Seller Verification
The identity and business checks a platform runs before and during a seller relationship, covering entity, ownership and tax data.
Aliases: KYC, seller KYC, identity verification, 卖家认证, 身份审核
Why platforms verify
Verification serves three purposes: legal obligations, fraud control and tax reporting. In the EU, the Digital Services Act requires marketplaces to obtain and assess trader identification data before allowing an offer. In the United States, the INFORM Consumers Act requires verification of high-volume sellers. Tax reporting under DAC7 requires validated tax identifiers.
What is collected
- Legal entity name and registration number
- Registered address and, sometimes, a proof of address document
- Identity document for the beneficial owner or legal representative
- Tax identification number and VAT number, validated against national systems
- Bank account in the entity's name
- Product certificates or authorisations, in regulated categories
The verification chain
Verification is a chain, not a single check. The entity name on the platform must match the entity name on the bank account and on the tax registration. Where a marketplace receives a bank statement for a trading name that differs from the legal entity, the check fails even though both are legitimate.
That is why the practical rule is one authoritative entity record, reused everywhere: platform account, tax registration, bank account, invoices and shipping documents.
Re-verification
Verification is recurring. Platforms re-check annually or on trigger events such as a change of address, a change of bank account, a tax number that stops validating, or a spike in sales. Some suites require a fresh document upload with no prior notice, which can freeze payouts while it is resolved.
Failure modes
Frozen disbursements are the most common consequence, followed by listing suspension in regulated categories. Rejected documents are usually expired IDs, screenshots rather than scans, addresses that do not match the registration, and certificates that cover a different model.
Interaction with product compliance
Verification checks that the seller is who it claims to be. It does not check whether the product complies. Product evidence comes from GPSR documentation, CE marking declarations, or CPSC certificates depending on the market, and a seller can pass verification while holding non-compliant stock.
Practical control
Keep a single folder with current documents, note expiry dates, and set an internal reminder before renewal. When an entity or bank changes, update all systems in the same week rather than sequentially.
Primary source: Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Article 30; 15 U.S.C. 45f.