How to Fix an Amazon Account That’s Temporarily Locked

If your Amazon account is temporarily locked, the safest fix is to follow the recovery instructions shown when you sign in or in a verified Amazon message. Do not use phone numbers, email addresses, or “unlock services” from random websites. Amazon can require a password reset, a one-time code, identity verification, or additional account information depending on why access was restricted.

1. Start from Amazon’s official sign-in and recovery flow

Go directly to Amazon in your browser or app and try to sign in with the email address or mobile number connected to the account. Amazon’s current sign-in help notes that accounts may use a password, a one-time security code, or a passkey. If your credentials are rejected, use the password reset or recovery option instead of repeatedly guessing.

1. Enter the email address or mobile number registered to your Amazon account.
2. If Amazon asks for your password, enter it carefully and check Caps Lock.
3. If you cannot remember the password, use Amazon’s password-reset option and complete the verification steps sent to your registered contact method.
4. If Amazon displays a specific lock or verification message, follow that message exactly. The required steps can differ between accounts.

Amazon’s official guidance is available in Why Can’t I Sign into My Account?.

2. Complete two-step verification or account recovery

If the lock is tied to two-step verification, first try a registered backup method or a trusted device. If you reach the verification screen but cannot receive the code, Amazon provides an account-recovery path from the “Didn’t Receive the Code” option.

1. Sign in with the account’s email address or phone number and password.
2. At the two-step verification screen, choose Didn’t Receive the Code.
3. Select Two-Step Verification Account Recovery.
4. Follow the on-screen identity-verification instructions.

Amazon says it cannot change two-step verification settings until the account owner’s identity has been successfully verified. See Recover Your Account after Two-Step Verification Fails.

3. Verify that the lock message is really from Amazon

Account-lock scams are common, so do not click a link in an unexpected email or text just because it says your Amazon account is suspended. Amazon recommends checking your account’s Message Center: legitimate Amazon emails should appear there. Also inspect the sender and destination carefully. Amazon warns that fake messages often use look-alike domains, urgency, or requests for sensitive information.

• Open Amazon directly instead of signing in through an unexpected link.
• Do not send your password, full card number, PIN, or security code by email.
• If a message is suspicious, report it through Amazon’s scam-reporting tools.

For current anti-phishing guidance, see How to identify fake emails and Report a scam.

4. Contact Amazon Customer Service through the official help page

If self-service recovery does not resolve the lock, use Amazon’s official Customer Service page. Current Amazon support documentation says assistance is available through phone, chat, email, and self-service options. Available choices can vary by issue and region, so avoid relying on an old phone number copied from a third-party article.

When you contact support, explain the exact message you see and be prepared to verify that you own the account. Do not create a second Amazon account simply to bypass a lock unless Amazon specifically instructs you to do so. Use Amazon Support Options and Customer Service to reach the current support flow.

What if it is an Amazon Seller account?

A shopping-account lock and a Seller Central deactivation are not the same problem. If your Amazon Seller account has been deactivated, use Seller Central’s official appeal workflow rather than general shopping-account recovery.

1. Open Seller Central and go to Performance > Account Health.
2. Select Reactivate your account.
3. Read the requested action carefully. Amazon may ask for a questionnaire, acknowledgement, quiz, explanation, or supporting documents.
4. Submit only the documents and information requested for that deactivation.
5. If Amazon asks for more information, return to Account Health and use View Appeal to provide it.

Amazon’s Seller Forums moderator guidance documents this process in How to appeal an account deactivation. The Seller Central Account Health dashboard is at Account Health.

After you regain access

Change your password if you suspect anyone else may have known it, review your recent orders and payment methods, and enable two-step verification from Your Account > Login & security. Amazon describes two-step verification as an added layer that requires a security code in addition to your normal sign-in credentials.

Most importantly, continue using only Amazon’s own recovery and support channels. The old advice to call a hard-coded support number, create another account to reach chat, or pay a third-party “unlock” company is unnecessary and can expose your account or personal information to additional risk.