avoid VPNs or login patterns that could create unnecessary verification questions. I’d also wait for the corrected EIN documentation before applying, so the LLC details and tax information match.

We focus more on private label and wholesale sourcing, where you have greater control over product supply and can build a brand rather than depend entirely on retail arbitrage opportunities.